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Pandemic Resources for Libraries

Concerned about coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in your library or wondering what to tell your patrons? We've put together some guidance and resources for libraries.

Go to: Closings • Reopening • Meetings • Resources • General Guidance

Library Closings

If your library has to close due to local outbreaks, please let us know by filling out this form, or if you need help with due dates of book club kits or ILL items due to patron illness, please let us know at nlc.ask@nebraska.gov.

• Nebraska libraries that have announced closings, reopenings, and/or modified services: Nebraska Libraries - COVID-19 Closings, Reopenings, & Accommodations .
• Maps of libraries offering alternative services, and libraries offering Wifi outside their buildings.
• ALA Executive Board recommends closing libraries to public (3/17/20).

Reopening Your Library

Guidance on restoring library services as conditions change:

• Phased Plan for Reopening Nebraska Libraries
• ALA COVID-19 Recovery a curated, online repository of tools, guides and resources from the American Library Association
• REALM Project: REopening Archives, Libraries, and Museums Information Hub: A COVID-19 Research Project from OCLC, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and Battelle
• REALM Project Toolkit: decision-making checklists, test results in visial format, and other resources for libraries.
• Reopening Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfecting Public Spaces, Workplaces, Businesses, Schools, and Homes from the CDC
• Guidance for Opening Up America Again Framework - unofficial CDC guidance.
• OSHA Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19
• Nebraska Directed Health Measures
• 2020 CARES Act Grants for Nebraska Libraries, awarded by the Nebraska Library Commission, and administered by IMLS and the CARES Act. (Deadline 6/20/20)
• FREE Customizable COVID-19 Signage Templates from Demco
• Reopening Guidance from the State Library of Oregon.
• The ADA and Face Mask Policies: issues that may come up due to mask requirements and reasonable ADA accomodations.

School Libraries

Looking for school library/media center-specific information?

• Pandemic Resources for School Librarians from the American Association of School Librarians
• How to Quarantine School Library Books - a guide from DEMCO.

Meetings

Need to hold a library board or other public board meeting? Governor Ricketts has issued executive orders waiving certain requirements of the Nebraska Open Meetings Act to allow elected board officials to attend meetings virtually while in quarantine or isolation and to allow all government bodies to meet virtually. The second order has been extended through April 30, 2021.

• Once these executive orders expire, library boards still have the option to hold meetings via teleconference or videoconference, as long as they meet the conditions in Section 84-1411 of the Nebraska Open Meetings Act. These meetings are subject to the full Nebraska Open Meetings Act, so be sure to post notice of the meetings as you would normally, telling the general public how they may access the meeting (contact the board president or library director for a phone number or link and password.
• Zoom is a commonly used videoconferencing software and they have a page of Privacy and Security Resources that will help libraries keep their virtual meetings safe and secure: https://zoom.us/docs/en-us/privacy-and-security.html.
• The Nebraska Library Commission does not endorse any one specific online meeting service; here are some commonly used resources.

Resources

Responses and Guidance from Local and National Library Organizations

• Libraries and Pandemic Preparedness Library-specific and more general resources on pandemic education, prevention, and preparedness from ALA.
• Pandemic Resources for Academic Libraries from the Association of College and Research Libraries.
• COVID-19 News & Resource Pages from the Association of Research Libraries.
• A Guide to COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) for Public Libraries from the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NNLM)
• Libraries and Pandemic Preparedness Addressing COVID-19 with facts and outreach, from American Libraries magazine.
• NLA COVID-19 Response Page
• #LookToLibraries in Times of Crisis free resources including tip sheets, articles, booklists, and more from ALA's Association for Library Service to Children.

Health education/facts:

• Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) from Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.
• Local Health Department contacts for Nebraska residents.
• IMLS Webinar: Mitigating COVID-19 When Managing Paper-Based, Circulating, and Other Types of Collections - a recorded webinar from March 30, 2020.
• Coronavirus Disease 2019 information from the CDC
• EPA Guidance - on disinfectants and other areas of interest.
• Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases Track the spread of the virus with this map by Johns Hopkins CSSE

Continuing Operations/Disaster Planning

• In Case of Emergencies: Continuity of Operations (COOP) Planning for libraries.
• Library As Safe Haven: Disaster Planning, Response, and Recovery - a free ebook from ALA Neal-Schuman.

Providing online/remote services:

• Read Online - resources for free ebooks and virtual storytime permissions compiled by the Nebraska Library Commission.
• Library Workers' Coronavirus Tech Handbook - webinars and resources for libraries working remotely and providing virtual services.
• Resources on Copyright & Emergency Remote Teaching & Research
• School Libraries and Coronaviris - a list of resources from Nebraska librarian Cynthia Stogdill.
• Pretty Sweet Tech: Low-Tech Through the Mail- a blog post from NLC's Technology Innovation Libarian, Amanda Sweet
• COVID-19 and OCLC Services
• Connect users to free online resources during the COVID-19 crisis- a list from OCLC of available e-content from global content providers.
• Library Journal Offers Temporary Free Access to All Digital Content During COVID-19 Crisis
• Virtual Programming Best Practices - a slide share from Millersville Public Library in Millersville, TN.
• Protecting Privacy in a Pandemic: A Town Hall for Library and Information Workers

Continuing Education:

• Free webinars on COVID-19 and other library-relevant topics.
• Covid-19 Contract Tracing - a free course from Coursera.

General Guidance

General guidance for patrons and staff, from the CDC:

• Practice preventative behaviors
  - Stay home when sick
  - Cover coughs and sneezes; wear masks/face coverings
  - Wash hands frequently with soap and water
• Disinfect surfaces
  - Wipe down doorknobs, light switches, table tops, keyboards/mice, phones, and other shared equipment.Guidance from the CDC on disinfecting.
  - Cleaning and Disinfecting Considerations - a guide from the REALM Project.
  - Books and other library materials cannot easily be disinfected; remind patrons and staff to wash their hands after handling.
  - How to Sanitize Collections in a Pandemic - article from American Libraries Magazine.
  - How to Quarantine School Library Books - a guide from DEMCO.
  - Temporarily remove toys, tech kits, games, and similar items that would need to be continually cleaned.
  - from the National Institute of Health, New Coronavirus Stable on Surfaces for Hours
  - from the REALM Project, Initial test results show that the SARS-CoV-2 virus's ability to survive on tested materials after varies between 1 and 6+ days, depending on material and storage conditions.
• Promote online collections
  - http://nlc.nebraska.gov/overdrive/
  - http://nebraskaccess.ne.gov/resources.asp
  - Free ebook sources
• Eliminate touch-points with patrons
  - Provide tissues, masks, and hand santizier if possible.
  - Have patrons scan their own cards.
  - Encourage use of outside drop-boxes if you are open; if you close, ask patrons to hold materials and extend due dates/wavie fines.
  - Consider curb-side service, closing meeting rooms, postponing or cancelling programming to limit traffic inside the building. Demco has this checklist for curbside services.
  - Increase your WIFI signal so it extends outside the building to allow patrons to access the internet on their own devices outside.