The Work of Novi Sad City Library During the COVID-19 Pandemic – Audience Research

Abstract

After the outbreak of the infectious disease covid 19, caused by the corona virus, Novi Sad City Library adjusted its work to the epidemiological situation and adopted a Plan for the Implementation of Measures for the Protection of Employees in Novi Sad City Library During the State of Emergency. In the first year of implementation of the Library’s Strategic Plan 2020–2024, the initial research of the audience is planned, as well as the fulfillment of the strategic goals of introducing innovations and developing the audience. Accordingly, in August-September 2020, a users survey was conducted, in order to gain insight into attitudes towards the way the Library operates and how to improve the user experience. In addition to accepting the measures taken within the book-loan service and suggestions for its improvement, the focus of the research was the attitude towards online library services and user predictions of the future for the library as an institution. The attitudes of the users in city departments and branches were compared with the views of the users in suburban branches and those who filled in the survey in electronic form. A wide range of online services began to develop even before the pandemic, as strategically predicted, and the expansion of the contagion has further accelerated efforts in this field.