Activating Public Health Library in the midst of a pandemic: experience from Nigeria Centre for Disease Control

Background: At the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria, the Library and Knowledge Management (LKM) unit of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) was activated to support the pandemic response and other activities of the agency. NCDC is Nigeria’s public health institute saddled with the mandate of protecting the health of Nigerians. This paper highlights the steps taken to establish the public health library, presents an account of the experiences involved in implementing the various activities in the LKM unit, and the challenges in setting up a library amidst a global pandemic.

Description: Establishing the NCDC Library and Knowledge Management (KM) services encompasses the following:

Mentorship for NCDC LKM Focal Persons: This was pedalled on orientation, question and answer sessions, expository discussion, role-playing, job shadowing and coaching through commissioned consultancy with an astute health sciences librarian.

Knowledge Audit: This stage explored the KM awareness of the NCDC staff, existing knowledge-sharing practices and knowledge assets, and the knowledge needs of NCDC staff for public health functions.

Creation of Library and Knowledge Management Strategy and Roadmap: Based on the knowledge audit, the library and KM strategy and roadmap were created to guide LKM services and activities within the agency.

Intra-Action Review (IAR): The LKM unit implemented an IAR within the U.S. Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-supported Advancing Capacity for Epidemic Preparedness and Response in Nigeria (ACEPRIN) project. The IAR identified the best practices and lessons learned from NCDC’s COVID-19 response across Nigeria, and serve as an impetus for enhancing the evidence-based public health functions of the NCDC.

Other initiatives: launching a bi-weekly Evidence Brief; library automation; establishing a digital archive for public health response resources; installation of digital information display; and information literacy training for the public health team of NCDC.

Conclusion: Activating the Library and Knowledge Management (LKM) unit of the NCDC is crucial to the pandemic response activities of the NCDC. Libraries can play significant roles in enabling access to evidence and up-to-date knowledge to support and enhance public health functions. Establishing the LKM unit at NCDC highlights the important roles libraries could play in global health. The paper shows that existing knowledge needs among public health workers can be significantly addressed through library and knowledge-related services, thereby highlighting the important functions of library and knowledge management in public health. Recommendations are made on sustaining the effectiveness and impact of library and knowledge management functions in public health environments.