Coronavirus 2020: From lockdown to resumption at the National Library of Scotland

Abstract

Pandemics are nothing new to libraries. Our collections contain many works on epidemics and pestilence through the centuries. The Covid-19 pandemic forced the National Library of Scotland to deal with a public health crisis that went beyond the experience and policies of the institution. This account describes the measures taken to close the Library rapidly and to set up a staff of over 300 to homeworking. It is then explained how the Library continued working under lockdown and provided a digital service to the public. In the final section, the Library’s approach to reoccupying the buildings and resuming public services is discussed, emphasising the complex administrative and human issues involved. Finally, a short assessment of the ‘new normal’ for the National Library is posited.