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Abstract Background This qualitative study explores the experiences of peer support workers (PSWs) and service users (or peers) during transition from in-person to virtual mental health services. During and following the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for accessible and community-based mental health support has become increasingly important. This research aims to understand how technological factors act as bridges and boundaries to mental health peer support services. In addition, the study explores whether and how a sense of community can be built or maintained among PSWs and peers in a virtual space when connections are mediated by technology. This research fills a gap in the literature by incorporating the perspectives of service users and underscores the potential of virtual peer support beyond pandemic conditions. Methods Data collection was conducted from a community organization that offers mental health peer support services. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 employees and 27 service users. Thematic analysis was employed to identify key themes and synthesize a comprehensive understanding. Results The findings highlight the mental health peer support needs that were met through virtual services, the manifestation of technology-based boundaries and the steps taken to remove some of these boundaries, and the strategies employed by the organization and its members to establish and maintain a sense of community in a virtual environment marked by physical distancing and technology-mediated interrelations. The findings also reveal the importance of providing hybrid services consisting of a mixture of in person and virtual mental health support to reach a broad spectrum of service users. Conclusions The study contributes to the ongoing efforts to enhance community mental health services and support in the virtual realm. It shows the importance of virtual peer support in situations where in-person support is not accessible. A hybrid model combining virtual and in-person mental health support services is recommended for better accessibility to mental health support services. Moreover, the importance of organizational support and of equitable resource allocation to overcome service boundaries are discussed.

Background and aims: Caregiver-delivered programs are a recommended best practice to support young autistic children. While research has extensively explored children's outcomes quantitatively, minimal qualitative research has been conducted to understand caregivers' perspectives of program outcomes for themselves and their children. Hearing directly from caregivers is an important step in ensuring these programs are meeting the needs of those who use them. This study explored caregivers' perceived outcomes following one virtual caregiver-delivered program, The Hanen Centre's More Than Words® (MTW) program. Methods: This study was a secondary analysis of data from individual interviews conducted with 21 caregivers who had recently participated in a virtual MTW program. A hybrid codebook thematic analysis approach was taken to analyze the interview data. Program outcomes were coded and analyzed within the International Classification Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) framework. Additionally, caregivers completed an online survey and rated Likert Scale items about perceived program outcomes, which were analyzed descriptively. Results: Five themes were identified: (1) caregivers learned new strategies to facilitate their child's development, (2) caregivers developed a new mindset, (3) children gained functional communication skills, (4) caregiver–child relationships improved, and (5) caregivers gained a social and professional support network. These themes fell within four of five ICF framework components (activities, participation, personal factors, and environmental factors). No themes were identified under Body Structures and Functions. Survey results indicated most caregivers reported learning new communication strategies (n = 20, 95%), and identifying new teaching opportunities with their child (n = 21, 100%). Conclusions: Some reported outcomes, related to Activities and Participation, were consistent with previous reports in the literature on the MTW program. In line with previous research, caregivers learned strategies to support their child's communication development. Contrary to previous quantitative studies, caregivers in this study rarely commented on gains in vocabulary and instead focused on gains in skills that positively impacted their child's ability to engage in meaningful social interaction. Novel outcomes were identified within the Participation, Personal Factors, and Environmental Factors components of the ICF framework. Implications: Caregivers in this study identified important outcomes for themselves and their child that have not been the focus of prior research, suggesting it is important to integrate their perspectives in the development and evaluation of caregiver-delivered programs. Clinicians should include goals that address outcomes identified as important by caregivers, including those that address children's Participation, and those that target caregivers' Personal and Environmental Factors. Developers of caregiver-delivered programs could integrate identified goals to ensure they are meeting families' needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This qualitative study explores the experiences of peer support workers (PSWs) and service users (or peers) during transition from in-person to virtual mental health services. During and following the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for accessible and community-based mental health support has become increasingly important. This research aims to understand how technological factors act as bridges and boundaries to mental health peer support services. In addition, the study explores whether and how a sense of community can be built or maintained among PSWs and peers in a virtual space when connections are mediated by technology. This research fills a gap in the literature by incorporating the perspectives of service users and underscores the potential of virtual peer support beyond pandemic conditions. Methods: Data collection was conducted from a community organization that offers mental health peer support services. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 employees and 27 service users. Thematic analysis was employed to identify key themes and synthesize a comprehensive understanding. Results: The findings highlight the mental health peer support needs that were met through virtual services, the manifestation of technology-based boundaries and the steps taken to remove some of these boundaries, and the strategies employed by the organization and its members to establish and maintain a sense of community in a virtual environment marked by physical distancing and technology-mediated interrelations. The findings also reveal the importance of providing hybrid services consisting of a mixture of in person and virtual mental health support to reach a broad spectrum of service users. Conclusions: The study contributes to the ongoing efforts to enhance community mental health services and support in the virtual realm. It shows the importance of virtual peer support in situations where in-person support is not accessible. A hybrid model combining virtual and in-person mental health support services is recommended for better accessibility to mental health support services. Moreover, the importance of organizational support and of equitable resource allocation to overcome service boundaries are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health sciences library public services underwent profound changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Circulation, reference services, instruction, interlibrary loan, and programming were all significantly affected. Libraries adapted by moving to virtual services, featuring online workshops, video consultations, and digital information sharing. Reference services moved to virtual consultations for a streamlined experience, and instruction transitioned to interactive video tutorials. Interlibrary loan services saw a decrease in print material lending but an increase in electronic subscriptions. Library programming shifted from in-person to virtual, focusing on wellness activities. This post-pandemic transformation underscores the importance of ongoing adaptation to meet changing user needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explore approaches, challenges, solutions, and recommendations offered by child welfare workers in Canada on remote communication with children/youth regarding safety and on managing parent–child access during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thirty-seven child welfare workers and foster care providers participated in this survey. About 94% of the workers used virtual video communication alongside other modalities. Privacy concerns were common in children and youth contacts. Visitation scheduling challenges, digital inequality, and fear of contagion were commonly encountered by foster care providers. Regular virtual check-ins by child welfare workers, training on use of online meeting tools, and subsidizing technological costs were notable recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examined if adapting the Cooking Matters (CM) curriculum to be used in an online format would improve participants' shopping skills, attitudes toward cooking, and feelings of cooking confidence, similar to the traditionally offered method, which is conducted in person. Results from factor analyses indicated that the online CM program demonstrated construct and content reliability compared to in-person (Cronbach's α ≥ 0.70). Repeated-measures ANOVA revealed a decrease in shopping skills overall (F = 5.91; p ≤ 0.05), consistent across age groups (F = 3.2; p ≤ 0.05) and food security status (F = 7.48; p < 0.01), with larger impacts on the food insecure (FI). Positive cooking attitudes increased with income (F = 2.86; p ≤ 0.05), especially among the <$20,000 and $30–39,000 income brackets. Cooking confidence increased post-intervention (F = 27.2, p < 0.001), with an interaction effect for food security status (F = 7.45; p ≤ 0.01), with greater improvement for households with food insecurity. These findings provide evidence to program and policymakers that virtual nutrition and cooking education services for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) should continue to be supported beyond the pandemic as they reduce barriers to receiving program benefits, nutrition education, and may lead to reductions in household food insecurity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The development of the metaverse technology of the next generation of the Internet, which consists of a virtual environment, Augmented Reality online which is decentralized and stable and can be widely used in the health field. Due to the growth of Metaverse technology in various fields and the importance of using it in healthcare, this study was conducted to review and identify areas of application of metaverse technology in healthcare. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to analyze the writings that examine the metaverse in health care. Methods: In this scoping review, an electronic search is done through publish or perish to get an overview by combining keywords related to the topic without a time limit. Two authors independently collected data by data extraction tables. Results: The 50 articles found through the initial search, nine studies were eligible for inclusion in the review. Most of the studies (55.55%) were published in 2021, and South Korea was the country with the most research (44.44%). The main services for using Metaverse include educational services, intervention services, and communication services. Also, medical imaging is the most practical aspect of the Metaverse used in healthcare. Conclusion: The use of Metaverse in various health fields is growing rapidly. It is now widely used in other fields, such as medical intervention and health care provision; in medical imaging, it has many applications due to fundamental changes in the nature and quality of imaging.

The current study focuses on the numerous duties of "Academic Learning Centres" within the context of the Covid‐19 pandemic. The Novel Corona Virus pandemic has created new problems for all stakeholders inside the education system. Given the extrinsic obstacles of delivering services during a public health crisis, the unexpected emergence of the virus pushed libraries to migrate to digital platforms whenever possible and deliver acceptable remote services to users. The purpose of this study is to discover how technology became an impediment for India's best educational institutes during the Covid‐19 situation. The current article assists library professionals in improving their skill set in accordance with things and serving information as a responsible citizen of the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coronavirus pandemic necessitated rapid shifts in approach for service providers working with survivors of interpersonal violence. To reduce the spread of the virus, providers and agencies implemented a rapid and unplanned expansion of virtual services while also developing new protocols to support safe and socially distant in-person services. To understand how these shifts have impacted victim service professionals and the survivors they serve, to provide guidance for on-going efforts, and to inform planning for future public health emergencies, this study asks the question: What approaches did the interpersonal violence workforce use to address social distancing needs during COVID-19? Semi-structured interviews were conducted from July to December 2020 with 33 interpersonal violence service providers from across the United States, and data were analyzed via conventional content analysis with additional steps for data credibility. Findings fall within two primary categories: 1) Technology and Virtual Service Provision; and 2) Social Distancing for In-person Services. Within each category, a number of themes emerged illustrating strengths and challenges of each approach, and the complex web of technological, safety, and public health considerations being balanced in interpersonal violence service agencies. These results provide guidance for the implementation of virtual services in an on-going manner, as well as underscoring the importance of future planning to facilitate effective in-person but physically distant services. There is also a clear need for agencies to support the interpersonal violence workforce to reduce occupational stress and enhance skills and capacities with new forms of services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When The Learning Center, a consumer health library at a cancer center, closed its doors in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was not a robust system of virtual outreach in place. Staff decided to implement a chat/SMS service as one way to reach patrons during the library's 16-month shutdown, but usage numbers were low. A variety of factors can affect use and complicate success, and quantitative measures may not be the sole factor in evaluating a new service and whether it should continue. This article will talk about service implementation, challenges and context, patron and staff satisfaction, and lessons learned from the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare providers were forced to shift many services quickly from in-person to virtual, including substance use disorder (SUD) and mental health (MH) treatment services. This led to a sharp increase in telehealth services, with health systems seeing patients virtually at hundreds of times the rate as before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. By analyzing qualitative data about SUD and MH care organizations’ experiences using telehealth, this study aims to elucidate emergent themes related to telehealth use by the front-line behavioral health workforce. Methods This study uses qualitative data from large-scale web surveys distributed to SUD and MH organizations between May and August 2020. At the end of these surveys, the following question was posed in free-response form: “Is there anything else you would like to say about use of telehealth during or after the COVID-19 pandemic?” Respondents were asked to answer on behalf of their organizations. The 391 responses to this question were analyzed for emergent themes using a conventional approach to content analysis. Results Three major themes emerged: COVID-specific experiences with telehealth, general experiences with telehealth, and recommendations to continue telehealth delivery. Convenience, access to new populations, and lack of commute were frequently cited advantages of telehealth, while perceived ineffectiveness of and limited access to technology were frequently cited disadvantages. Also commonly mentioned was the relaxation of reimbursement regulations. Respondents supported continuation of relaxed regulations, increased institutional support, and using a combination of telehealth and in-person care in their practices. Conclusions This study advanced our knowledge of how the behavioral health workforce experiences telehealth delivery. Further longitudinal research comparing treatment outcomes of those receiving in-person and virtual services will be necessary to undergird organizations’ financial support, and perhaps also legislative support, for virtual SUD and MH services.

The present study examined if adapting the Cooking Matters (CM) curriculum to be used in an online format would improve participants’ shopping skills, attitudes toward cooking, and feelings of cooking confidence, similar to the traditionally offered method, which is conducted in person. Results from factor analyses indicated that the online CM program demonstrated construct and content reliability compared to in-person (Cronbach’s α ≥ 0.70). Repeated-measures ANOVA revealed a decrease in shopping skills overall (F = 5.91; p ≤ 0.05), consistent across age groups (F = 3.2; p ≤ 0.05) and food security status (F = 7.48; p < 0.01), with larger impacts on the food insecure (FI). Positive cooking attitudes increased with income (F = 2.86; p ≤ 0.05), especially among the p < 0.001), with an interaction effect for food security status (F = 7.45; p ≤ 0.01), with greater improvement for households with food insecurity. These findings provide evidence to program and policymakers that virtual nutrition and cooking education services for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) should continue to be supported beyond the pandemic as they reduce barriers to receiving program benefits, nutrition education, and may lead to reductions in household food insecurity.

The COVID—19 pandemic and related quarantine has created additional problems for survivors of interpersonal violence. The purpose of this study is to gain a preliminary understanding of the health, safety, and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on people that are experiencing or have previously experienced violence, stalking, threats, and/or abuse. An online survey, open from April to June 2020, was taken by people with safety concerns from interpersonal violence. Participants were recruited from IPV and sexual assault-focused agencies, state coalitions, and social media. Quantitative data were summarized using descriptive methods in SPSS and coding methods from thematic and content analysis was used to analyze qualitative data from open-ended questions. A total of 53 participants were recruited for the survey. Individuals with safety concerns have experienced increased challenges with health and work concerns, stress from economic instability, difficulties staying safe, and access resources and support. Over 40% of participants reported safety had decreased. Use of social media and avoidance strategies were the most common safety approaches used. Participants reported mixed experiences with virtual services. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing structural concerns for survivors of violence like IPV and sexual assault. Increased support and economic resource access, coupled with modified safety planning and improved virtual approaches, would better help meet survivor needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare providers were forced to shift many services quickly from in-person to virtual, including substance use disorder (SUD) and mental health (MH) treatment services. This led to a sharp increase in telehealth services, with health systems seeing patients virtually at hundreds of times the rate as before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. By analyzing qualitative data about SUD and MH care organizations' experiences using telehealth, this study aims to elucidate emergent themes related to telehealth use by the front-line behavioral health workforce.Methods: This study uses qualitative data from large-scale web surveys distributed to SUD and MH organizations between May and August 2020. At the end of these surveys, the following question was posed in free-response form: "Is there anything else you would like to say about use of telehealth during or after the COVID-19 pandemic?" Respondents were asked to answer on behalf of their organizations. The 391 responses to this question were analyzed for emergent themes using a conventional approach to content analysis.Results: Three major themes emerged: COVID-specific experiences with telehealth, general experiences with telehealth, and recommendations to continue telehealth delivery. Convenience, access to new populations, and lack of commute were frequently cited advantages of telehealth, while perceived ineffectiveness of and limited access to technology were frequently cited disadvantages. Also commonly mentioned was the relaxation of reimbursement regulations. Respondents supported continuation of relaxed regulations, increased institutional support, and using a combination of telehealth and in-person care in their practices.Conclusions: This study advanced our knowledge of how the behavioral health workforce experiences telehealth delivery. Further longitudinal research comparing treatment outcomes of those receiving in-person and virtual services will be necessary to undergird organizations' financial support, and perhaps also legislative support, for virtual SUD and MH services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, youth mental health and substance use services rapidly moved to virtual modalities to meet social distancing requirements. It is important to understand youth attitudes toward and experience of virtual services. Objective This study examined the attitudes toward and experiences of virtual mental health and substance use services among youth drawn from clinical and non-clinical samples. Method Four hundred nine youth completed a survey including questions about their attitudes toward and experience of virtual services. The survey included quantitative and open-ended questions on virtual care, as well as a mental health and substance use screener. Results The majority of youth with mental health or substance use challenges would be willing to consider individual virtual services, but fewer would consider group virtual services. However, many have not received virtual services. Youth are interested in accessing a wide variety of virtual services and other supportive wellness services. Advantages and disadvantages of virtual services are discussed, including accessibility benefits and technological barriers. Discussion As youth mental health and substance use services have rapidly gone virtual during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is essential that we hear the perspectives of youth to promote service utilization among those in need. Diverse, accessible, technologically stable virtual services are required to meet the needs of different youth, possibly with in-person options for some youth. Future research, engaging youth in the research process, is needed to evaluate the efficacy of virtual services to plan for the sustainability of some virtual service gains beyond the pandemic period.

The whole world is experiencing a new reality – the global outbreak of COVID-19, which has forced every institution into lockdown. This study aims to explore the responses of the government public libraries of Bangladesh. An online questionnaire was used to gather primary data from all of the 71 public libraries, which was followed by semi-structured interviews with eight librarians. The analysis suggests that more than 50% of the libraries had a low level of preparedness to face any crisis, and none of the libraries were fully prepared to manage this pandemic. All of the libraries were open for administrative functions without physical access to users. The study found that 52% of the libraries created public awareness through social media, while 46% supported local government organizations and 40% provided counselling services. Considering the existing challenges, the study recommends some measures for the public libraries of Bangladesh to cope with this situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) unique challenges to all the educational system in present time. The unexpected and suddenly outbreak of library professionals for the COVID-19 to general working time. The library professional takes some other dission for contuning library service like digital platform wherever possible and to provide adequate remote services to the users. Given the extrinsic challenges in providing services during a public health emergency, the purpose of this paper is to find out how medicine and technology became a saviour for the medical research institutions of India during the COVID -19 pandemic. The study explores the type of services provided by libraries of Indian Medical Research Institutes based on the contents published on their web-pages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a major public health and societal issue that has been further intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic. IPV impacts individuals, families, and communities worldwide, with women-identified people at highest risk. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the need for virtual supports for those experiencing IPV, with service providers adjusting service delivery methods to allow for physical distancing. Virtual or online supports (email, text, videoconferencing, apps) can reduce isolation and provide remote IPV social support, advice, and counselling services, yet they remain an area for further study in practice. In particular, little is known about ethical and safety issues that can arise in providing virtual IPV services. Combining recent research and social work experience with people impacted by IPV, the authors present a commentary paper that summarises ethical considerations when using virtual IPV services. After overviewing recent research on virtual IPV services, the paper outlines five key concerns to consider in providing virtual IPV interventions: 1) service provider training and protocols for assessing safety; 2) protecting privacy and identities; 3) maintaining professional boundaries; 4) financial and access barriers; and 5) cultural and service preferences. The paper concludes with policy and practice recommendations for providing virtual IPV services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article deals with the problem of religious expansion, which is accompanied by a wave of globalization. In particular, the analysis of its prerequisites and its place in society and consequences is carried out, which are the basis for its widespread spread in an information, «digitized» digitized society. A description of the manifestations of evangelization and Islamization of religious expansion, which cover all spheres of spiritual life and enter through the conquest of human consciousness, is given, and the processes of their development in the information society are considered. «I'm sorry,» he said, «but I don't know what you're talking about, and I don't know what you're talking about, and I don't know what you're talking about, but I don't know what you're talking about». And the possibilities of modern technologies are the basis for changing the forms and areas of use of sites of religious organizations. The article examines the social, economic, political, spiritual background and main objects of religious expansion of neo-Christian, new Islamic, neo-Christian movements, Religious Studies analysis of missionary activities carried out in the internet space and social networks, its factors contributing to the formation of religious consciousness of young people. At the same time, the features of religious expansion in cyberspace are revealed and a description of their manifestation in modern Kazakh society is given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study sought to investigate a framework for Library virtual service as the main alternative modus operandi amidst COVID19 global lockdown encounter in South Africa. It is a common fact that COVID19 has brought the entire world to a standstill with most of the services and businesses put on-hold as every country forces its citizens to remain in their households under lockdown in a state of emergency. This paper uses literature to present the arguement that a virtual library service is the main alternative mode of operation that libraries may use to continue rendering their services to their clients. The study discovered that the virtual library is the main alternative in this case where libraries want to help to defeat the coronavirus outbreak and to avoid it from affecting their services to their clients. The study provides a framework for virtual library services that is believed any kind of library may reshape to suit their own environmental needs. Library may in a ways successfully render their services with or without covid 19 pandemic lockdown. It is believed that this may also enable clients to enjoy library services even when under covid 19 lockdown in their respective countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The South African Higher Education Institution (HEI) sector had to move to 'emergency' online learning during the covid-19 pandemic, and they embraced a humanistic approach underpinned by the need to complete the academic year in 2020 and support all students. Because this emergency online learning accelerated the digital shift, evidence of pre-existing disparities and inequalities have been magnified, such as the digital divide, infrastructure, connectivity, access to data, digital literacies, vastly different learning environments, software and hardware tools, and others. The Department of Library Services (DLS) is aligned to the University of Pretoria's shift to online learning and to reimaging its service offerings and innovation readiness. It deliberately adopted a responsive engagement strategy for students, staff, senior management and service providers. Therefore, the DLS now offers a mix of services and programmes, with more reliance on virtual services to support and sustain the academic agenda. This paper provides real-life case study experiences of student engagement during the covid-19 pandemic, with reference to the relevant student engagement with literature. It also reflects on how the DLS previously applied attributes of service innovation, such as 'employing' a client-service robot at an HEI library in Africa, this being in keeping with the UP's innovation culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Government websites are the repository of information where citizens can timely access substantial and reliable information. It is normal to find antagonism between formulators and users of e-government virtual services (EGS). This study is designed to assess the quality of virtual services provided by Pakistani government websites. Data is collected from 278 university graduates using simple random sampling technique. Results of Smart PLS show that the survey respondents exhibit positive attitude towards perceived system quality (PSQ) and perceived information quality (PIQ) of the websites. They also perceive e-government websites useful and display their satisfaction to e-government virtual services. Finally, findings provide support to mediating role of users’ perceived usefulness (UPU). Policymakers and practitioners can take advantage of the findings to design more citizen centered government websites to optimize their satisfaction with mandatory services.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, youth mental health and substance use services rapidly moved to virtual modalities to meet social distancing requirements. It is important to understand youth attitudes toward and experience of virtual services.Objective: This study examined the attitudes toward and experiences of virtual mental health and substance use services among youth drawn from clinical and non-clinical samples.Method: Four hundred nine youth completed a survey including questions about their attitudes toward and experience of virtual services. The survey included quantitative and open-ended questions on virtual care, as well as a mental health and substance use screener.Results: The majority of youth with mental health or substance use challenges would be willing to consider individual virtual services, but fewer would consider group virtual services. However, many have not received virtual services. Youth are interested in accessing a wide variety of virtual services and other supportive wellness services. Advantages and disadvantages of virtual services are discussed, including accessibility benefits and technological barriers.Discussion: As youth mental health and substance use services have rapidly gone virtual during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is essential that we hear the perspectives of youth to promote service utilization among those in need. Diverse, accessible, technologically stable virtual services are required to meet the needs of different youth, possibly with in-person options for some youth. Future research, engaging youth in the research process, is needed to evaluate the efficacy of virtual services to plan for the sustainability of some virtual service gains beyond the pandemic period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health agencies call for the immediate mobilization of existing interventions in response to numerous child and family mental health concerns that have arisen as result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Answering this call, this pilot study describes the rapid, full-scale change from a primarily clinic-based Parent–Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) model to a virtual service model (i.e., I-PCIT) in an academic and community-based program in Miami, Florida. First, we describe the virtual service training model our program developed and its implementation with 17 therapists (MAge = 32.35, 88.2% female, 47.1% Hispanic) to enable our clinic to shift from providing virtual services to a small portion of the families served (29.1%) to all of the families served. Second, we examine the effect of I-PCIT on child and caregiver outcomes during the 2-month stay-at-home period between March 16, 2020, and May 16, 2020, in 86 families (MChildAge = 4.75, 71% Hispanic). Due to the rapid nature of the current study, all active participants were transferred to virtual services, and therefore there was no comparison or control group, and outcomes represent the most recently available scores and not treatment completion. Results reveal that I-PCIT reduced child externalizing and internalizing problems and caregiver stress, and increased parenting skills and child compliance with medium to large effects even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, the study examined components of our virtual service training model associated with the greatest improvements in child and caregiver outcomes. Preliminary findings revealed that locally and collaboratively developed strategies (e.g., online communities of practice, training videos and guides) had the strongest association with child and caregiver outcomes. Implications for virtual service delivery, implementation, and practice in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent Stay At Home order, the Southern Illinois University Medical Library utilized new technologies and implemented new virtual service models in order to improve internal communication, and to continue providing services and resources to patrons remotely. The changes happened quickly, and the librarians faced several challenges during this time, but things went smoothly overall and there were some considerable silver linings. Several of the newly adopted technologies, service models, and virtual resource offerings proved to be extremely effective and their use will continue beyond the duration of the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected libraries across the globe, including academic health sciences libraries, in many ways. This manuscript describes the challenges, solutions, and practices employed by the Stony Brook University Health Sciences Library in order to maintain continuity of services to patrons including faculty, hospital staff, students, and clinicians while operating in one of the earliest epicenters of the pandemic. Some of the major changes the library underwent in response to the pandemic included implementing new online anatomy resources, contactless circulation, remote interlibrary loan services and modified operating practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) disease presented unique challenges to all the stakeholders of education system. The sudden and unexpected outbreak of the virus forced the library professionals, to ascertain ways of working in a rapid time frame like shifting to digital platform wherever possible and to provide adequate remote services to the users. Given the extrinsic challenges in providing services during a public health emergency, the purpose of this paper is to find out how technology became a saviour for the premier technological institutions of India during the COVID -19 pandemic. The study explores the type of services provided by libraries of Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) based on the contents published on their webpages. The study highlights the significant initiatives taken by the libraries which can be followed by others to meet the post lockdown needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Covid-19 – or coronavirus disease forced libraries in Colombia to close the doors as well as forced them to strengthen or to create virtual and remote services. Biblioteca Nacional de Colombia (BNC) leads in Colombia the implementation of measures for the library sector during the current health crisis, providing guidelines and recommendations on how to deal with the emergency, as well as giving information resources, and alternatives on how to provide library services, to doing the paperwork, to implement the biosecurity protocols, and the definition of phases for reopening in the future. Also, BNC itself focused on the support BNC researchers throughout virtual services. This article was written during the first months of the health emergency, so that on the date of publication the situation may have changed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic made a tragic impact on the entire world throughout the economy, education, businesses, health, jobs and so on. In order to survive this disease, and to minimise the losses, most of the businesses and educational institutions switched to the virtual and offered online services with the help of technology. This article describes how Qatar National Library embraced the situation and what it offered in terms of collections, services and support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We live in a constantly transforming society, and, therefore, the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania, which celebrated its centenary last year, is also constantly transforming. By adapting to constant change, we continue our core mission, which in today's digital age is to preserve and manage what has been created in this country over the centuries. We are actively developing a unique library model, live library. In other words, it is the living space of living people. Our field of activity is very wide. We are not only the custodians of the national documentary treasure but also a cultural institution, open to all, a scientific library and a parliamentary library that cultivates community, public spirit and democracy. Never before has the National Library been as popular, needed and even as fashionable as it is today. We work to meet the professional, intellectual and spiritual needs of today's people, whether they are library visitors, readers, employees, partners or just those who want to improve themselves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID‐19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown measures implemented by the United Kingdom government from 23 March 2020 led to unprecedented adaptations from individuals and communities including places of worship, their clergy and congregations. This paper through a multi‐disciplinary dialogue between human geography and theology explores the interrelations between place, space and the spiritual. It identifies the bricolage mechanisms that were developed rapidly by churches to shift towards providing virtual church services. This was an uncommon practice by Christian denominations in the UK. COVID‐19 changed the rules requiring new practices to emerge resulting in a new form of infrasecular space to emerge. Such rapid transformations through the provision of online services and virtual embeddedness blurred the lines between sacred and secular spaces. During virtual services, the minister's home is temporally linked to the homes of congregants forming an intersacred space. Homes and spaces within homes are transformed into temporary sacred spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A reliance on in-home service delivery rendered early childhood home visiting vulnerable to COVID-19 pandemic disruptions. • This national, cross-sectional web-based study was one of the first to assess program adaptation and challenges faced. • Local programs swiftly transitioned to alternatives to in-home visits to maintain contact with families. • While programs quickly transitioned to remote visits, they reported challenges in connecting with families via IVC. A reliance on in-home service delivery rendered early childhood home visiting vulnerable to the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Local programs transitioned rapidly from in-home visits to virtual contact with families. To assess how local programs adapted to changes in staffing, supervision, and connecting with families and the prevalence and strength of associations of program, home visitor, and family-level factors influencing local programs' transition to virtual visits using interactive video conferencing (IVC). The study also assessed whether adaptations and factors for IVC varied by use of an evidence-based model of home visiting and federal funding. This national, cross-sectional study used a short, web-based survey to elicit local programs' operational adaptations to social distancing policies, and challenges they encountered in transitioning to virtual contact with families. A total of 1154 program managers completed the survey, reporting on 1310 unduplicated, model-specific, local programs. Responding programs were located throughout the United States and represented over 30 different home visiting models. Local programs swiftly transitioned to alternatives to in-home visits to maintain contact with families. While programs quickly transitioned to remote visits, they reported challenges in connecting with families via IVC. Major challenges in local program resources, visitor and family receptivity and technology were associated with significantly fewer families reached by IVC. Implementing an evidence-based model and federal funding support were associated with adapting to changes in staffing, supervision, and connecting with families by IVC. While programs reported more technology challenges for families than for visitors, major challenges in visitor technology also impacted the percent of families reached by IVC. With its reach into communities experiencing disparities, home visiting is well-positioned to serve the families most adversely impacted by COVID-19. This survey demonstrated that programs swiftly transitioned to alternatives to in-home visits to maintain contact with families. This study highlighted major challenges in access to technology for families and the significant impacts of visitor and family technology challenges on reaching families by IVC. Strategies for ensuring access to technology are necessary to decrease disparities in access to home visiting. As home visiting programs adopt IVC as a more permanent option for service delivery, additional research is needed to determine the implications for reaching families, achieving model fidelity, addressing staff and family concerns, preparing the workforce to deliver IVC services effectively, and addressing enduring challenges to the use of IVC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyzes information requirements and interests of higher school library users. It presents services of a private office for a student, a teacher and administrative personnel of higher education institution available at the Siberian Federal University Scientific Library, which are defined depending on groups of users and their information requirements. A user private office is an integrated information and education interface for users, as well as a system of interaction and information exchange between readers and a modern higher school library.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, women and girls across the globe faced increased reliance on the digital space to access education, social support, and health and gender-based violence (GBV) services. While research from the last three years has explored how women and girls navigated and responded to their new virtual reality, minimal evidence has been generated from low-resource settings where access to technology may be limited. Further, no studies to date have examined these dynamics in Iraq, where women and girls already face numerous threats to safety due to various forms of structural violence and patriarchal family structures. This qualitative study aimed to examine women and girls' experiences in the digital space during COVID-19 in Iraq, including the benefits and risks of engagement as well as how access to the digital space was controlled. Data for the present analysis come from the authors' larger multi-country study investigating women and girls' safety and access to GBV services in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and related public health measures employed to control the spread of the virus. In Iraq, semi-structured key informant interviews were conducted virtually with fifteen GBV service providers. Following the translation and transcription of interviews, the thematic analysis highlighted several benefits and challenges women and girls experienced as they tried to access and utilize technology for schooling, support services, and obtaining and spreading information. While many women and girls increasingly and successfully relied on social media to spread awareness of GBV cases, key informants noted that women and girls also faced increased risks of experiencing electronic blackmail. In addition to a substantial digital divide in this context-which manifested as differential access to technology by gender, rural/urban status, and socioeconomic status-intrahousehold control of girls' access to and use of technology left many adolescent girls unable to continue schooling and contributed to their further marginalization and consequent decline in well-being. Implications for women's safety and mitigation strategies are also discussed.