Content area
Full text
INTRODUCTION
Since March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected academic libraries (Breeding 2020; Dixon 2020; Walsh and Rana 2020). Due to this sudden obstacle, library employees have been struggling to provide the same quality of library services prior to the pandemic. Consequently, it was necessary to change the methods of teaching library instruction classes during these unprecedented times. Online library instruction classes are essential to meet students' and faculty's safety and satisfy the need for a new library instruction delivery format. Although there was the need to develop online library classes for off-campus students, Lamar State College - Port Arthur (LSCPA) did not have the technology to provide these services as a primary method of instruction before the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the school to devise an appropriate system whereby students had to learn the same way as in a face-to-face environment. This research examined how the LSCPA librarian changed the library instruction classes during the COVID-19 pandemic and how these changes impacted student learning. This study's specific objective was to evaluate how students felt about the new delivery method of library instruction and how much they learned from online teaching.
BACKGROUND
Lamar State College - Port Arthur
Lamar State College - Port Arthur (LSCPA) was established in 1909 in Port Arthur, Texas as Port Arthur Business College to educate the workers in the petrochemical industry of southeast Texas. In 1911, the college was renamed Port Arthur Collegiate Institute by the Methodist Episcopal Church, which took over the institution until 1918. The college was finally given the current name, LSCPA, in June 1999. LSCPA offers more than thirty academic and technical programs, giving students opportunities to transfer to four-year institutions or to pursue their majors in the job market upon graduation. As a member of the Texas State University System, LSCPA respects its students' educational achievements, its employees' contributions, and the support it receives from the community. LSCPA has continuously increased its number of students and programs it offers, which includes distance education. Due to COVID-19, enrollment decreased to 2,312 in Spring 2021, which was about 6% less than Spring 2020. Therefore, the college has offered various options to encourage student enrollments, such as late registration and late start semesters.
Gates Memorial Library:...