Libraries, archives and museums enable new forms of remote access in response to Covid-19 pandemic

Emerging services: A small but increasing number of institutions are developing VRRs and VTSs. These include major museums and galleries, research libraries, and smaller charitable and independent organisations. There is a mixed economy of approaches for developing and delivering VRR or VTS services, and institutions are developing solutions which fit their specific requirements.

Shifting status (VRR): VRR services were initially developed to offer remote access to collections for a small number of internal researchers or users during periods of national lockdown when staff were permitted to enter buildings, but users were not. They have shifted from being a pragmatic response to a defined challenge, to an increasingly established research service.

Shifting status (VTSs): whereas VTS services were initially seen as a pragmatic alternative to onsite teaching during periods of lockdown, these have now become more established within their institutions, both for supporting student learning but also widening participation and community engagement.

Diversification of audience: The audience for VRR and VTS services are growing and diversifying, extending beyond ‘institutional’ users. External researchers now represent the largest user group for VRRs and VTS services are engaging beyond an institution’s student population and are being used to support wider community engagement and widening participation.

Diversification of application: A greater variety of collections are now being displayed via VRRs and VTSs than was originally the case, demonstrating a cross-collection and format application.

Motivations and relationship with physical research: VRRs, in particular, represent a bespoke service to a relatively small number of users who are unable to view a collection physically or if their research question does not warrant a dedicated journey. The motivation for using and offering these services vary between institutions, as do their relationship with an institution’s digitised collections.

Staff / researcher dynamic: the delivery of VRR sessions requires a close working relationship between staff and researchers. They require staff to become more embedded within the research process as collaborators and this relationship is seen to be mutually beneficial in enabling the exchange of ideas and knowledge between researcher and staff member.

Requirements: A spectrum exists in terms of the technical complexity and resource requirements of establishing a VRR or VTS service. These reflect the intended use and audience for these services, and the sophistication of functionality required.

Sustainability: VRRs are a bespoke service which require a high level of staff support and engagement. Institutions are exploring how these can be made sustainable as buildings and onsite services reopen. This includes finding permanent locations for these services, purchasing new and tailored equipment, and dedicating staff resources.

Potential applications: VRRs and VTSs were created as pragmatic responses to the coronavirus pandemic in enabling remote access to collections during periods of physical restriction. Since their creation, institutions have begun to realise additional, unforeseen applications for these services.

Collaboration: these services provide collaborative opportunities between institutions around skills, knowledge sharing, and agreed standards for their use and development. Institutions perceive potential benefit in coordinated approaches to the development and delivery of VRR and VTSs and would be interested in a networked approach to support discoverability and interoperability.