Public Libraries in the Post-COVID-19 Era: How to Transform Educational Services to Meet New Educational Needs

Introduction

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been shown to affect many sectors. Since its outbreak, it has not only disrupted economic and social life, but also the educational sector (Al-Hamad et al., 2021; Aristovnik et al., 2020; Erfurth & Ridge, 2020; Tarkar, 2020). The sudden spread of the pandemic required new quick emergency decisions that would help to continue with basic life needs. Those needs were primarily focused on health and education (Plancher et al., 2020).

Prior to COVID-19, many educational institutions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had invested in distance learning and educational technologies; however, adopting these new trends in education was slow and did not match the heavy investments spent on these types of learning styles (Daouk & Aldalaien, 2019). The UAE, however, has invested in a new digital platform called Mohammed Bin Rashid Smart Learning Program, which was launched in 2012 and allowed teachers and students to enjoy the benefits of the smart classes even before the pandemic (Bawa’aneh, 2021; Ministry of Education, 2018). Moreover, Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU), which was established in 2002, is the first accredited e-learning academic institution by the Ministry of Education (MOE) in the UAE, and the UAE is the first country in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to join the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) (Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University, n.d.). Thus, the culture of e-learning was not totally new to the K-12 students in general education and to some students in higher education.

In March 2020, the UAE implemented distance learning. Technology was the savior for formal learning systems to continue offering their educational services (Bawa’aneh, 2021). On the other hand, countries that were not prepared, either with technology or quick leadership decisions, had to completely stop formal education classes, which caused a loss in time and opportunities of improving 21^st century skills of their youth (Bozkurt et al., 2020).

Similarly, public libraries in the UAE closed their premises during COVID-19 and continue some of their services remotely (Khaleej Times, 2020; The National, 2020). Those services were mostly providing digital content, virtual awareness programs, educational sessions, and afterschool programs. Some libraries offered free access to their digital content using services like Sharjah Libraries and Abu Dhabi Libraries.

Thanks to technology, the access to almost all services provided by federal institutions in the UAE is possible. Education, on the other hand, is going through a huge disruption due to the phenomenal growth in emerging technologies and the innovations that educators and researchers are creating through research. This disruption is comparatively generated by easy accessibility to knowledge via the Internet, the interconnectivity between various gadgets (Internet of Things), the availability of empirical data concerning learner’s progress (big data and analytics), and the uncomplicated co-creation of knowledge. This extent of educational disruption has various implications on the nature and outcomes of learning.

The COVID-19 pandemic suddenly created a new reality for the educational sector. Although this reality was a challenge, it was also an opportunity to explore the potential of developing a collaborative system that unifies all efforts in schools and libraries to provide a better educational service for their customers. Since these two formal and informal learning institutions (i.e., schools and public libraries) share the same values of spreading knowledge and life-long learning habits, this study is an attempt to explore the edu-cultural dimension of a possible collaborative relationship between formal and informal education stakeholders and the potential it can carry for both sectors from a business perspective. It can create an opportunity for start-ups to provide innovative educational services that are designed specifically to bridge the gaps between schools and libraries. This paper investigates a way for a rewarding partnership to both institutions that fosters acquiring new knowledge and skills that would address 21^st century demands and challenges.