Anna Au                                    

Macao Library and Information Management Association, Macao

E-mail: macau.mlima@gmail.com

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the university libraries in Macao have been working together to provide online digital services to keep the virtual door open when the physical one is closed.  By the end of March, MALA, formed by nine university libraries and supported by Education and Youth Development Bureau of Macao SAR Government, already have had over 10 virtual meetings to discuss coordination and solutions for electronic resources, inter-library loans, patron services, and teaching and research challenges. The following highlights some of the best practices.

MALA integrated the 9 libraries’ databases, which were then promptly presented on MALA’s platform. The subjects cover science and technology, economics, pedagogy, humanities, and social science.

An addition of  high-quality subscriptions, self-created academic resources, and external resources was also push forward for teaching and research. University of Macau Faculty of Health Sciences created a series of videos with the technical support of the university library’s Media Laboratory to disseminate knowledge and actions for Covid prevention. Another programme on book disinfection was also released by the University of Macau Library to help users learn about good practice in library hygiene https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAnMVrhf9Zc Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST) Library compiled and integrated various subject reading lists to provide solutions for lectures, teaching materials, and assignments on the university’s cloud system “WeMust”. The University library also produced a manual for easy adoption of WeMust. Its 19 video clips and 7 online training modules saw participation by 90% of its lecturers. Macau Polytechnic Institute Library has dedicated an online space for SARS-CoV-2 research resources for speedy research reference. To support users during the lockdown, City University of Macau Library, Keung Wu Nursing College of Macau, and St. Joseph University Library provided information literacy support such as webinars, database use, online training, thesis consultation, technical support, instruction videos, as well as reference service by phone and email.