2021 by the numbers

In 2021, the Dag Hammarskjöld Library considerably increased its global reach and initiated new ways of collaborating with UN and research communities during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The diversification of Library services and activities continued in these last two years, particularly since the UN Headquarters Library switched to mandated, full-telecommuting and then to hybrid working practices. This swift transition of operations to a remote working environment accelerated the implementation of the majority of the goals and objectives collaboratively identified in the DHL Strategic Outlook 2020-2025. Among the objectives met are the increased delivery of varied electronic services, the re-aligning of projects across the Library to focus almost exclusively on digital workflows, the establishment of the virtual research desk, the introduction of new, online trainings using multimedia, and the evolution of outreach activities to engage wider with scholarly communications communities in consonance with the Departmental Global Communications Strategic goals and the mission of the Organization.

While the Library team achieved to create the first functioning digital workflow to allow for remote analysis and uploading of UN parliamentary documents and publications, the global downloads recorded by the United Nations Digital Library – the evolving central repository of the United Nations – doubled in 2021. The collaborative bargaining power in recourse acquisition exercised by the United Nations System Electronic Information Acquisitions Consortium (UNSEIAC) secured savings of over $6 million for the UN system of organizations, and the Virtual Research Desk – through the online Chat service – received over 8,500 queries. The library continues to enforce strict adherence to our policy of responding to electronic research and reference questions no later than one hour after the query is received. In 2021, we were however affected by the persistent lack of access to our vast print collections. Scanning services which require presence of Library staff in premises were substantially decreased. The Steering Committee of the UN Secretariat Libraries stepped in to facilitate the improved collaboration of UN Libraries across the globe, with the aim to support each other when urgent requests for digitization of print content were received or print sources needed to be consulted. The cooperation achieved among UN librarians worldwide was unprecedent.

In 2022, the Dag Hammarskjöld Library plans to proceed with the first evaluation of its Strategic Outlook in 2022. We will seek further alignment with the UN’s Global Communications Strategy, the UN Secretary-General’s vision for the future of global cooperation expressed in his report Our Common Agenda, and with scholarly communications initiatives and communities worldwide.