Libraries Supporting Online Learning: Practical Strategies and Best Practices

Though the emergence of COVID-19 required an abrupt transition to nearly total online learning, making library services and resources available virtually has been a goal of the profession for decades. Mune (associate dean of innovation and resource management, San José State Univ.) divides this work into three sections: facilitating access to library resources, creating a community of learners by helping them connect to one another, and building engagement through digital literacy. The author cites theory, but the work is also filled with practical, innovative suggestions to foster an environment where librarians can support students and educators. Examples include having students collectively annotate a YouTube video while the instructor or librarian inserts reflective questions in real time. Mune also discusses asynchronous activities such as creating a badge program where students conducting research can earn virtual microcredentials that can be traded in for real-life rewards, or holding scavenger hunts where students post videos or images as they work through the clues. Particularly useful is the final chapter that describes free and low-cost digital tools to support online learning.