Using journaling and in-depth interviews, a qualitative study was conducted to examine the library use and library needs of Chinese college students during the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic. Findings indicate that students lack awareness and understanding of the library’s online resources and would like the library to provide support in ways that could help them enhance productivity and lessen anxiety in the new reality of learning. Libraries should consider making more outreach efforts and offering programs and events to ameliorate isolation and improve students’ sense of community. In this study, we seek to provide academic libraries with a nuanced view of user needs and thus help them make informed decisions to serve their campus communities during the unprecedented health crisis. Through the exploration and documentation of college students’ library use and needs, we also hope to document this critical historical event for the library community.