The Impact of COVID-19 Public Policy on Canadian Public Library Workers: Invitation to Participate

July 8, 2026

Did you work in a Canadian public library between January 2020 and December 2021?

You are invited to take part in a study on library workers’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic!

We are currently recruiting individuals who:

• worked in or for a Canadian public library during the early parts of the COVID-19 pandemic (Jan. 2020 – Dec. 2021)
• this includes all staff members (part-time workers, full-time workers, managers, directors, and CEOs)

Benefits:

• the opportunity to share your experience and tell your story
• the information gathered will be used to inform future policy regarding crisis situations

Participation details:

• Participation consists of a 20-minute online survey
• You will be asked to describe your experiences on topics such as messaging, policy, and support you received during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Responses will be confidential in that no personal identifying information will be recorded
• Participation is voluntary and you may choose to leave the survey at any time

If you are interested in participating, please click this link:
https://uwo.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8bSqLRnH2YZAGHk

For more information contact:

Sam Vander Kooy
svande88@uwo.ca

Dr. Heather Hill
519-661-2111 (ext 88013)
hhill6@uwo.ca

Study Title: The Impact of COVID-19 Public Policy on Canadian Public Library Workers

Investigators:

Sam Vander Kooy
PhD Candidate, Library and Information Sciences
Faculty of Information & Media Studies Western University
svande88@uwo.ca

Dr. Heather Hill
Associate Professor and Chair, MLIS Program
Faculty of Information & Media Studies Western University
hhill6@uwo.ca

Invitation to Participate

You are invited to participate in a study being conducted by PhD candidate Sam Vander Kooy and overseen by Dr. Heather Hill from Western University. This study aims to learn about Canadian public library workers’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic as they relate to the swift and often contradictory changes in policy and messaging from Provincial and Federal governments as well as library management and the news media. You are being invited to participate because you worked in a Canadian public library during the early parts of the COVID-19 pandemic (Jan. 2020 – Dec. 2021).

Why is this study being done?

The purpose of this study is to examine the experiences and perspectives of Canadian public library workers to better understand the unprecedented procedural and policy changes taking place within Canadian public libraries due to the COVID-19 pandemic. You are being invited to participate in this study because you have self-identified as someone who worked in a Canadian public library during the early parts of the COVID-19 pandemic (Jan. 2020 – Dec. 2021).

Who can participate?

Participants in this research can include anyone who worked in a Canadian public library the early parts of the COVID-19 pandemic (Jan. 2020 – Dec. 2021). This includes all staff members, such as part-time workers, full-time workers, managers, directors, and CEOs.

How long will you be in this study?

This online questionnaire is expected to take less than 20 minutes to complete.