Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln

 

Date of this Version

2021

Comments

The COVID-19 pandemic is having a dramatic impact on societies and economies around the world. The virus is affecting millions of lives worldwide, not only physically but also emotionally in the form of panic attacks, obsessional behavior, anxiety, stress and fear. Library professionals are also exposed to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and are facing high levels of stress and anxiety. In this regard, the paper analyzed the association between emotional dissonance and emotional exhaustion among library professionals during COVID-19.

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic is having a dramatic impact on societies and economies around the world. The virus is affecting millions of lives worldwide, not only physically but also emotionally in the form of panic attacks, obsessional behavior, anxiety, stress and fear. Library professionals are also exposed to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and are facing high levels of stress and anxiety. The aim of this exploratory study was to analyze the association between emotional dissonance and emotional exhaustion among library professionals during COVID-19 and to study the impact of demographics on the variables under study. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The data for the study were collected through both the primary and secondary sources. Online questionnaires were used to gather the primary data. The measuring items used for the study were sourced from existing validated scales and literature. Descriptive statistics was employed to know the descriptive information across various demographic variables on a total sample of 143.The results revealed that the library professionals perceived their emotional dissonance and exhaustion at an above-average level in the present pandemic, that is, COVID-19. It was found that emotional dissonance was significantly related to emotional exhaustion. The results also revealed that the perception of the library professionals towards their emotional dissonance and emotional exhaustion when related with their demographic variables is more or less the same. Besides having theoretical implications that open pathways for conducting further research, the findings of the study may serve as a reference for service practitioners in designing strategies that will ensure superior performance of library professionals in different universities during the pandemic.

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