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REALM is a joint effort between OCLC, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and Battelle to assist in the reopening of museums and libraries.

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The REopening Archives, Libraries, and Museums (REALM) Project is conducting literature reviews to help define the scope of the project's research and the information needs of libraries, archives, and museums. Battelle researchers have completed the first review, which is a set of findings from publicly available scientific literature ( download the PDF). This review focused on studies of virus attenuation on commonly found materials, such as paper, plastic, cloth, and metal; methods of virus transmission; and effectiveness of prevention and decontamination measures. The information helps to set the context for the laboratory research that is being conducted during the REALM Project. A second, more systematic literature review is also in progress and will be released later in June.

As you read this preliminary literature review, keep in mind a few key points:

1. The research and information captured in the findings include both peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed studies. In the interest to publish emerging research related to the COVID-19 pandemic as quickly as possible, publication has been expedited rather than waiting for time-intensive peer review.

2. The studies included in the review have been conducted by different researchers, under different conditions, likely using different concentrations-and possibly sources-of the virus. This makes it difficult, if not impossible, for a reviewer to make a straight comparison across studies; and, interpreting the results may be challenging for readers without a science background. The systematic review that will follow this preliminary review will include a synthesis and more analysis to help with the interpretation; that review will be released later in June.

3. The review includes findings for industries, such as health care, that operate under considerably different constraints and risk factors than do libraries, archives, and museums, (abbreviated LAMs). However, in this preliminary search, it was important to consider a broad range of available research to determine what may be applicable to LAM operations and identify what research gaps exist. The research captured in the review does not represent recommendations or guidance for LAMs; but, commonalities with other fields and industries may be found as the research proceeds, and the project will continue to monitor the science literature for emerging science-based information that relates to LAM operations.

The project team will continue to collect and review published literature related to COVID-19 and share out those findings with the LAM community.

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REALM Project: Preliminary Literature Review

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REopening Archives, Libraries and Museums (REALM) is a research partnership between OCLC, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and Battelle to create and distribute science-based information and recommended practices designed to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 to staff and visitors who are engaging in the delivery or use of museum, library, and archival services.

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University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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UNC's LibGuide has many resources about COVID-19 as they relate to North Carolina.  This gives insight on the virus in NC.

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If you have specific questions or concerns related to coronavirus, call the North Carolina Department of Health & Human Services (NC DHHS) 24/7 phone number
1-866-462-3821
or visit the NC DHHS Coronarivus website for more information.

In the event of an emergency, please call 9-1-1.

You can also submit questions online by selecting Chat at www.ncpoisoncontrol.org.

Need someone to talk to?
You are not alone.

SAMHSA's National Helpline (24/7)
call 1-800-662-HELP (4357)

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (24/7)
call 800-273-TALK (8255) or chat with a person at the Lifeline here.

National Domestic Violence Helpline (24/7)
call 1-800-799-7233
text LOVEIS to 22522
log onto thehotline.org

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If you have specific questions or concerns related to coronavirus, call the North Carolina Department of Health & Human Services (NC DHHS) 24/7 phone number 1-866-462-3821 or visit the NC DHHS Coronarivus website for more information. In the event of an emergency, please call 9-1-1.

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"Mitigating COVID-19 When Managing Paper-Based, Circulating, and Other Types of Collections"

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Institute of Museum and Library Services

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Dr. David Berendes and Dr. Catherine Rasberry from the Centers for Disease Control presented an overview of the CDC's guidance for community settings and environmental disinfection, and a discussion of how libraries, archives, and museums can help mitigate COVID-19 when working with paper-based, circulating, and other types of collections.  The presentation was followed by a question and answer period.

UPDATES: (April 2, 2020)

If you have follow-up questions for the CDC, you may submit them to imlsinfo@imls.gov.

The materials and links mentioned in the webinar have been added to the IMLS coronavirus page under "Official Government Information and Resources."

Presented in coordination with:

U.S. Department of Education

Institute of Museum and Library Services

National Archives and Records Administration

Smithsonian Institution

Library of Congress

Speakers:
David Berendes, Ph.D., M.S.P.H.
Dr. David Berendes is an epidemiologist in the Waterborne Disease Prevention Branch at the Center for Disease Control, focusing on global sanitation and hygiene issues.

Catherine Rasberry, Ph.D.
Dr. Catherine Rasberry is a Health Scientist in Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of Adolescent and School Health.

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Mitigating COVID-19 When Managing Paper-Based, Circulating, and Other Types of Collections

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Dr. David Berendes and Dr. Catherine Rasberry from the Centers for Disease Control presented an overview of the CDC's guidance for community settings and environmental disinfection, and a discussion of how libraries, archives, and museums can help mitigate COVID-19 when working with paper-based, circulating, and other types of collections.  The presentation was followed by a question and answer period.

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The ALA is the oldest library association in the US.  These resources provide guidance for libraries as they navigate the pandemic.

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COVID-19 NEWS FREE & DISCOUNTED UPCOMING WEBINARS ARCHIVED WEBINARS #LIBRARIESSTRONG

We are living in unprecedented times. As the impact of the current public health crisis continues to evolve and change the work of libraries and library workers - including necessitating the cancellation of the 2020 ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition - ALA is working harder than ever to respond to the dizzying challenges the COVID-19 pandemic brings to our profession and industry.

ALA staff are working remotely, and although we are dispersed across several geographies, we're continuing to serve our members by collecting information to inform our advocacy work, offering content free of charge and at reduced cost, connecting with you online, preparing for National Library Week 2020, and advocating for libraries at the national level. We need to hear your story. Please let us know how your library is continuing to impact lives by serving your community virtually.

The resources on this page represent the ongoing work at ALA during these challenging times. We are pressing forward in anticipation of what you and your library need from us and what your communities need from you.

Questions or suggestions? Please don't hesitate to contact us.
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Free and Discounted Items

and is making materials easier to access through ALA Editions | ALA Neal-Schuman offering a free PDF e-book, "Library as Safe Haven: Disaster Planning, Response, and Recovery"a number of promotions to support increased need for remote access to information during the COVID-19 outbreak.

ALA Graphics is offering a free READ® poster file available now for download.

ALSC has provided free access to some of their most recent member-driven content and is putting together a Virtual Storytime Services Guide.

and content on www.booklistonline.com is freely available until further notice. Free online access includes:

Free white papers, webinars, bibliographic essays, the Authority File podcast, and portions of the 2019 Outstanding Academic Titles list are available at CHOICE, the publishing unit of the Association of College & Research Libraries.

The Graphic Novels and Comics Round Table is creating lots of great digital content as part of their #LibComixOnline program. They also have a Quick Guide to Reading Library Comics At Home.

United for Libraries is currently making its online discussion forums accessible to non-members so that all Trustees, Friends, statewide Friends groups, Foundation staff/board members, and library employees who work with them can share tips, ask questions, get advice, and more.

There are great free webinars available from across the association, too!
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Upcoming ALA Webinars & Events Related to COVID-19

Archived ALA Webinars & Events Related to COVID-19
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#LibrariesStrong

We need to hear your story. Please let us know how your library is continuing to impact lives by serving your community virtually. Share on social media using the hashtag #LibrariesStrong and via this form.
Back to Top

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We are living in unprecedented times. As the impact of the current public health crisis continues to evolve and change the work of libraries and library workers - including necessitating the cancellation of the 2020 ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition - ALA is working harder than ever to respond to the dizzying challenges the COVID-19 pandemic brings to our profession and industry.

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Institute of Museum and Library Services

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Institute of Museum and Library Services

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The IMLS is government based organization supporting museums and libraries. This page offers their guidance for COVID-19 related issues.

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Institute of Museum and Library Services

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COVID-19 Resources for Libraries and Museums

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Resources for libraries, museums, staff, and their communities impacted by coronavirus.

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Association of College and Research Libraries

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Association of College and Research Libraries

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ACRL is the library association for higher education. This LibGuide has many sources about the virus and how libraries can continue to provide services.

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Skip to main content

ALA and ACRL arecommitted to supportingour members, staff, and all librarians and library workers during these uncertain times. Now more than ever, academic and research librarians and libraries are essential to a thriving global community of learners and scholars. This resource guide was created by ACRL to support the academic and research library community during global public health crises. The guide features resources for distance education and engagement, free professional development resources, best practices, and up-to-date information from public health officials.

ALA Statement on Library Closures

The ALA Executive Board unequivocally stands in support of the safety and well-being of library workers and the communities we serve, To protect library workers and their communities from exposure to COVID-19 in these unprecedented times, we strongly recommend that academic, public and school library leaders and their trustees and governing bodies evaluate closing libraries to the public and only reopening when guidance from public health officials indicates the risk from COVID-19 has significantly subsided.

Read the full statement on the ALA website.

ACRL Statement on Academic Libraries and COVID-19

The ACRL Board of Directors affirms the statement that ALA and the ALA Allied Professional Association (APA) have made regarding library services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Board strongly urge the closure of in-person services at academic and research libraries. In alignment with ALA and with APA, we also urge libraries to ensure that all library workers receive fully paid leave, including health coverage, while libraries are closed.

Read the full statement on ACRL Insider.

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LibGuides: Pandemic Resources for Academic Libraries: Home

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Skip to main content ALA and ACRL arecommitted to supportingour members, staff, and all librarians and library workers during these uncertain times. Now more than ever, academic and research librarians and libraries are essential to a thriving global community of learners and scholars.

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International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions

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International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions

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IFLA is an international library association. This link is set to start at the handling materials section, but the whole document has an international perspective on COVID-19

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Last update: 2 June 2020

Key Resources for Libraries in responding to the Coronavirus Pandemic

The information and resources below are provided on a non-exhaustive basis but will be updated regularly. It is based on publicly available information, and that submitted to updates@ifla.org. We welcome additional ideas, references, suggestions and corrections to this address. Please see also our FAQs specifically concerning IFLA.

Understanding COVID-19 and its spread

Resources about the disease

Coronavirus refers to a family of viruses. COVID-19 - or Coronavirus Disease - is the infectious disease caused by a newly discovered type of coronavirus.

As the World Health Organization (WHO) has set out, most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment. Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer are more likely to develop serious illness.

Common symptoms include fever, tiredness and a dry cough. Other symptoms include shortness of breath, aches and pains, sore throat, and very few people will report diarrhoea, nausea or a runny nose.

The best way to prevent and slow down transmission is be well informed about the COVID-19 virus, the disease it causes and how it spreads. The COVID-19 virus spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

Resources about latest cases

National authorities around the world are working to gather information about numbers of tests, infections and consequences. You should turn first to your national authorities for this information, as they should have the most recent data.

At the global level, the WHO is releasing daily updates on the situation. This information is used to build the WHO's dashboard on cases.

The Centre for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University is also maintaining a global map live, including figures on numbers of recovered patients. This is being used regularly in media reporting.

Library closures around the world

Libraries around the world are facing hard choices around which services to offer and how, ranging from minimal restrictions to full closure. We are aware that governments themselves are taking different approaches, sometimes ordering the closure of all institutions, others indicating that life should continue as usual, and others simply leaving decisions up to library directors.

Clearly any decision to restrict services or close a library is a difficult one and needs to be taken following an assessment of the relative risks.

We are currently aware of entire public library systems being closed in the following countries and territories: American Samoa, Algeria, Bangladesh, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, the Cayman Islands, Colombia, Costa Rica, Egypt, Ghana, Greece, Guadeloupe, Guernsey, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland (with the potential to re-open from 8 June), the Isle of Man, Jersey, Kenya, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Martinique, Mauritius, Moldova, Morocco, Namibia, Nepal, North Macedonia, Norway, Peru, the Philippines, Portugal, Russia, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, San Marinio, Saudi Arabia, Sint Maarten, Singapore, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine the United Kingdom and the United States Virgin Islands. In the meanwhile, libraries in the Aland Islands, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, the Faroe Islands, Finland, France, French Polynesia, Germany, Gibraltar, Greenland, Hong Kong (China), Italy, Japan, Macao (China), the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Sint Maarten, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Svalbard and Switzerland are beginning to re-open with precautions in place to protect health. Sweden, meanwhile, saw over 90% of municipalities keep libraries open, and 85% of municipalities even offer extended services.

Inside the United States, Ithaka S+R is monitoring actions in research libraries (see live results), while in France, the Research Ministry has collected examples from academic libraries.

Meanwhile, school libraries in 146 countries will have been affected by the closure of all educational institutions, while in others, at least some schools have been closed, according to figures from UNESCO. In many of these, university libraries are also closed.

National libraries too have closed to the public in Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia (although will re-open from 3 June), Azerbaijan, the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Bermuda, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cabo Verde, Canada, Chile, Colombia, the Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Greece, Greenland, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, the Holy See, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, the Maldives, Malta, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Namibia, the Netherlands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, the Republic of Korea, Romania, Russia (with plans to open from Mid-June), Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States of America, and Uruguay. National libraries in Austria, China Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Serbia, Slovenia Sweden and Switzerlad have now re-opened on a limited basis.

We welcome updates to this information at updates@ifla.org.

Managing different approaches to restrictions

Libraries in different parts of the world are facing very different situations, from broadly maintaining a full service to complete closure.

Drawing on experience around the world, libraries and librarians are finding themselves in one of a number of situations:

Business (more or less) as usual: in some countries, cases of the virus have been limited and governments have not taken any specific measures. Nonetheless, normal recommendations around good hygiene apply. In this situation, libraries are, for example:

Ensuring access to soap and warm water

Ensuring they have a supply of hand sanitiser

Keeping surfaces clean, including toys and library computers

Ensuring that staff and users are encouraged to take time to recover if they are feeling ill, rather than coming in to work

Providing pages with useful links to reliable information for users on their websites and promoting media literacy faced with potential misinformation online.

Some restrictions: there are more cases, and governments are beginning to act in order to limit larger events, as well as actively encouraging people to take extra measures to protect hygiene. In this situation, libraries are, for example:

Reconsidering programming such as storytimes or workshops, especially for groups at risk such as older users. Additional efforts to ensure hygiene, including through disinfecting hard surfaces. Removing riskier items such as toys or virtual reality headsets from circulation.

Considering whether to close study spaces where people may spend a longer time in the company of others.

Preparing for potential further restrictions, for example by ensuring that all staff have the skills and tools to work remotely (if this is possible) and that services, as far as possible, can still be provided digitally.

Minimal service: in many countries there are stricter measures still, with tougher limits on public gatherings, specific warnings for people at risk, and closures in the most affected regions. In these situations, libraries are, for example:

Fully closing spaces and only offering the possibility to borrow or return books at a counter, or via a book drop. Some countries are experimenting with drive-through pick-up and return of books. Others are only allowing visitors who have pre-booked.

Implementing quarantine policies on returned books (see below for further details).

Implementing plans to offer remote services for example eLending, eLearning, or support to remote teaching

Finalising and testing measures for all staff to work remotely and allowing those who can to do so already.

Full closure: where measures are strictest, libraries have either been forced to close, or have chosen to do so following consideration of the risks to users and staff. In these situations, libraries are, for example:

Ensuring that all staff working from home unless completely necessary. Where staff are coming into work, ensuring that they can do so while respecting rules around social distancing

Librarians are being reassigned to other duties in other departments within their municipalities, for example using information management skills to support health and social services

Providing ongoing communication with users about opportunities to use library resources or services

Organising digital story-times where copyright permits

Promoting use of digital libraries and other tools - including potentially investing in more content/licences

Offering an amnesty on borrowed physical books, and increasing the number of eBooks users can borrow

Making library spaces and equipment available for other activities, such as printing personal protective equipment.

Raising awareness of digital offers, both on the front pages of their websites, and through putting up posters in the windows of library buildings.

Preparing for re-opening: in a number of countries, there are already steps towards lifting restrictions, at least partially, with libraries potentially part of this. Timings remains uncertain, and clearly safety should be a priority. In this situation, libraries are:

Starting to make plans for gradual reopening when rules, permissions and library buildings and resources themselves permit this to happen safely, and making necessary changes to library policies. Carrying out a risk assessment, focused both on library activities and the wider situation, can be a key part of this.

Setting limits on numbers of people using the library at any one time, and establishing how to enforce these (for example through advanced booking, ticketing, or using other means of counting numbers of users), as well as preventing situations where people may gather closely together, for example using one-way systems, limiting furniture, keeping reading rooms closed, or continuing to postpone programming, and keeping toilets closed

Implementing regular cleaning processes (including through short closures of the library), especially focused on surfaces where the virus appears to be able to last for longest (plastics, metals other than copper), or at least intensifying clearning

Developing click-and-collect or drive-through services in order to allow access to books without human contact

Developing protocols for how to respond if someone with symptoms is identified in the library

Ensuring that staff have the equipment and training necessary to stay safe, including consideration of screens if necessary, limiting contact as far as possible and enabling work from home for as long as possible, and provide regular updates

Making clear when it is impossible to open safely, and otherwise ensuring that those taking decisions understand the nature of library spaces, including through a gradual approach to resuming services only when each one is safe

Continuing to promote online services and resources in order to limit numbers looking to visit the library

Communicate clearly about all any new rules to library users, both online and onsite, and provide regular updates

Ensuring that plans are in place for a potential return to lock-down in case of new peaks in infection rates

Please see the section on re-opening libraries below for more information on this topic.

Staying safe at home and at work

In the light of the above, the WHO recommends in general that people should practice respiratory etiquette (for example, by coughing into a flexed elbow, or a tissue that they immediately throw away). People should also wash their hands or use an alcohol-based rub frequently, and not touch their faces, as well as maintaining distance from anyone who is coughing or sneezing. Known COVID-19 hotspots should be avoided, especially if you, or those you live with, are older or otherwise vulnerable (for example, you or they have diabetes, heart or lung disease).

People with mild symptoms who are otherwise healthy should self-isolate and contact their medical provider or a COVID-19 information line for advice on testing and referral. People with fever, cough or difficulty breathing should call their doctor and seek medical attention.

There are many more resources available on the WHO website. Furthermore, in precedence to the information given below, we encourage libraries to seek advice from your national public health agency, and of course to follow the guidance that already exists. Where libraries form part of wider institutions - such as universities or schools - it is desirable that they are involved in planning and management of crisis response, as has for example been the case at the Duque do Caixas campus of the Federal Library of Rio de Janeiro.

Handling materials

A key question for many in the library field has been around the risk of infection through contact with materials carrying coronavirus. Clearly our understanding of any aspect of how the virus is spread is still at a relatively early stage, and so it is not possible to offer definitive advice, other than the universal recommendations on keeping hands clean and not touching faces.

There is nonetheless emerging research (in the New England Journal of Medicine, and the Journal of Hospital Infection) into the survival of the virus, both in the air and on different types of surface. It appears that it survives for longer on plastics and steel, and for less long on cardboard or copper, although these tests took place in laboratory conditions and infection risk does fall over time.

Outside of the library field - for example in postal services - ordinary precautions appear to apply when handling paper or cardboard. What does seem more likely is that other surfaces - such as door handles, keyboards, mice, CDs and DVDs, toys or VR headsets - could carry the virus, and so should be regularly cleaned or removed from circulation.

Nonetheless, where there is a chance that a book or other piece of equipment has been in close contact with someone ill, it may be appropriate to wait or use safe cleaning practices. The general recommendation remains to take care - a point also echoed by the French government.

In order to provide as best as possible a response to the uncertainty that still exists, the Institute of Museum and Library Services in the United States has set up REALM (Re-opening Archives, Libraries and Museums), a partnership with OCLC and the Battelle Institute to explore further how to ensure safe handling, to which IFLA is contributing. This will look to assess the risks around particular materials and services, with a view to helping libraries make choices as they decide how to re-open and resume services.

In the light of this, we are aware that some libraries have imposed a wait period (quarantine) before handling returned books, while others have made it clear that no-one is expected to return books until things return to normal. For example, Public Health England has suggested that the risk posed by cardboard can be considered negligible after 24 hours, and plastic after 72 hours. Not all libraries are imposing quarantines however, with Danish libraries for example not doing so.

For materials with plastic covers, such as DVDs, cleaning with alcohol wipes has been suggested by the Australian Library and Information Association and others, allowing these to go back into circulation immediately.

Where users are working with course materials, the Dutch libraries authorities have recommended reducing risk and logistical issues by encouraging users to take these home (and to come with their own paper and pens), rather than leaving them at the library.

As for computer equipment - generally accepted to carry a higher risk - much guidance focuses on looking to disinfect this. In many situations, access to computers is seen as essential, and exceptions have been made to library closures in order to allow this, while implementing tough rules designed to limit risk, such as in central parts of London, United Kingdom.

The Dutch library authorities has suggested, where this is possible, that mice and keyboards should be detached after use and returned to a central point in order to facilitate this process. Others, such as in Helsingborg, Sweden and Topeka, Kansas, plan to ensure presence of library staff to disinfect computers after use. The Danish guidance continues to warn against allowing public use of computers, given potential complexities in cleaning.

When handling newly returned materials, the Australian Library and Information Association (see link in the re-opening libraries section) recommends using gloves when handling newly returned books, and then throwing the gloves away immediately afterwards. Others have suggested though that gloves can also damage materials in some cases, and that regular hand-washing may also work. The Croatian National and University Library (see links below) notes that legal deposit copies should also be treated with care, with the packaging in which they arrived removed carefully and thrown away in special bins.

Once gathered, clearly, the need to store books may cause logistical problems, especially for smaller institutions. French guidance suggests that if a dedicated room cannot be found, specific parts of the library should be used (and kept inaccessible from the public), or even external storage used. Furthermore, they suggest, there should be efforts to limit the number of staff working with such materials, and to provide them with adequate protective equipment. Noting the potential logistical issues that this may entail, some American guidance has noted the potential to use portable storage solutions.

Meanwhile, waste that may be contaminated may be usefully kept separate for a number of days, as the Estonian guidance suggests, in order to limit risks to others.

The Slovenian Public Health Institute (see translation in our section on re-opening libraries below) has also suggested that readers receiving works at home should also look to respect quarantining, waiting a number of days before opening packages, and then, if materials are not made of paper or card, either cleaning them or waiting further. The Czech guidance (see below) also suggests that readers should be made aware of risk, with those wanting to able to leave a book for a few days before using it. In this case, the guidance suggests that borrowing periods can be extended.

Meanwhile, for staff, basic hygiene measures, such as washing hands thoroughly with soap and water, avoiding touching the face, with a number of countries also recommending masks and gloves, at least where these do not harm materials.

Social Distancing and Delivery Services

Given that close physical contact appears to be the primary means of catching the virus, a core response has been 'social distancing' - keeping a safe distance between individuals in order to reduce the risks of the virus passing from one person to another. Coughing, sneezing, and even talking tends to mean that potentially contagious droplets are emitted into the air.

The recommended distance varies from country to country but appears not to be below 1m (3-4ft), and is often more. This may not always be possible. In the United States for example, we have seen libraries proactively ask authorities for closures where they feel that the risk to users and staff is too high.

See our section on reopening libraries below for more on the topic of enforcing social distancing within libraries.

For those libraries which are not yet open, many have maintained a focus on how to provide book deliveries to vulnerable groups and others, while taking full account of the need to safeguard health. We are likely to see such measures continue to be important as libraries re-open. Indeed, in Wuhan, China, library workers prepared library corners for patients. In the case of vulnerable users, as the Czech guidance underlines, utmost care needs to be taken to minimise risk.

For example, Radford College School library in Australia has a click-and-collect service for books, while Lane Cove (also in Australia), Godoy Cruz library in Argentina, The Hague in the Netherlands, and various Portuguese public libraries are doing deliveries, and on Svalbard, the library is working with taxi companies to give access to books, as is Veria Central Public Library in Greece. Around half of Swedish municipalities offer some sort of delivery or pick-up service, and in Denmark, Roskilde library has been proactively contacting previous recipients of home deliveries both to check in, and ask if they want to make reservations, now that this is possible again. Meanwhile, the State government of Western Australia has provided guidance on safe home deliveries. See also resources from library associations below for more.

Nonetheless, some have expressed concerns about risks associated with deliveries, or simply closed book-drops. Clearly, in any situation, it is important not to risk the health of staff, volunteers or users.

​

Providing services remotely

Libraries around the world of all sorts have been working hard to provide access to collections and services remotely, often investing time and effort in updating websites and computer systems in order to deal with demand. While many libraries already had a strong digital presence, many others have now moved to create one in order to continue serving members, such as the library at Al Iraqi University in Iraq.

All types of library have promoted their digital services - for example, the Bibliothèque nationale de France is organising virtual exhibitions, and the National Library of Spain is promoting its digital content that can be used to support education, the National Library of Morocco is providing free eBooks, and the Public Library in Aarhus, Denmark, has put its digital content at the front of its website, while the Granby library in Quebec, Canada is highlighting content focused on learning new skills. Building on its SimplyE app, New York Public Library is running online book clubs, as is the Library of Alexandria, Egypt. Across Malaysia, in preparation for World Book and Copyright Day on 23 April, a #LetsReadTogether campaign encouraged people across the country to read more online.

Kibera and Nakuru public libraries in Kenya - partners of EIFL's Public Library Innovation Programme - are promoting local language content around COVID-19 through social networks, as well as sharing book recommendations, while the Ghana Library Authority (another EIFL-PLIP partner) is also promoting access to its digital content alongside key health information. Kota public library in India too has increased its online services, promoting bibliotherapy as a means of helping users through the crisis, and receiving useful coverage in the local press.

School libraries are also working hard to provide materials in a format that allows parents to support their children's education at home, while in Iraq, the Al-Abbas Holy Shrine library is providing a remote lending service for researchers giving access to electronic resources. Meanwhile, health libraries are seeing major interest in the information they can make available, as is the case for the library of the Health Agency in Sao Paolo, Brazil.

Many public and school libraries are promoting online storytimes, where they can find a solution to copyright concerns. In Portugal, for example, there is a focused YouTube channel, while the UK Library Association CILIP has launched its National Shelf Service. Redwood City in the U.S. and Monash in Australia are providing storytimes for speakers of minority languages also, for example, while a librarian from the National Library of Pozega in Serbia is doing online storytimes that have hit the national news. Similar efforts in Greece have also allowed libraries to stay in touch with their users, and even to run art projects. The Library of the National Autonomous Library of Mexico has organised a virtual party of readings for World Children's Day ( here and here).

Clearly not all users are already familiar with digital tools. Libraries in Huesca, Spain, have responded by developing new training materials for users to help them make the most of these possibilities.

Traditional efforts by libraries to produce collections of books and materials on topical issues have continued, with a strong focus on dealing with stress and worry, and promoting positive mental health, not least the National Library of Medicine in the United States. In Helsingborg, Sweden, the library has even brought in public health experts to offer talks for users, while the Chinese library field has placed a strong focus on spreading wellbeing and helping people respond to pressures, not least in Hubei Province.

Others are putting existing activities online and inventing new ones. The Library of Congress for example is organising a virtual transcribathon in order to engage people at distance, while the National Library of Norway us encouraging users to access its podcasts while in-person events are not possible. The Dutch National Library has teamed up with a writers' organisation to provide an 'author on your screen' service. A range of library crowd-sourcing initiatives is available via Library Journal.

Vega la Camocha public library in Spain has set up a book-themed Gymkhana in order to keep children involved in reading and to help out parents with keeping them entertained, Arlington Public Library in the U.S. is working with local children and artists to produce 'quaranzines', and a librarian in Peters Township, Pennsylvania, set up a Harry Potter-themed digital escape room. Aarhus Public Library has a music quiz, writing competition, alongside online poetry slams, online homework help and public debates. Turku Public Library in Finland simply created morning coffee times for users online.

Some public libraries have also worked to develop new possibilities to be in contact with librarians remotely. Danish libraries have set up an online Ask-a-Librarian reference service - and Aarhus has a service just for children. In Sweden, Helsingborg libraries have established a chat function on their website for the first time.

Similarly in academic libraries, there are efforts to provide remote access, for example through an online article request service at the East West University in Bangladesh, digital contacts at the Agricultural University Library of Colombia and the Veracruz University in Mexico, or through call-in hours at Rhodes University, South Africa. The library of the University of Malaya is developing tools to facilitate online discovery and evidence retrieval about the COVID-19 pandemic, preparing a poster to explain its work, while Abgu Papazian University library in Armenia has set up opportunities to contact librarians remotely, as has the Central Library of the Al Ameed University in Iraq. Meanwhile, the Nahrain University Library in Iraq has expanded subscriptions to the national virtual library to ensure students can access this, alongside published theses.

In many countries, libraries' offer of free WiFi to users is a key part of their offer. In the United States, there has been a call on libraries to leave networks on so that users can access the internet from their cars if needs be. Others are offering access to Zoom subscriptions in order to help library users stay in touch with friends.

The role of libraries as guardians of the historical record is as strong as ever. A post from Ithaka S+R highlights various initiatives to collect and preserve materials about the pandemic, while the International Internet Preservation Consortium is looking to coordinate efforts. Meanwhile, Columbia University has launched an archiving programme, as has the National Library of Spain, while Kingport Library in Tennessee, and Springfield County Libraries in Illinois, in the United States and the State Library of Victoria in Australia have asked members of the community to share their COVID-19 stories, and libraries in Huesca, Spain, for example, are encouraging children to write stories about their experiences, which at the same time helps them cope with the pressure they are feeling. The Association of Librarians and Archivists of Cameroon is working with the Bamenda University and the Ministry of Culture to coordinate archiving efforts in the country in order to preserve the lessons of the present.

Finally, the work of libraries to support research of course continues, with the Information Science department at the University of Kuwait for example helping to lead research into the way in which information spreads on social media concerning COVID-19.

With so many services on offer, libraries in a number of countries have been able to work with newspapers, radio stations and other communications channels in order to raise awareness.

Some activities and services may be impossible, for example with staff unable to come to work to carry out preservation activities. In response, the Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Material has prepared a guide, as has the French Association of Heritage Libraries.

Available resources

Clearly the possibility to use resources online depends a lot on the terms under which they are accessed. Fortunately, a lot of publishers and vendors have taken helpful initiatives. In the academic field, many have provided open access to materials related to COVID-19. Others have facilitated access by making it easier to log-in and access materials from outside of official networks.

Other information providers, such as the Internet Archive, have also made large volumes of materials available with fewer limits to support learners, researchers and others to access information in difficult times. The Hathi Trust is also allowing libraries to lend out digitised copies of books that they own in hard copy, although this is not possible globally due to copyright laws.

Beyond this, there are many great freely available resources available with educational materials - notably Open Education Resources (OER) Commons, which provides access to materials curated by a team of librarians. UNESCO's Education Division is also providing links to valuable educational resources, and its Archives have a collection of sound recordings from the past. The National Library of India, meanwhile, has developed search engines for OERs for researchers and children and young adults.

In particular, there are resources for teaching media and information literacy online - this is both a traditional area of strength for libraries, and a skill that is particularly necessary in the current circumstances. One example is the MOOC hosted on the Commonwealth of Learning platform. Many university libraries are also increasing their offer of training on information literacy in order to help students having to carry out their research online. Libraries in Hawai'i, as well as in Loveland, Colorado and elsewhere in the U.S are also offering online courses in information literacy around the pandemic. The Library and Information Research Institute at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, meanwhile, is holding a series of webinars on misinformation, information overload, open access and COVID 19 (see here and here), and is building a list of open access resources on the matter, and East West University, Bangladesh, has participated in events on the subject.

Nonetheless, it is important that all rightsholders take steps to ensure that access to information for research, education and culture can continue as best possible. For example, in Brazil, the approach taken by rightsholders, combined with a lack of appropriate copyright laws means that libraries are not able to offer platforms of digital books, other than those in the public domain. In India, there have been calls for more focus to be placed on accessibility.

A number of associations and groups, including the International Coalition of Library Consortia, LIBER, and the Association of University Library Directors in France have called on publishers to facilitate access to works, while Italian librarians have established a petition requesting stronger efforts to provide access, Spanish ones have underlined the need to move faster towards Open Access, and JISC in the United Kingdom has set out some basic practices it hopes all publishers and vendors will adopt. IFLA itself has led efforts to encourage the World Intellectual Property Office to underline how balanced intellectual property laws can help favour access.

Finally, and faced with the need to invest in new content and services in order to support users, the American Library Association has successfully argued for libraries to be included in the economic stimulus package announced by the government there. In addition, some library funders such as IMLS in the United States are offering grantees extra flexibility where it has been impossible to continue with previous projects because of COVID-19.

Managing remote working

With libraries and library associations closing offices - where they have them - many in the library field are facing challenges around how to manage remote working effectively.

Clearly the best situation is where it has been possible to plan in advance, ensuring that all staff have the tools and training necessary to work effectively and safely from home, and that you can stay in touch easily. With many in the same situation, there are lots of materials available on the internet already, with a strong focus on regular contacts and maintaining good spirits and motivation. Yet with it unclear how long restrictions will last, it is always worth having plans in place for how to cope with longer-term impacts.

Reassigning library resources

Across the United Kingdom, there are lots of examples of librarians moving to work at contact centres for people in isolation, helping to ensure those often at most risk keep contact with the outside world, with the same happening in Auckland, New Zealand and Newmarket, Canada. Elsewhere, librarians have volunteered with community initiatives, or, as in Mexico, are working to improve the quality of Wikipedia articles about people from under-represented groups. A further list of types of redeployment at work in England is available Public Libraries News.

Richland is also looking to provide key resources for people facing unemployment, as is Indianapolis Public Library. St Louis County Library is offering drive-thru meals for children, as is the Cincinnati Public Library and some Toronto Public Libraries are now acting as food banks. Libraries in Yarra, Australia, as well as in Monash, Australia, are supporting food deliveries to vulnerable families and people experiencing homelessness. Toronto Public Library, meanwhile, has joined in the city's annual Newcomers Day in order to make migrants, refugees and other new Torontonians feel welcome, and access information and services.

Meanwhile school libraries in Oklahoma City are handing out books to children, while the Walloon guidance underlines possibilities to give schools access to library collections, at least until re-opening. Penn State University library is giving laptops and other equipment out to students who would otherwise not be able to continue to study from home, as is the library of the UPM Higher Technical School of Engineers in Spain.

Library spaces and equipment have also been repurposed, with libraries in San Francisco serving as childcare facilities for the children of key workers and Loussac Library in Anchorage, Alaska serving as an emergency coordination centre, while in Spokane, Oregon, the library is acting as a homeless shelter, and in San Luis Obispo, California, the library carpark is being made available as a safe space for people forced to live in their cars. In Oakland, California, bookdrops are being used now to collect spare masks. In Kansas City, the library is serving as a testing centre for COVID-19.

In Klaipedia, Lithuania, thanks to a cooperation between the National Library and the School of Robotics, library 3D printers are being used to print 3D protective equipment and items such as door-handles. Libraries in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, France and Portugal are doing likewise, while Columbia University is sharing approved designs for these so that anyone with a 3D printer can help. Preservation departments in American libraries are donating existing equipment. In Valpattanam GP Library, India, staff have been collecting cloth masks made by locals for further distribution.

This is not to forget books! The State Library of Western Australia's offer of 'mystery boxes' of library materials was rapidly over-subscribed, and Kansas City Library in the U.S. has been delivering bags of books to deprived areas.

Reopening Libraries

Moves towards the reopening of libraries are increasingly on the agenda as countries look to lift broader restrictions. In the case of schools, sometimes the library remains closed, even if lessons have begun again (the case in Logumkloster, Denmark). Decisions will of course need to be based on overall assessments of risk from the authorities. The Japanese Library Association's guidance suggests a four-stage process, for example, analysing risks from surfaces, close contacts with people, the ways in which people use the libraries, and overall levels of infection in the region.

Depending on the approach nationally, there may be more or less room for library directors to choose whether to open or not. Where there is freedom, it is important that they are supported with proper guidance and instructions. Elsewhere, there are stricter conditions in place, for example in the Netherlands (see links below), where re-opening is conditional on fulfilling the conditions of a set of protocols established by library authorities. At Midlothian Library, Illinois, the guidance sets out conditions that need to be in place before moving to a new phase, while Oak Park Library, Illinois sets out tasks in a similar way.

Most examples so far focus on a phased approach, with new services, activities and parts of the library only resumed when this can happen safely, with some associating the shift from one phase to the next to wider progress in tackling the pandemic, while others are more cautious in setting dates. As the Australian Library and Information Association has set out (see below), a useful approach is to start by assessing risk, then developing plans, and only then setting timings for resuming different services. It may also be the case, of course, that partner organisations are not yet open, which will also have an impact.

Broadly, the library field has warned against any rush to re-open physical buildings. Furthermore, given uncertainty about how the situation will develop, it is possible that stricter rules will need to be implemented subsequently, and so the possibility of returning to lock-down should be borne in mind (indeed, West Virginia recommends continuing to work from home one day a week so that the habit is not lost). At the end of this section, you will find a selection of plans already established.

Limiting numbers in the library

One step being taken to reduce risks is to limit the number of people in the library at any one time. This makes it easier to maintain social distance. In Macao (China), the public libraries are using a ticketing system to limit numbers in the library, a step also taken in Hong Kong (China) during a recent phase of re-opening. The The National Library of Serbia in its first phase of re-opening allowed only 5 people into its reading room, while some school libraries in Geneva, where they have opened, are letting just one pupil in at a time. The National Library of Croatia has set a 200 person limit, with an app available to allow people wanting to use the library to see if there are spaces available, and the Russian State Library also planning to set a limit of 100-150 people, also by appointment.

The Dutch library system has recommended providing baskets or bags (which act as 'entry tokens', making it easy to count up to a maximum number of people - see the links below), others have suggested other means which involve less disinfection. The Dutch have also suggested that groups of no more than two people at any one time can enter the library, as have the Estonians, who suggest a 2+2 rule with groups of no more than two people, at least 2m apart.

Given that numbers wanting to use the library may be unpredictable (from smaller numbers in one Finnish example at first to rapid over-subscription in Shizuoka/Namazu in Japan), others are discussing options to book visits in advance in order to manage the number of people coming to the library at any one time - a practice already implemented by the German National Library and the National Library of China. Similarly, other library services - such as printing, scanning or other support - can also be made appointment-only, as is proposed in West Virginia.

In order to allow more people the opportunity to visit, the Czech Library Council has suggested that one option could also be to limit time in the library, a point echoed by other guidance. Hong Kong (China) also plans to re-open for periods of no more than 1h (followed by short breaks) in order to limit stays, with Shanghai also setting a limit of 1h.

Other options being considered in Chicago, United States, for example include providing services outside where possible, and limiting certain opening times to particular groups, such as older users (an idea also explored by the Czechs). In Portugal too, the idea of giving priority to vulnerable groups is set out in the official guidance, with the need to help people who do not have home internet access highlighted, both of which points are also highlighted in the Belgian guidance.

There are also efforts to reduce the need to come to the library. For example, Macao (China) has sought to do this by continuing to extend loan periods and encouraging people to use online services as far as possible (also at the University Library). Hong Kong (China) has also allowed for unlimited renewals and waived fines at its academic libraries.

Others are planning to provide services digitally for the coming months at least, or to continue - or restart - delivery services, as in France, or to give users specific times when they can come to the library to collect books, as in Geneva, Switzerland, or through using the library catalogue from (more spacious) classrooms as proposed in the United Kingdom (see below). Indeed, the Flemish advice focuses strongly on the value of continuing to innovate in online provision, especially in anticipation of summer reading clubs needing to adapt to the new situation. Especially for risk groups, remote services may be desirable for some time to come, as the Norwegian Guidance indicates.

Another option, at least where the weather permits, may be to hold events outside where risks are lower, as suggested by the Czech guidance (see below).

Calculating the right number is a key current issue. Many libraries have sought to follow the guidance given to the retail sector, although this also varies, from allowing 20m2 per person in Ireland, Portugal and Slovenia to 15m2 in Poland, Slovakia and Belgium, 10m2 in the Czech Republic and Austria, 10m2 for adults and 5m2 for children in the Netherlands, 15 per 100m2 in Croatia, and 4m2 in Australia, Estonia and Romania.

Libraries may need to deal with information requests from governments in order to facilitate contact tracing, for example the National Library of Croatia, which is measuring temperatures of visitors, and times spent in the library. In this, it is important to bear in mind issues around privacy, as highlighted by the Japanese Library Association's Intellectual Freedom Committee.

Limiting concentration of users

A further step being taken by some is to limit the number of sections of the library open to people. Importantly, even if there may be enough space in theory for people to respect social distancing, the use of certain facilities may make this more complicated, as highlighted in the guidance provided by French library associations.

This has been the case in Hong Kong (China), as well as in Macao (China), which has kept a number of areas (children's reading areas, meeting rooms, self-study areas) inaccessible. The Czech Library Council has also recommended potentially limiting services just to loans, at least at first, and some school libraries in Geneva are doing the same. Meanwhile, Dutch libraries are planning to open for use by groups of children, but not at times when the library is open to other users, and with gathering points outside.

Further means of limiting the time people spend close to others include removing some furniture (to ensure that people sit further apart), allowing just one table per user (as in some Geneva school libraries), marking some as being not for use, as in Chinese Taipei, or allocating specific places per user as at the National Library of Croatia. In Sweden, only one in two public computers can be used, and the length of time allowed on there is restricted. Others have sought to space computers out, for example using different parts of the building for computers in anticipation of demand for use (as in Topeka, Kansas), or will aim to reserve use for those who do not have internet at home (as in Belgium).

There are differing approaches to access to books - some suggest allowing this but recommending not touching books which users definitely plan to borrow (as in the Netherlands). Most plan to keep shelves inaccessible at first, and only allowing librarians themselves to fetch works (as in Slovenia and Portugal). The Danish guidance notes the importance of avoiding opening the library without staff, given difficulty in enforcing rules.

As throughout the pandemic, the importance of high standards of hygiene is a key theme, for example ensuring that staff have the possibility to wash their hands frequently, access to materials such as gloves and facemasks, and that hand sanitiser is available at the entrance (and potentially next to equipment such as computers). In particular, regular handwashing by staff continues to be strongly recommended (both before and after contact with materials), as well as the provision of bins for tissues or other potentially contaminated material (pedal bins may be ideal, as suggested by the Flemish guidance). As noted in the Andalusian guidance, it may be necessary to employ more cleaning staff, or to extend hours. They can be supported in identifying the surfaces at most risk, and give these the attention necessary.

Macao (China) has implemented strict rules for users on wearing facemasks, and is both carrying out temperature checks at the entrance and requiring a health declaration from users (a measure being considered in the US as well, but which will need to reflect cultural norms as well). In academic libraries in Hong Kong (China), users are also subject to temperature checks and mask requirements. Elsewhere, guidance from the Japanese Library Association encourages those with symptoms of the disease to use remote services. The same goes for those living with people with symptoms, or who have recently visited high-risk areas.

Where this is not possible, some libraries are installing screens in order to protect both users and library and information workers. Similarly, where payments need to be made for services, contactless has been recommended, such as in Switzerland, or charges have simply been scrapped, such as for printing. Staff are using stylus pointers to indicate which computers visitors can use in Helsingborg, Sweden, while in Portugal it is recommended to leave doors open as far as possible in order to avoid the need to open them each time.

Additional steps include closing toilets (as in the Czech Republic), restricting their use or intensifying cleaning schedules, closing the library as a whole for short periods throughout the day in order to clean (as in Macao, China, Slovakia, or at the National University Library of Croatia), and regular cleaning schedules, especially of surfaces which are regularly touched. It may be useful to carry out an audit of which surfaces are at highest risk, as done by the National Library of China.

Materials that may be touched frequently, such as magazines and newspapers, may need to remain inaccessible until the risk is low enough, or only be accessible to people with gloves and masks (as in some Estonian libraries). It may also be necessary, as the Portuguese guidance explains (see below) to provide extra training for cleaners.

A further question is around how much library users should bring in from outside of the library. The Dutch guidance, for example, suggests that users should bring their own pens and course material for small group activities, and try not to leave it in the library. The CILIP School Libraries Group and UK School Library Association suggests that as far as possible, materials such as coats should stay outside in order to reduce contamination risks.

It may also be worth ensuring that libraries have a plan for how to deal with situations where someone displays symptoms, for example by having relevant phone numbers accessible, and setting aside a room where it is possible to isolate a suspected victim, as set out in the Japanese and Polish guidance, and identify which surfaces may have been contaminated.

Throughout this, clear communication with users is important, in order to ensure that they understand the rules in place. Where users cannot be expected to understand - for example, children or those with cognitive impairments - alternative approaches may be necessary, as set out in the French guidance.

A further emerging issue is the need to ensure that authorities and experts know how libraries work, and in particular, how much contact they see, in order to avoid assumptions and mistaken recommendations, as has happened in the US.

Keeping Staff Safe

Clearly a priority is to ensure that staff are fit, well, and comfortable in providing services - indeed, this may also be a legal obligation. Ways of doing this include the hygiene measures mentioned above (indeed, the National Library of Poland has suggested that no library should re-open unless librarians can be properly equipped), as well as clear consultation and explanation of decisions and plans, and regular briefings and reminders (as for example in Roskilde, Denmark). The Danish official guidance underlines the need to engage staff associations and unions in re-opening decisions. The National Library of China is in regular contact with staff to ensure that they are healthy and well looked-after, while West Virginia puts a strong emphasis on mental health, and coping with the situation of being around others again.

As libraries re-open, many are doing so only for limited hours every day, and are allowing staff to work in shifts, as has been recommended by the Czech Library Council, as well as limiting meetings and staggering breaks (as suggested in Poland). In Helsingborg, Sweden, libraries are timing these to ensure that librarians can avoid rush hours also, and in Portugal, the Directorate General for libraries has recommended staggered shifts. In some cases, staff are being welcomed back at work before libraries are open to the public, as has been in the case in Cologne, Germany, in order to carry out some of the tasks necessary for re-opening to happen safely and efficiently, as well as at the National University Library of Croatia.

Nonetheless, the National Library of China, amongst others, has continued to promote home working as far as possible. Staff are only called to come in if really needed, and then work in shifts to minimise contact, ensuring that no more than 25% of the usual number of personnel are at work at any one time. In Croatia, the guidance is, where possible, to run two shifts, with an hour between them in order to allow for cleaning. In Switzerland, for example, it is suggested that ideally, staff should sit one to an office, and in Cologne, Germany, no more than two, with common areas, for example, transformed into office spaces to provide more room. Cologne is also looking to keep different teams apart by continuing to use digital meeting tools. In Western Australia, it has been suggested that staff should stay with a single computer throughout their shift.

Similar rules will apply for other areas where staff work - for example, the Slovak National Library (see below) has also made suggestions about how to keep use of official vehicles safe.

Countries will have their own approaches to the health measures that can be required of staff, although the general recommendation is not to come to work if symptoms are experienced. The National University Library of Croatia suggests that staff should all check their temperature each morning before coming to work.

Still, it has been noted in the United Kingdom, for example, that many libraries are also likely to need to work with a reduced staff, given sickness, family obligations, or self-isolation, for some time to come. Volunteers too may not yet be ready to return to work, especially if they are older or have underlying health conditions, which may cause delays to re-opening in some countries (and indeed, West Virginia has suggested they should be the last). As a result, libraries in a number of countries are running shorter opening times, and looking to increase efforts to promote staff wellbeing. In other cases, as mentioned in Andalusia, Spain, there may simply not be enough staff to open safely. The Norwegian guidance indeed suggests that running libraries under restrictions may take more staff than usual, and so it could be helpful that staff placed on temporary assignment elsewhere should return.

Overall, as the Portuguese guidance states, a key way to keep staff safe is to keep them informed, in particular when guidance changes. This will also leave them better placed to help users respect the rules too.

Handling Materials

Please see the section above.

Public Communication

Given current uncertainty, and often the complexity of the process of lifting restrictions, libraries planning for this have also tended to include a focus on communications - indeed, this is part of the recommendations set out by the German Library Association (see below). As the Australian guidance notes, there may indeed be more questions than usual from users unsure about what is possible or not.

The new rules are the first thing users see when visiting the website of Macao (China)'s public library system, while outreach to users is a key section of the checklist produced for German libraries. Arapahoe Library in the U.S. is surveying users to identify which services they miss, in order engage them in the process.

Plans for re-opening around the world

Below are some examples of plans emerging:

Australia: the Australian Library and Information Association has provided a useful checklist, setting out steps to take around communication, social distancing, safety precautions, staff support, community support and operations.

Austria: the library association has developed guidance on how to re-open safely, drawing on international experience and practice.

Denmark: the Ministry of Culture has posted guidance on the next stage of opening for libraries, including around working with staff, providing support to users, and lending.

Hungary: the Hungarian Library Institute has produced an overview of efforts on re-opening around the world.

Iran: the Iranian Public Library Federation has published guidance for libraries which are starting to re-open, including suggestions on alternative means of providing services, and care for staff and users.

Italy: the Italian Library Association has published a review of the literature and its suggestions for rules to follow as libraries re-open.

Japan: the Japanese Library Association has shared guidance on re-opening which highlights approaches to risk assessment, user and staff safety, services, events and how to deal with potential cases.

Mexico: a group of university libraries has produced an infographic covering key elements of how to operate libraries safely post-COVID-19.

Netherlands: a set of protocols (addressing lending, activities with primary school-aged children, groups of up to ten people, and computer use, translated by IFLA) have been produced, as well as a checklist (translated into English by IFLA).

Poland: the National Library of Poland has prepared guidance covering staff safety, hygiene on site, and how to deal with symptoms in staff and users.

Serbia: The National Library has started to re-open, sharing a report about initial steps being made to promote hygiene and limit contact.

Spain: official governmental guidance sets out the rules for reopening, including around cleaning and hygiene and wider operations. The Andalucian Association of Librarians has produced a protocol for re-opening libraries, including consideration of staff, spaces and materials. FESABID, the Spanish Library, Archive and Museum Association, has a collection of links to sources to help libraries plan for re-opening, and through its cluster with partners, has developed a set of ten principles for the re-opening of libraries. The Network of Spanish University Libraries (REBIUN) has also developed extensive guidance (in Spanish) for the re-opening of academic libraries..

Switzerland: the Library Association has produced guidelines complementing broader information produced for all establishments. IFLA has provided an English translation of these.

restrictions, as has United States: New Mexico State Library in the United States has set out plans for a phased re-opening, and a table and comprehensive blog from Idaho looks at what the stages of lifting restrictions could look like in libraries with lots of helpful ideas. Public libraries in the state of Georgia in the United States have also published a sample plan for libraries in taking decisions about staffing and services in different phases of the lifting of West Virginia and Indiana. The State Library of Montana has shared three examples ( here, here and here). The coordinator for public libraries in Alaska has also set out the issues in a presentation, as has the Colorado Library Consortiumand the Massachusetts Library Association. The Idaho Commission for Libraries has shared a range of examples of re-opening plans from libraries of different sizes, which may be helpful. There are also specific guides for kerbside pickup from Illinois and Vermont.

Actions by Associations, National Libraries and library partners

Associations and Library Authorities

Library associations themselves are doing great work to inform their members and support them in difficult times. Many have set up pages with lists of reliable sources and guidance at the national level - complementing advice at the global or regional levels - and encouraged communication and coordination between library directors in order to share ideas and practice. Others are providing useful support for planning, both for the management of staff and buildings, and for the development of online services, through useful checklists and courses.

See in particular the following association pages:

Austria: the library association is providing valuable information to libraries about procedures for safe re-opening as well as sharing government advice, and has transformed its teaching activities into eLearning.

Belgium: Libraries and Archives Should Close for Visitors (in Dutch)

Bulgaria: Resources for Librarians in Responding to COVID-19 (in Bulgarian)

Cameroon: the Association of Librarians and Archivists of Cameroon has organised discussions between members using WhatsApp in order to identify future priorities, and is working with the Ministry of Culture and Bamenda University to coordinate archiving efforts around the Pandemic.

China: The Library Society of China and the National LIbrary have shared a full summary of all of the activities that the association and libraries across China have been undertaking to support communities, from government to citizens.

Colombia: the Association of Colombian Librarians prepared a webinar (in Spanish, working with the IFLA LAC Section) on ideas on how librarians can respond

Croatia: the Croatian Library Association has set up a dedicated page with information on remote services, a data aggregation point on COVID-19 for libraries, access to virtual meeting services and electronic resources.

Czech Republic: the Czech library association has prepared an information page which includes health advice, updates on the government's response, and ideas on how to work with copyrght and privacy laws at the time of the pandemic.

Ghana: Ghana LIbrary Authority is promoting registrations for digital library cards, and has made resources available for libraries and users through its resource page.

Korea (Republic of): Statement on the Coronavirus Situation.

India: both the federal and state library associations have been active offering online training both related to COVID-19 and wider professional development, with the Karnataka state association offering an ongoing series.

Italy: Where to Find Information (in Italian) offers an overview of national laws, sources of advice, and proposals on how to provide service while protecting privacy and health.

New Zealand: COVID-19 Coronavirus and the New Zealand LIS Sector

Nigeria: the Nigerian Library and Information Science Students' Association has organised a series of lectures for its members over a series of days.

Portugal: the Portuguese Library Association has made its training webinars freely available online (in Portuguese)

Puerto Rico: The Association of Librarians of Puerto Rico has launched a campaign around misinformation about COVID-19 (in Spanish)

Romania: the Association of Romanian Librarians has organised classes, webinars and working sessions to help members deal with the pandemic, as well as starting a public campaign #thelibraryfromhome. The Association has also collected data about libraries and services, while the wider field has supported overall efforts through 3D-printed protective equipment, supporting research, and combatting misinformation.

Spain: the Network of Academic Libraries has prepared a resource page (in Spanish)

United States: Pandemic Preparedness toolkit. See also the resources gathered by ALA's Public Programs Office, and the webinar on remote service provision, and in their eBook on disaster preparedness, which has now been made open access. There is also this resource page prepared by the American Association of Law Libraries, the results of the Public Library Association's survey of how public libraries are responding, and this page on pandemic preparedness by the American Association of School Libraries.

Furthermore, the Chinese Library Society has worked with the National Library to provide online learning while the Latvian Library Association has turned its conference into an online event combined with a social media campaign. The National Diet Library of Japan, as part of its support to the profession, has been monitoring and publishing update on the situation, as has saveMLAK (an organisation focused on helping libraries, archives and museums in times of crisis).

Other associations and organisations are active. CLIR has organised resources on COVID-19 on a special page, while the Association of Research Libraries has analysis of what academic and research libraries in the US and Canada are doing. The African Library and Information Association (AfLIA) is collecting examples of what libraries are doing in Africa and has a page on how libraries can respond plus a resource page, as is Infotecarios in Latin America (working with the Colombian Librarians' Association (ASCOLBI), LIBER for academic libraries in Europe and EBLIDA has developed a checklist of actions members can take. NAPLE in Europe has produced a valuable report highlighting the situation across 20 members as the pandemic arrived and took hold. The Association of Library and Information Science Educators has also published its own resource page, and the Federation of Health Science Libraries of India has organised webinars looking to the future of libraries post-COVID-19, as has the library at the Panjab University, Chandragarh, India.

Meanwhile, the Association for the Promotion of School Documentary Services in Quebec has provided members with tools they can use to ensure that libraries are integrated in plans to provide remote learning, while the Every Library Institute has set up regular chats and an emergency fund to help libraries in difficulty.

National Libraries

National libraries can also play an important role in providing access to content, both as key institutions in their countries, and as leaders in their national library systems. An overview is available through the information collected by the Conference of Directors of National Libraries.

In China, for example, the national digital library has been reinforced in order to deal with the increase in demand and has waived fines for borrowed materials which cannot be returned, as well as providing support to libraries and librarians across the country. In Korea, too, the national digital library has seen a major increase in use. The role of National Library resources in supporting the effort to combat the pandemic has been recognised by the British Library in its own resource page.

Some libraries have been able to negotiate the possibility to give wider access to legal deposit content for researchers and schools in Norway, and for researchers in the Czech Republic (alongside university libraries). Meanwhile, the National Library of Aruba has given access to the first eBooks in Papiamento (the local language), and will for the first time offer a Dutch-language eLending service, also for the first time, alongside working with the Internet Archive to offer a version of the National Emergency Library.

Others are putting activities online. The Library of Congress for example is organising a virtual transcribathon in order to engage people at distance, while the Bibliothèque nationale de France is organising virtual exhibitions. The National Library of Estonia has established means for giving people access to books without contact (with resulting major increases in demand), while the National Library of Spain is promoting its digital content that can be used to support education, as is the National Library of Hungary, whose staff have also been producing videos on learning to dance and popular science.

The National Library of Norway us encouraging users to access its podcasts while in-person events are not possible, as is the Library of Congress of Argentina alongside a variety of new content.

The National Library of Luxembourg, is making it possible to obtain a library card for three months by email, without the usual ID checks, in order to facilitate access, while the National Library of Morocco is maintaining both online inscriptions alongside ISBN and legal deposit services. The National Library of Lithuania is working with the School of Robotics to promote printing of personal protective equipment in public libraries across the country.

Library Partners

There have been very welcome moves by publishers, vendors and others working with libraries to facilitate access to content even when library buildings are forced to close. As set out in the statement by the IFLA President and Secretary-General, it is to be hoped that such steps are generalised as we all look to work together to allow learning, research and access to culture to continue.

A key step has been to allow remote access to content which normally would be restricted to on-site users. VitalSource has worked with its publisher partners to broaden access to materials using only an email address to log-in, as has ProQuest through eBook Central and Springer through extended log-in periods and Emerald through remote access possibilities, , while the Journal of the American Medical Association is also allowing for much more off-site access, as are sites such as ancestry.com. Michigan University Press is allowing read (but not download) access to much of its content. Children's publisher Collins in the UK is making content previously limited to on-site access available remotely. There are also positive examples from Latvia and Kenya.

Some publishers have also been ready to take account of the fact that some libraries may simply not be able to make payments at the moment, for example Bristol University Press.

Like others (for example, Emerald, Frontiers, Springer Nature, Elsevier, Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, ZB MED, and MIT Press), SAGE is also concentrating and sharing resources on COVID-19 and managing pandemics through a microsite. The White House has taken a major step to facilitate text and data mining to help find solutions by releasing 29 000 papers for analysis.

Emerald is also boosting support for creating and sharing publications around how libraries have responded to the pandemic through making volumes open, and planning thematic issues.

Finally, a key IFLA partner - OCLC - has held a town hall meeting bringing together over a thousand librarians in order to share stories and build understanding of the needs of the profession.

Communicating with users in different languages

IFLA's Library Services to Multicultural Populations Section is working with the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) to develop translated signage and text to support libraries communicating with their linguistically diverse communities, particularly in relation to library closures and accessing online information. These resources are available in MS Word format. Libraries are welcome to adapt and use this content as best meets their needs to communicate with their community. Translations will be made available in more languages as they are developed.

Ongoing issues

IFLA is aware that the pandemic has brought up a number of wider issues which we are following closely. In addition to copyright - mentioned above - there are concerns around the impacts of the crisis on the broader culture, education and research sectors, privacy, and ensuring democratic norms are protected. We continue to monitor these issues closely and will share information and views as appropriate.

IFLA has also led in the preparation of a letter to the Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization calling for action to ensure copyright laws and practices are supportive. This underlines the challenges created by the combination of the current situation and the risk that current laws create rigidities that make responding harder. In the case of libraries, this is the case when non-digital uses are permitted but digital ones are not, for example. In his response, the Director General underlined the role that exceptions and limitations can play in ensuring access during times such as the Pandemic.

We have also produced a first blog looking at overall trends that may result from the pandemic, from a variety of policy perspectives, as well as a follow-up piece identifying specific potential advocacy points in the short, medium and longer term, and a set of ideas on how to build advocacy capacity, even while under lockdown. In particular, we have highlighted the importance of preserving the idea of core government funding for libraries so that they can maintain their public focus, and set out five suggestions, based on existing ideas, for how libraries can be included in economic stimulus packages.

IFLA's activities

IFLA's work to strengthen and unite the global library field continues, not just in spite of the COVID-19 Pandemic, but because of it. We are determined to maintain the momentum created by the Global Vision process and the launch of our Strategy last year, and believe strongly that the mission it sets out is as relevant now as it has ever been.

As set out in our FAQs about IFLA and the COVID-19 pandemic, we have already worked hard to ensure that our volunteers and staff can continue their crucial work, and have seen a series of successful mid-term meetings by our Professional Units organised over the past weeks. The above also contains a number of examples of what IFLA is already doing.

Meanwhile, IFLA's Document Delivery and Resource-Sharing Section has launched a new service to support the sharing of resources across borders as a way of relieving some of the disruption caused by the pandemic.

However, this is just the beginning. We are also looking forward to announcing exciting new services and opportunities to build a stronger field powering literate, informed and participatory societies into the future. In this, we will be working closely with our Professional Units - the biggest brains trust in the global library field - in order to help inspire, engage, enable and connect the global library field. We look forward to sharing more.

Last update: 2 June 2020

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Last update: 2 June 2020 The information and resources below are provided on a non-exhaustive basis but will be updated regularly. It is based on publicly available information, and that submitted to updates@ifla.org. We welcome additional ideas, references, suggestions and corrections to this address. Please see also our FAQs specifically concerning IFLA.

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Collections Care in the Age of COVID-19

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On April 2, 2020 Connecting to Collections Care held a Facebook Book Live Event "Collections Care in the Age of COVID-19". Members of our Facebook Community had the chance to listen to and ask questions from panelists including preservation librarians, conservators, and other experts in the field of collections care on such subjects as collections storage situations, collections care standards, disaster plans, and the challenges of working from home.

Panelists

Priscilla Anderson - Senior Preservation Librarian at Harvard Library
Nicole Grabow - Director of Preventive Conservation at Midwest Art Conservation
Tara Kennedy - Preservation Services Librarian and Preventive Conservator at Yale University Library
Robin Bauer Kilgo - Connecting to Collections Care Coordinator
Dr. Anne McDonough - Associate Director, Occupational Health Services, Smithsonian Institution
Samantha Snell - Collections Management Specialist for the Smithsonian National Collections Program

Handouts
C2CCare COVID-19 Resource List
Recorded: Thursday, April 2, 2020

Duration: 1 Hour 00 Minutes

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On April 2, 2020 Connecting to Collections Care held a Facebook Book Live Event "Collections Care in the Age of COVID-19". Members of our Facebook Community had the chance to listen to and ask questions from panelists including preservation librarians, conservators, and other experts in the field of collections care on such subjects as collections storage situations, collections care standards, disaster plans, and the challenges of working from home.

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American Libraries article about material sanitization.

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Keeping libraries safe is important for both workers and guests. But during the current COVID-19 pandemic, questions about how to do that-particularly when it comes to materials and surfaces-have complicated answers.

It's an unprecedented situation. Conservators, who are experienced in diagnosing and repairing collection damage, say that historical information on sanitizing library materials is lacking. Besides a bit of anecdotal evidence from a 2019 Smithsonian Magazine article, there's very little historical data available, says Evan Knight, preservation specialist at the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners: "There's nothing published or shared from previous epidemics."

It's also a challenge to sift through evolving research. A January study in the Journal of Hospital Infection reported that coronaviruses similar to SARS-CoV-2, the one responsible for COVID-19, can persist on some inanimate surfaces (such as metal, glass, and plastic) for as long as nine days and on paper for four or five days. Meanwhile, recent data from the National Institutes of Health indicate SARS-CoV-2 is detectable in aerosols for up to three hours, on copper for up to four hours, on cardboard for up to 24 hours, and on plastic and stainless steel for perhaps only two to three days.

The pandemic also presents challenges of a more philosophical nature. "[It's] difficult to reconcile the public health requirements of this pandemic with our mission," says Jacob Nadal, director for preservation at the Library of Congress (LC), which closed to the public on March 12 and has canceled events through July 1. "It is heartbreaking to see how this disease forces us to step back at exactly the time we want to step up."

Time is the best disinfectant

Yet stepping back may be the best defense against a still developing threat. The easiest, safest, and most inexpensive disinfectant is time. "This pandemic is a unique situation for most conservators, so we don't know a lot about disinfecting generally, and this virus specifically," says Knight. "Our view is that prophylaxis, or preventive measures, are best."

Fletcher Durant, director of conservation and preservation at the University of Florida's George A. Smathers Libraries, suggests that all libraries follow the March 17 ALA recommendation to close to the public. "Isolation for a minimum of 24 hours, and preferably 14 days, is the best disinfectant," he says. "It is simply the best and safest thing that we as librarians can do at this time." Durant says it's about protecting libraries as well as the public. "Libraries could provide a risk vector for the spread of the disease, which, beyond the direct health impacts, could reduce the public trust in libraries," he says.

That also means libraries should plan to stay closed until the risk of public infection is eliminated. "We would be the first to say that we are not equipped to make recommendations on virology, bacteriology, or medical matters," says Nadal. "Quarantine past the viability of the virus is the best plan."

Cleaning and sanitizing

Some libraries, however, have a mission that precludes complete quarantine. LC, for example, continues to support Congress while it's in session, which requires some staff to be onsite. Other libraries are maintaining services with curbside checkouts of materials. That means additional sanitizing methods are warranted.

Internal hard surfaces, including tabletops, door handles, book drops, and computers, should be professionally cleaned. Experts also note that virtual reality headsets have been flagged as a risk factor, and libraries should postpone their use. "If at all possible, hire a professional cleaning service that has appropriate training and personal protective equipment to do this work," says Nadal. "This is a time for exceptional caution."

Any staff working onsite should institute thorough hand-washing, especially when handling books or any shared objects in the library. "There are no studies that specifically answer the question of how transmissible the coronavirus might be from the most common library materials, [such as] coated and uncoated paper, book cloth, or polyester book jackets," Nadal says. "We have to look for high-quality information and evaluate it critically to determine how well it applies to our particular concerns."

Avoiding materials damage

Knight says librarians should be cautious when using cleaning solvents on books and other potentially fragile library materials. "I am not aware of a 'least damaging' cleaner or disinfectant, especially for any objects of obvious lasting value," he says, explaining that the risks to books subjected to aqueous cleaning or disinfecting include water damage and weakened hinges and joints. "Books wrapped in polyester or polyethylene can be more reasonably cleaned and disinfected, and strong library-binding buckram cloth coverings can probably withstand the enhanced cleaning too," he adds. "But again, if one is planning to clean and disinfect collections, even among poly-covered volumes, they should understand and accept that there will be collection damage."

There's evidence that certain methods may not be effective anyway. "Common misperceptions may be that spraying or wiping the outside of a volume with Lysol, alcohol, or bleach is sufficient to denature the virus across the entire volume," says Durant.

Ultraviolet (UV) light also poses a potential risk to collection materials because of its high intensity. And because of how difficult it is to confirm that every page has been exposed to the light, the effort could prove fruitless. "UV germicidal irradiation has generally been found to be effective at exposure of 2-5 millijoules per square centimeter [mJ/cm ²]," says Durant. "However, for this exposure to be effective, it must be complete exposure, [which is] something that is almost impossible to achieve with bound books. It's certainly not as effective as simply isolating the books for at least 14 days."

Yet even as libraries continue to learn new preservation procedures, certain constants remain. "This is a good time to think about the role of libraries as stewards of memory and culture," says Nadal. "We are going to be closed for a period of time, and our ethic of constant service will make this painful. Keeping materials quarantined and out of circulation will be frustrating. [But] we are keepers of a long history, and our foremost obligation now is to make sure that there is a long future for the recorded knowledge and creativity entrusted into our care."

Further reading

Articles from BBC and NPR on how long the coronavirus lasts on surfaces and techniques for surface cleaning

Best practices from the Northeast Document Conservation Center for quarantining and disinfecting books returned to the library

An outline from Coordinated Statewide Emergency Preparedness Massachusetts on sheltering collections in place and isolation strategies

Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners has collaborated with the Massachusetts Library System on a COVID-19 Response LibGuide

The National Park Service's National Center for Preservation Technology and Training has released a video on disinfecting cultural resources

ALA has also put together a page on Pandemic Preparedness Resources for Libraries, as well as this handling guide from the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services

Dewey Decibel podcast's "Libraries Respond to COVID-19" episode

Finally, the National Endowment for the Humanities suggests using the Twitter hashtag #CovidCollectionsCare in the coming weeks for more information

Updated Apr. 29, 2020, to indicate extended suspension of Library of Congress events.

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How to Sanitize Collections in a Pandemic | American Libraries Magazine

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Keeping libraries safe is important for both workers and guests. But during the current COVID-19 pandemic, questions about how to do that-particularly when it comes to materials and surfaces-have complicated answers. It's an unprecedented situation. Conservators, who are experienced in diagnosing and repairing collection damage, say that historical information on sanitizing library materials is lacking.

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#covidcollectionscare is a hashtag being used by many libraries to share their material handling practices, thoughts and concerns.

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We've detected that JavaScript is disabled in this browser. Please enable JavaScript or switch to a supported browser to continue using twitter.com. You can see a list of supported browsers in our Help Center.
Help Center

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Procedure developed by Duke University Libraries and followed by other TRLN libraries

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Library Workflow for Handling Returned Items – COVID-19 Best Practices

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Disinfecting Books and Other Collections

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Disinfecting Books and Other Collections

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Best practices developed by the Northeastern Document Conservation Center

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Back To List
Last updated: September 18, 2020

This leaflet addresses general questions about disinfecting books and other cultural heritage collections. NEDCC has added a section to the beginning that addresses specific concerns about COVID-19.
The advice in this section is based on the current research available from the cultural heritage, medical, and scientific communities regarding COVID-19; as their understanding of the virus evolves, NEDCC's advice for the cultural heritage community will, too. Each organization will need to exercise caution in accordance with its risk tolerance, its understanding of the available research, and guidance from local, state, tribal, and federal officials.

Human Health and Safety

The World Health Organization has stated that the SARS-CoV-2 virus is transmitted through direct, indirect (e.g. through contaminated objects or surfaces), or close contact with infected persons.

The best way to protect staff and visitors at cultural heritage institutions from the virus is to follow CDC guidelines on "How to Protect Yourself and Others," specifically: wash your hands often, avoid close contact, and cover your nose and mouth with a mask when around others.Note that for collection safety, hand washing with soap and water is preferred over using hand sanitizer because the former removes dirt and oils and the latter does not. Dirt and oils can transfer to collections and stain or damage them.

Quarantine

To address concerns about possible transfer of the SARS-CoV-2 virus via collections materials, the Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) recommends quarantining items after handling by staff and visitors; disinfection by other means is not recommended. (See the section below for more information about disinfection.) If a dedicated quarantine space cannot be established, staff can place items in bags until the quarantine period is over so that staff do not accidentally handle the items.It is not advisable to tightly seal the bags because this can create potentially-damaging microclimates. The CDC has provided additional guidelines for workers who handle and deliver mail and parcels, and cultural heritage institutions may find these guidelines applicable to their operations.

In particular, NEDCC recommends that cultural heritage organizations consult the website of the REopening Archives, Libraries, and Museums (REALM) project, which is conducting scientific research on collection-specific materials: https://www.webjunction.org/explore-topics/COVID-19-research-project.html. It is incumbent on each organization to understand how its collection materials are used and handled and to review research results for data that can guide its decisions about quarantine.

The length of the quarantine periods should be based on scientific studies that test the attenuation of the SARS-CoV-2 virus on collection-specific materials, such as paperback books, and on studies that test general material types such as plastic and cardboard. For specific material types, quarantine periods of different lengths may ultimately be found to be appropriate. Research results do not yet agree on the timeframes; however, the SARS-CoV-2 virus appears to lose its viability more quickly on cardboard surfaces than on plastic surfaces (e.g. books covered in polyester, Mylar, or other plastics, as well as plastic-based materials such as CD's and DVD's).,

Because some studies testing SARS-CoV-2 on general material types, such as plastic and stainless steel, have found that up to 7 days is required for attenuation-and because of the small number of studies overall-some institutions may opt for a 7-day quarantine, which NEDCC recommended in an earlier version of this publication. Note that the REALM Project's Round 4 tests document that stacking collection materials can prolong the survivability of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. For example, REALM Round 1 and Round 4 tests show attenuation of the virus after 3 days on a single paperback book cover but found the virus was still present after 6 days when the book was placed in a stack.

Information about quarantine decisions in libraries around the world is available from the REALM Project and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA).

disinfecting collections

Do not attempt to disinfect archival materials, museum objects, or other valuable collections unless under the guidance of a conservator. Instead of disinfection, NEDCC recommends quarantining collection items as the most effective way to disinfect them after handling by staff and patrons. Quarantine requires no special training to implement, is not expensive, and does not risk damaging collections.

Not Recommended: Cleaning and Disinfecting Products

Liquid disinfectants and powdered cleaners can damage cultural heritage collections if they come in contact with them and are therefore not recommended for disinfecting collections. Liquid disinfectants can cause moisture damage, discoloration, and staining. Chemicals in these products can react over time with the components of media materials and objects (e.g. plastics, metals, paints, and dyes) and can cause paper-based materials to become weak and/or brittle as they age. Powdered cleaners are too abrasive in general to be used directly on cultural heritage collections.

Not Recommended: Fogging

The use of fogging disinfectants of any kind in spaces with collections is not recommended. Fogging is ineffective because the chemical fog has no impact on contaminants between stacked or shelved materials, inside an archive box or folder, or in between book and magazine pages. Additionally, the chemical components of the fog can react with collection materials and cause damage and degradation over time.

Not Recommended: Ultraviolet (UV) Radiation

Ultraviolet (UV) ray exposure as a means of sterilization is also not recommended. UV sterilization is effective only on surfaces that are directly exposed to UV radiation, so stacked materials or pages inside closed books will not be thoroughly sanitized. While potentially effective in the right application, UV exposure poses serious risks to human health, including cataracts and skin cancer. Additionally, UV light is known to cause irreversible light damage to collections materials, including fading, discoloration, embrittlement, and accelerated aging.

Not Recommended: Microwave Radiation

Placing materials in a microwave oven is not recommended. Circulating library books and other materials may contain metal pieces (e.g. RFID tags) that can smolder or catch fire when heated.

Disinfection is a strategy that may reduce the spread of disease in public spaces, and the CDC has a helpful guide on this subject for community facilities in general.The guide includes information on disinfecting hard (non-porous) surfaces such as tables and doorknobs, soft (porous) surfaces such as carpet and drapes, electronics such as touch screens and computer keyboards, and textiles that go in the laundry such as clothing and linens.

Not Recommended: Fogging

The use of fogging disinfectants of any kind in spaces with collections is not recommended. See the previous section for more information about this recommendation.

Recommendations: Cleaning and Disinfecting Products

If cleaning and disinfecting solutions must be used in collections spaces, follow the EPA's "6 Steps for Safe & Effective Disinfectant Use," and do not splash or touch collections materials with the cleaning solution. See the previous section for more information about this recommendation.

A safe and effective cleaning solution can be made quickly and easily by combining water and alcohol in a clean spray bottle. Fill 30% of the bottle with water and fill 70% of the bottle with ethanol (ethyl alcohol) or isopropyl alcohol. Note that the isopropyl alcohol sold at most pharmacies is typically diluted to 70% or 91%, and the 70% product can be used as-is for cleaning. A product with a percentage higher than 70% needs to be diluted with water. Concentrations of alcohol below 70% are not strong enough to be effective, and concentrations of alcohol above 80% will evaporate too quickly to be effective. For example:

If using 70% Alcohol, then no dilution with water is required.

If using 91% Alcohol, then combine 77ml alcohol with 23ml water to create a 70% solution.

If using 100% Alcohol, then combine 70ml alcohol with 30ml water to create a 70% solution.

If using a commercial cleaning product, select one that has the fewest ingredients possible; that has no additives such as fragrances and dyes; and that requires the shortest contact time to be effective. The EPA's "List N: Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19)" provides contact times for a number of cleaning products.

COMMUNICATION

NEDCC advises collecting institutions to inform the public about their approaches to disinfecting collection materials and to ensuring staff and patron safety. When customers understand what institutions are doing to mitigate risk, they are less likely to attempt their own, damaging disinfection methods at home.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES RElated to covid-19

Department of Homeland Security. Master Question List for COVID-19 (Caused by SARS-CoV-2). The most recently updated edition is available at: https://www.dhs.gov/publication/st-master-question-list-covid-19

REopening Archives, Libraries, and Museums (REALM) Project. "REALM: Frequently Asked Questions." https://www.webjunction.org/news/webjunction/realm-faq.html

ENDNOTES

[i] World Health Organization (WHO). "Q&A: How is COVID-19 transmitted?" July 9, 2020. https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-how-is-covid-19-transmitted

[ii] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). "How to Protect Yourself & Others." https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html

[iii] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). "What Mail and Parcel Delivery Drivers Need to Know about COVID-19." https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/organizations/mail-parcel-drivers.html

[iv] Neeltje van Doremalen, Dylan H. Morris, Myndi G. Holbrook, et. al. "Aerosol and Surface Stability of SARS-CoV-2 as Compared with SARS-CoV-1" (Correspondence). The New England Journal of Medicine. March 17, 2020. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2004973. PDF version at https://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/

[v] Alex W H Chin, Julie T S Chu, Mahen R A Perera, Kenrie P Y Hui, Hui-Ling Yen, Michael C W Chan, Malik Peiris, Leo M Poon. "Stability of SARS-CoV-2 in different environmental conditions." medRxiv. May 2020. 10.1016/S2666-5247(20)30003-3

Yongjian Liu, Tianyi Li, Yongqiang Deng, Siyang Liu, Dong Zhang, Hanping Li, Xiaolin Wang, Lei Jia, Jingwan Han, Zhuchun Bei, Yusen Zhou, Lin Li, Jingyun. "Stability of SARS-CoV-2 on environmental surfaces and in human excreta." medRxiv. May 12, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.05.07.20094805

[vii] REopening Archives, Libraries, and Museums (REALM) Project. "REALM Project Test 4 Results Available." https://www.webjunction.org/news/webjunction/test4-results.html

[viii] REopening Archives, Libraries, and Museums (REALM) Project. "Resources." Includes all test results. https://www.webjunction.org/explore-topics/COVID-19-research-project/resources.html

[ix] REopening Archives, Libraries, and Museums (REALM) Project. "Public Libraries Preparing to Reopen: Examples from the Field." June 25, 2020. https://www.webjunction.org/news/webjunction/preparing-to-reopen.html

[x] International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). "COVID-19 and the Global Library Field: Staying safe at home and work: Handling materials." https://www.ifla.org/covid-19-and-libraries#handling

[xi] Canadian Conservation Institute. "Agent of Deterioration: Pollutants, Airborne." https://www.canada.ca/en/conservation-institute/services/agents-deterioration/pollutants.html#pollu2

[xii] U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). "UV Lights and Lamps: Ultraviolet-C Radiation, Disinfection, and Coronavirus." https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/coronavirus-covid-19-and-medical-devices/uv-lights-and-lamps-ultraviolet-c-radiation-disinfection-and-coronavirus

[xiii] American Institute for Conservation. "AIC Wiki: Light." http://www.conservation-wiki.com/wiki/Light#Light_Damage

[xiv] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). "Cleaning and Disinfection for Community Facilities." https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/organizations/cleaning-disinfection.html

[xv] United States Environmental Protection Agency. "6 Steps for Safe & Effective Disinfectant Use" (infographic). PDF version at https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2020-04/documents/disinfectants-onepager.pdf

[xvi] United States Environmental Protection Agency. "List N: Products with Emerging Viral Pathogens AND Human Coronavirus claims for use against SARS-CoV-2." https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/list-n-disinfectants-use-against-sars-cov-2-covid-19.

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3.5 Disinfecting Books and Other Collections

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The Northeast Document Conservation Center specializes in paper and book conservation. NEDCC performs conservation treatment for photographs, books, prints, documents, maps, and globes. NEDCC's professional conservators also treat architectural plans, parchment, papyrus, wallpaper, and works of art on paper including charcoal drawings and watercolor paintings.

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New England Journal of Medicine article about COVID-19 lifespan on surfaces.

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Handling Library Materials and Collections During a Pandemic 

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Handling Library Materials and Collections During a Pandemic 

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ALA Material Handling Resources

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How to effectively wash your hands.

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Handwashing is one of the best ways to protect yourself and your family from getting sick. Learn when and how you should wash your hands to stay healthy.
How Germs Spread

Washing hands can keep you healthy and prevent the spread of respiratory and diarrheal infections. Germs can spread from person to person or from surfaces to people when you:

Touch your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands

Prepare or eat food and drinks with unwashed hands

Touch surfaces or objects that have germs on them

Blow your nose, cough, or sneeze into hands and then touch other people's hands or common objects

Key Times to Wash Hands

You can help yourself and your loved ones stay healthy by washing your hands often, especially during these key times when you are likely to get and spread germs:

Before, during, and after preparing food

Before and after eating food

Before and after caring for someone at home who is sick with vomiting or diarrhea

Before and after treating a cut or wound

After using the toilet

After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet

After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing

After touching an animal, animal feed, or animal waste

After handling pet food or pet treats

After touching garbage

If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol to clean your hands.

Follow Five Steps to Wash Your Hands the Right Way

Washing your hands is easy, and it's one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of germs. Clean hands can help stop germs from spreading from one person to another and in our communities-including your home, workplace, schools, and childcare facilities.

Follow these five steps every time.

1. Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.

2. Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.

3. Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the "Happy Birthday" song from beginning to end twice.

4. Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.

5. Dry your hands using a clean towel or an air dryer.

Why? Read the science behind the recommendations.

Use Hand Sanitizer When You Can't Use Soap and Water

Washing hands with soap and water is the best way to get rid of germs in most situations. If soap and water are not readily available, you can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. You can tell if the sanitizer contains at least 60% alcohol by looking at the product label.
Sanitizers can quickly reduce the number of germs on hands in many situations. However,

Sanitizers do not get rid of all types of germs.

Hand sanitizers may not be as effective when hands are visibly dirty or greasy.

Hand sanitizers might not remove harmful chemicals like pesticides from hands.

How to Use Hand Sanitizer

1. Apply the gel product to the palm of one hand (read the label to learn the correct amount).

2. Cover all surfaces of hands.

3. Rub your hands and fingers together until they are dry. This should take around 20 seconds.

CDC's Communication Materials

CDC has health promotion materials to encourage kids and adults to make handwashing part of their everyday lives.

For more information on handwashing, visit CDC's Handwashing website or call 1-800-CDC-INFO.

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centers for disease control and prevention

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Handwashing is one of the best ways to protect yourself and your family from getting sick. Learn the 5 handwashing steps and key times to wash your hands to stay healthy.

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Appropriate cleaners to use for disinfection.

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About List N: Disinfectants for Coronavirus (COVID-19) | US EPA

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EPA expects all products on List N to kill the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) when used according to the label directions.

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The Journal of Hospital Infection article about COVID-19 lifespan on surfaces.

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Covid-19 Basics: Disinfecting Cultural Resources Video

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Covid-19 Basics: Disinfecting Cultural Resources Video

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Video on "the recommended steps to disinfect cultural resources."

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Transcript

This presentation is part of the Facebook live video, March 23, 2020.

Dr. Mary Striegel: Today's topic is COVID - 19 virus basics and we are going to talk about disinfecting cultural resources.

I'm Mary Striegel, I am a conservation scientist with about 25 years with the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training. I'll be talking to you today about isolating, cleaning, or disinfecting historic materials.

The discussion that we are going to have today is based on the best available current knowledge but as you know COVID 19 and the Corona virus situation is rapidly changing and rapidly evolving situation. And so, while I am providing you with information now that information may change with time. If we do have updates I'll post it on Facebook and I'll get back to you and we can talk about what we need to do next.

There are five Questions that I'm going to try to answer for you today.

1. The first question is what is the Covid-19 virus?

2. Second, how long does it persist on surfaces?

3. Third, how do we deactivate the virus?

4. Fourth, what about historic materials?

5. And fifth, what safety precautions do we need?

This live broadcast is going to be recorded; it will be transcribed and available to everyone on our website at a later date.

So, what is the Covid-19 virus?

Well, it is a Coronavirus. That means coronaviruses are named for their appearances under a microscope. And so the viruses look like they are covered with pointed structures around them like a corona, or a crown. There is not a lot of data on this particular corona virus but there is information on similar viruses that can help us better understand this one.

All viruses are bits of genetic code or RNA that are bundled inside lipids and proteins and then it has an exterior fat-based envelope, casing known as a viral envelope. It's this fatty envelope that elects the corona virus be susceptible to soap and water. When we wash the surfaces, when we wash our hands with soap and water, when we wash surfaces with soap and water that fatty envelope is washed away and it causes the virus to fall apart. So, we are fortunate that the Corona Virus does have a fatty envelope, viral envelope because some viruses like the Norovirus have a different kind of envelope and they are much harder to disinfect.

Covid-19 is transmitted from person to person by contact, and from coughing that produces aerosols in the air that can land on you or surfaces and the aerosols carry the virus. That's why it's recommended that we stand at least six feet apart from each other and avoid touching surfaces or our face because once we get the virus on our hands and all of us touch our face. I touch my face about 20 times an hour then what we are doing is that transferring that to our mouth, our eyes, our skin and that's going to make us more susceptible to being infected.

So, question number two is how long does the virus persist on surfaces?

The Covid-19 virus can live varying lengths of time on different types of materials. There is lots of information that's been floating around out there on Facebook and other news sources and most of that is actually based on an excellent article that was published March 2020 in the Journal of Hospital Infection. And so that's one of the best sources of information that we have.

I am going to show you a chart of some of the lengths of time that the virus can live on surfaces. Living is a little bit of a misnomer but it persists on surfaces. The virus needs to infect a cell in order to live. So the virus goes into a cell, it infects the cell, it reproduces in the cell and then it kills the cell and then spits itself back out. So, I am going to show you a list of the persistence of Corona Viruses on different materials.

So with metals the length of time is about 5 days, with wood the length of time is 4 days, paper can be 4 to 5 days, glass can be 4to 5 days. Those plastic bags that you zip-lock things into are made of poly propylene, the virus can actually live for 6-9 days on there. So ceramics can be 5 days, that's sort of like we are for the sake of this discussion, we are classifying ceramics and brick together because brick hasn't actually been tested and ceramics have. The last I have listed here is stone, there is a source available that's online that says from 2-12 days but there is no research article to back that up so that's why it has a double asterisk.

So, in general the longer persistence that we are looking at on surfaces is 6-9 days.

Now, another article has been published as a correspondence in the New England Journal of Medicine and this article gives shorter times for some surfaces. It says for example 4 hours on copper, 2 days on stainless steel, and up to 3 days on other surfaces. The difference between the New England Journal of medicine article is that it's a communication and hasn't gone through as thorough a review process as the article for the journal of hospital infection. So, in order to air on the sign of caution, I recommend that you isolate materials for 6 to 9 days.

So, how do we disinfect the virus?

Well, in the same article from the journal of hospital infection they looked at different types of disinfectants, their concentration and the length of time it took to destroy the virus on the surface. So I am going to show you just a couple of them that are sort of important to our discussion.

So we are going to look at this one.

We can talk about ethanol at 95% strength and at 70% strength. We can talk about 2-propanol, which is often the rubbing alcohol that you get in your hardware store or your pharmacy and that we can look at 95% concentration and 70% concentration. Then there is bleach, bleach that you get in the store usually comes in about 10% concentration so what they are doing is really making a dilute bleach solution and then there is also Hydrogen peroxide. You can see that, you could use Hydrogen peroxide it takes about a minute to kill or disable the virus whereas with rubbing alcohol and some of these others it's much shorter.

So, with these materials we can see that different surfaces would require different lengths of time and different disinfectants.

The CDC has made some recommends that are for general home use. What they say is that, if a surface is dirty you should wash it and clean it with gentle soap and water prior to disinfection.

Then you should use household bleach solutions, alcohol solutions with 70% alcohol or commonly registered, EPA registered household disinfectants. So this is for general home use.

The recommendations of the CDC. 70% Ethanol, 70% 2-Propanol which again is rubbing alcohol or a bleach solution that's diluted to about 2%.

Okay, So.

Thus far we have been talking about the recommendations that come from the world health organization and the CDC. But that does not always apply to historic materials.

Why is that? Well, as conservators and conservation scientists we know that we must DO NO HARM to materials. We are the stewards of cultural resources left to us and we want them to be here for future generations. This includes things like your grandmother's quilt, the family bible you might be reading, the historic house furnishings, the historic courthouse information desk, or even the original copy of the will that you need to take for probate court. It's up to us to do the right thing.

So first of all, there is a choice between isolation and disinfection.

As human beings, we have the urge to fix things. I don't know about you but I always want to fix things. We are quick to act but in emergencies sometimes, it's better to slow down and assess the situation. In hospitals, that's called triage. So, what is it that we really need to do first?

If at all possible, isolate the resource from people for a period of time. That means closing the gallery, bagging objects individually, leaving the building for 9 days. So you say that Why?

Well, that's because historical materials can be irreversibly damaged, by some cleaners. If you must clean, if you have to remain open, if you have to use objects, then you are going to have to choose wisely.

Isolation is preferred method to deal with museum objects and collections. It will cause the least potential damage to the resources and provide a safe environment for the public once an appropriate length of time has passed. We recommend the isolation of a building, a site, or a collection for a minimum of 9 days based on our literature review. Some would say 3 but we think that the caution is the way we need to go here.

Isolation can also be undertaken at an object level. You can take zipper style plastic bags, the quart size, the gallon size, the two gallon size, the five gallon size. You can put your small objects into a zipper style plastic bag, double bag them, label with the object information, the date you have bagged it and why you have bagged it. Has somebody come through the visitor center, the museum, the court house that might be ill and have touched the objects? Since the virus can live on plastic bags up to 9 days, the items must be isolated at least that long.

What about when does cleaning and disinfection come in?

If isolation is absolutely not an option. Then again, you need to proceed with caution.

Do not undertake large scale disinfecting actions of the entire collections, or entire museum spaces without knowing the potential impacts to museum objects. For example, it has been suggested that one could use a wet fog of a biocidal solution which is based on a quaternary ammonium compound. This is not way to go with a museum collection. Many of those materials and they will interact differently with the biocidal solution. And you do not know how much you are applying with a fog. So, don't try that.

Secondly, do not use bleach on these surfaces. Many cultural materials are sensitive to bleach. Bleach is a sodium hydrochloride it oxidizes to a sodium salt materials like stone, porous materials - brick, ceramics are all going to be damaged by bleach and bleach surfaces. Delicate finishes on wood would be affected long term by bleach and bleach surfaces.

So, if we are going to clean and disinfect then we want to start with painted surfaces, door knobs, and hand rails. You want to note if they are metal or wood and if they have any unique finish.

Next you are going to make up a soap and water solution from a mild or gentle soap. Soap has a polar end and a non-polar end. And so it tends to pull things into solution. The mild soap that we would recommend would be something like Ivory liquid soap or Orvus. But I would not recommend all dish soaps because dish soaps have other additives in them that can leave a film. I don't know if you've ever washed your glasses with dish soaps, I actually have and it's hard to get that film off and you don't want to leave any film on your objects.

Once you have mixed up the solution, you place it in a spray bottle. You take a paper towel, wet the paper towel with your solution and then wipe the surface or the railing.

Now remember, back when we looked at those things, looked at the disinfection, it is going to take a little while, so you might want to wipe it down, come back and wipe it again in a minute. Once you have wiped the surface you want to dispose of that paper towel. That's why you don't want to use cotton cloths or other cloths you want to get rid of that paper towel.

You want to limit the amount of water or wet cleaning that you use since it can damage fragile historic materials like wallpapers or painted wall finishes. Again, after you wipe down the surface, dispose of the paper towel.

We are going to treat brick surfaces like ceramics and they can be wiped down with soap and water and then disinfected with an Isopropyl alcohol or rubbing alcohol solution that is at least 70% rubbing alcohol.

Rubbing alcohol can be used on some surfaces like marble, limestone, or terrazzo countertops or floors and this might be good use in government buildings.

Do not use rubbing alcohol on wood, since it can damage the finishes.

Pay attention to finishes. And if you have questions, you can reach out to us or find a conservator or conservation scientist through the American Institute of Conservation's website and that is culturalheritage.org.

Now, I want to talk a little bit about a note on U.V., that Ultra Violet light. While, the data is very clear that you can kill and inactivate viruses with U.V. germicidal radiation. That's radiation at a specific frequency 264 nanometer or 365 nanometer of wavelength. We have not been able to find a reliable research article that recommends U.V. for Covid-19. U.V. can damage photographs and paper under long exposures. Now, we'll keep you updated. What I want to know if I am going to use U.V. is what light do I need, how much light do I need and what power of light do I need and how much time? And I haven't been able to find those sources to give you that kind of information.

The last question that I want us to talk about a little bit is my list for recommended for historic materials.

So for preservation use, we recommend first and foremost isolation for 9 days. If you absolutely can't isolate it, use a a soap and water solution to clean. And then you may also be able to use rubbing alcohol, 2-propanol, isopropyl alcohol those are all the same names for the same thing at a 70% solution. But be careful to sensitive finishes.

So, those are the things we want you to know about and we hope that works.

What safety precautions do you need to take when you are going be cleaning surfaces and disinfecting surfaces?

First and foremost wear disposable gloves when cleaning and disinfecting surfaces. The best gloves are Nitrile gloves, they are blue. Gloves should be discarded after each cleaning. Now they might be difficult to find right now, because they are being used in hospitals and you need to know that when we are prioritizing people's lives are more important than cultural heritage. We are on the second tier here guys, I just hate to put it that way but we are.

So when the time is right get your gloves, and wear your gloves and dispose them after each cleaning.

Other personal protective equipment to consider would be goggles or safety glasses if you have them. Your regular glasses they are not enough, you need something that will fit to your face.

If you are responsible for cleaning a National Park visitor's center, a museum collection, a government services administration building, you probably going to have to enlist contractors to help you. You'll need to give them outer protective clothing, goggles or safety shields, surgical gloves, and if possible an N95 filter mask.

So that's the information that I have for you today. As I say this will be recorded, we will also have our slides available on our website, www.ncptt.nps.gov.

I need to thank some people who really helped me to pull this information together. First and foremost our research associate Vrinda Jariwala did a lot of work on this. Information came from National Park Service - from Brynn Bender and Margaret Brueker. And we want to thank the microbiologist emeritus Ralph Mitchell who is at the Harvard university.

So I hope that this gives you some basics that are worth beginning to look at and think about. If you have questions don't hesitate to put them in the comments here. And we hope that this will be helpful to you.

References:

Kampf, D. Todt, S. Pfaender, and E. Steinmann. "Persistence of coronaviruses on inanimate surfaces and their inactivation with biocidal agents," Journal of Hospital Infection 104 (2020) 246-251. https://www.journalofhospitalinfection.com/article/S0195-6701(20)30046-3/fulltext Accessed March 20, 2020.

Brynn Bender, Northeast Museum Services Center, and Margaret Brueker, National Park Service, Historic Architecture, Engineering and Conservation Center, "Cleaning Protocols for Museums and Historic Sites," personal communication, March 20, 2020.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Interim Recommendations for US Households with Suspected/Confirmed Coronavirus Disease 2019," https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/cleaning-disinfection.html, Accessed March 22, 2020.

Neeltje van Doremalen, Dylan H. Morris, Myndi G. Holbrook, et. al., Letter to the Editor, "Aerosol and Surface Stability of SARS-CoV-2 as Compared with SARS-CoV-1," The New England Journal of Medicine. March 17, 2020. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMc2004973

"How long can the new coronavirus last on Stone surfaces and how do you properly," The Stone and Tile Radio Show and Podcast, https://www.blogtalkradio.com/drfred/2020/03/04/how-long-can-the-new-coronavirus-last-on-stone-surfaces-and-how-do-you-properly, Accessed March 22, 2020.

Notes:

1. I should have mentioned that after you wipe down a surface with soap and water on a paper towel, you want to take a second damp paper towel and rinse with water.

2. I want to emphasize that you don't want to wipe down individual object without guidances. Isolate them. Seek professional advice.

3. I am recommending no cleaning of museum artifacts in exhibit cases or in museum storage. The objects on exhibit are already protected by the case (just skip a month of housekeeping inside cases if that was scheduled). The objects in storage can be isolated individually for 9 days (double bagged) or keep the whole room closed for 9 days.

4. If objects are in storage areas I would suggest (if possible) limiting access to only one person (consistently the same person) at this time to avoid cross-contamination. This person should use the CDC recommended hand-washing protocols and wear nitrile gloves. If for some reason they need to clean in storage spaces (floors or cabinet exteriors) as per usual no solvent based cleaners - soap (Oruvs or Liquid Ivory) and water only - with limited water and rinsing. Cleaning would ONLY come into play for historic surfaces such as door knobs or handrails. Even with this as you said use extreme caution.

About the Team

Jason Church has spent that last 17 years as a conservator focusing on masonry and metals. He is an active member of the N ational Heritage Responders, having taught several disaster response workshops as well as being deployed to disaster recovery in the field . Church has a MFA in Historic Preservation and is a Professional Associate of the American Institute for Conservation .

Sean Clifford is an IT Specialist with the National Park Service where he develops web and mobile projects. Before joining NPS, he developed software for DirecTV and Dish Network service providers, worked as a licensed investigator in New Orleans, and managed download so ftware s tores at SoftDisk . He is a graduate of the Louisiana Scholars' College and holds an M.Ed. and Ed.S . in Educational Technology from Northwestern State University of Louisiana.

Catherine Cooper is a research scientist at NCPTT , where she focuses on analysis and characterization of materials. As an analytical chemist, she completed postdoctoral research at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) Museum and the Arizona State Museum prior to joining NCPTT. She holds a Ph.D. in Archaeological Chemistry/Anthropology from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver.

Vrinda Jariwala is working as a research associate at the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training. She is working on research on removing crude oil from cultural resources using surface washing agents. She studied A.P.D. Technical Building Conservation-a Historic Environment Scotland run programme in the field of material conservation at Engine Shed, Scotland. Jariwala did her Masters in Architectural Conservation from the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi.

Isabella Jones is a recent graduate of Northwestern State University of Louisiana with a double major in; B iology with a concentration in natural sciences as well as a bachelor's degree in A rt with a concentration in graphic communications. Jones has joined the NCPTT team producing videos and doing graphic design.

, has 25 years of experience working as a conservation scientist with the National Park Service. She focuses on decay of cultural materia ls and treatments to protect them . Previously she served as a conservation scientist with the Getty Conservation Institute. She is a Fellow of the American Institute for Conservation and holds a Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry from Washington University in St. Louis .

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Covid-19 Basics: Disinfecting Cultural Resources

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This presentation is part of the Facebook live video, March 23, 2020. Dr. Mary Striegel: Today's topic is COVID - 19 virus basics and we are going to talk about disinfecting cultural resources. I'm Mary Striegel, I am a conservation scientist with about 25 years with the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training.

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Ways to keep clean and keep areas disinfected.

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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Background

There is much to learn about the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Based on what is currently known about COVID-19, spread from person-to-person of this virus happens most frequently among close contacts (within about 6 feet). This type of transmission occurs via respiratory droplets. On the other hand, transmission of novel coronavirus to persons from surfaces contaminated with the virus has not been documented. Recent studies indicate that people who are infected but do not have symptoms likely also play a role in the spread of COVID-19. Transmission of coronavirus occurs much more commonly through respiratory droplets than through objects and surfaces, like doorknobs, countertops, keyboards, toys, etc. Current evidence suggests that SARS-CoV-2 may remain viable for hours to days on surfaces made from a variety of materials. Cleaning of visibly dirty surfaces followed by disinfection is a best practice measure for prevention of COVID-19 and other viral respiratory illnesses in households and community settings.

It is unknown how long the air inside a room occupied by someone with confirmed COVID-19 remains potentially infectious. Facilities will need to consider factors such as the size of the room and the ventilation system design (including flowrate [air changes per hour] and location of supply and exhaust vents) when deciding how long to close off rooms or areas used by ill persons before beginning disinfection. Taking measures to improve ventilation in an area or room where someone was ill or suspected to be ill with COVID-19 will help shorten the time it takes respiratory droplets to be removed from the air.

Purpose

This guidance provides recommendations on the cleaning and disinfection of households where persons under investigation (PUI) or those with confirmed COVID-19 reside or may be in self- isolation. It is aimed at limiting the survival of the virus in the environments. These recommendations will be updated if additional information becomes available.

These guidelines are focused on household settings and are meant for the general public.

Cleaning refers to the removal of germs, dirt, and impurities from surfaces. It does not kill germs, but by removing them, it lowers their numbers and the risk of spreading infection.

Disinfecting refers to using chemicals, for example, EPA-registered disinfectants, to kill germs on surfaces. This process does not necessarily clean dirty surfaces or remove germs, but by killing germs on a surface after cleaning, it can further lower the risk of spreading infection.

General recommendations for routine cleaning and disinfection of households

Community members can practice routine cleaning of frequently touched surfaces (for example: tables, doorknobs, light switches, handles, desks, toilets, faucets, sinks, and electronics (see below for special electronics cleaning and disinfection instructions)) with household cleaners and EPA-registered disinfectantsexternal icon that are appropriate for the surface, following label instructions. Labels contain instructions for safe and effective use of the cleaning product including precautions you should take when applying the product, such as wearing gloves and making sure you have good ventilation during use of the product.
For electronics follow the manufacturer's instructions for all cleaning and disinfection products. Consider use of wipeable covers for electronics. If no manufacturer guidance is available, consider the use of alcohol-based wipes or spray containing at least 70% alcohol to disinfect touch screens. Dry surfaces thoroughly to avoid pooling of liquids.

General recommendations for cleaning and disinfection of households with people isolated in home care (e.g. suspected/confirmed to have COVID-19)

Household members should educate themselves about COVID-19 symptoms and preventing the spread of COVID-19 in homes.

Clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces daily in household common areas (e.g. tables, hard-backed chairs, doorknobs, light switches, phones, tablets, touch screens, remote controls, keyboards, handles, desks, toilets, sinks)
In the bedroom/bathroom dedicated for an ill person: consider reducing cleaning frequency to as-needed (e.g., soiled items and surfaces) to avoid unnecessary contact with the ill person.

As much as possible, an ill person should stay in a specific room and away from other people in their home, following home care guidance.

The caregiver can provide personal cleaning supplies for an ill person's room and bathroom, unless the room is occupied by child or another person for whom such supplies would not be appropriate. These supplies include tissues, paper towels, cleaners and EPA-registered disinfectants (see examplesexternal icon ).

If a separate bathroom is not available, the bathroom should be cleaned and disinfected after each use by an ill person. If this is not possible, the caregiver should wait as long as practical after use by an ill person to clean and disinfect the high-touch surfaces.

Household members should follow home care guidance when interacting with persons with suspected/confirmed COVID-19 and their isolation rooms/bathrooms.

How to clean and disinfect

Hard (Non-porous) Surfaces

Wear disposable gloves when cleaning and disinfecting surfaces. Gloves should be discarded after each cleaning. If reusable gloves are used, those gloves should be dedicated for cleaning and disinfection of surfaces for COVID-19 and should not be used for other purposes. Consult the manufacturer's instructions for cleaning and disinfection products used. Clean hands immediately after gloves are removed.

If surfaces are dirty, they should be cleaned using a detergent or soap and water prior to disinfection.

For disinfection, most common EPA-registered household disinfectants should be effective.
A list of products that are EPA-approved for use against the virus that causes COVID-19 is available hereexternal icon . Follow manufacturer's instructions for all cleaning and disinfection products for (concentration, application method and contact time, etc.)

Additionally, diluted household bleach solutions (at least 1000ppm sodium hypochlorite, or concentration of 5%-6%) can be used if appropriate for the surface. Follow manufacturer's instructions for application, ensuring a contact time of at least 1 minute, and allowing proper ventilation during and after application. Check to ensure the product is not past its expiration date. Never mix household bleach with ammonia or any other cleanser. Unexpired household bleach will be effective against coronaviruses when properly diluted.

Prepare a bleach solution by mixing:

5 tablespoons (1/3rd cup) bleach per gallon of room temperature water or

4 teaspoons bleach per quart of room temperature water

Bleach solutions will be effective for disinfection up to 24 hours.

Soft (Porous) Surfaces

For soft (porous) surfaces such as carpeted floor, rugs, and drapes, remove visible contamination if present and clean with appropriate cleaners indicated for use on these surfaces. After cleaning:
Launder items as appropriate in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. If possible, launder items using the warmest appropriate water setting for the items and dry items completely.

Electronics

For electronics such as cell phones, tablets, touch screens, remote controls, and keyboards, remove visible contamination if present.

Follow the manufacturer's instructions for all cleaning and disinfection products.

Consider use of wipeable covers for electronics.

If no manufacturer guidance is available, consider the use of alcohol-based wipes or sprays containing at least 70% alcohol to disinfect touch screens. Dry surfaces thoroughly to avoid pooling of liquids.

Linens, clothing, and other items that go in the laundry

Wear disposable gloves when handling dirty laundry from an ill person and then discard after each use. If using reusable gloves, those gloves should be dedicated for cleaning and disinfection of surfaces for COVID-19 and should not be used for other household purposes. Clean hands immediately after gloves are removed.

If no gloves are used when handling dirty laundry, be sure to wash hands afterwards.

If possible, do not shake dirty laundry. This will minimize the possibility of dispersing virus through the air.

Launder items as appropriate in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. If possible, launder items using the warmest appropriate water setting for the items and dry items completely. Dirty laundry from an ill person can be washed with other people's items.

Clean and disinfect clothes hampers according to guidance above for surfaces. If possible, consider placing a bag liner that is either disposable (can be thrown away) or can be laundered.

Hand hygiene and other preventive measures

Household members should clean hands often, including immediately after removing gloves and after contact with an ill person, by washing hands with soap and water for 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available and hands are not visibly dirty, an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol may be used. However, if hands are visibly dirty, always wash hands with soap and water.

Household members should follow normal preventive actions while at work and home including recommended hand hygiene and avoiding touching eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
Additional key times to clean hands include:

After blowing one's nose, coughing, or sneezing

After using the restroom

Before eating or preparing food

After contact with animals or pets

Before and after providing routine care for another person who needs assistance (e.g. a child)

Other considerations

The ill person should eat/be fed in their room if possible. Non-disposable food service items used should be handled with gloves and washed with hot water or in a dishwasher. Clean hands after handling used food service items.

If possible, dedicate a lined trash can for the ill person. Use gloves when removing garbage bags, handling, and disposing of trash. Wash hands after handling or disposing of trash.

Consider consulting with your local health department about trash disposal guidance if available.

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cleaning and disinfecting when someone is sick

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disinfecting to protect from coronavirus

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cdc guidance on cleaning and disinfecting

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Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) - Environmental Cleaning and Disinfection Recommendations

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This guidance provides recommendations on the cleaning and disinfection of households where persons under investigation (PUI) or those with confirmed COVID-19 reside or may be in self- isolation. It is aimed at limiting the survival of the virus in the environments. These recommendations will be updated if additional information becomes available.

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Includes general information on the virus as well as some library resources made available temporarily due to the pandemic. Also includes a few resources relating to Western NC.

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LibGuides: COVID-19 / SARS-CoV-2 / Coronavirus: SARS-CoV-2 / Covid-19 / Coronavirus

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Library and other information resources about SARS-CoV -2 /COVID-19

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Many health resources and a general perspective from Eastern NC.

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Research Guides: Coronavirus or COVID-19: Coronavirus Resources

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Research Guides: Coronavirus or COVID-19: Coronavirus Resources

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Covid-19 Basics: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

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Covid-19 Basics: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

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Video on recommend PPE when handling library materials.

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Transcript

I want to introduce myself in case you didn't see the first broadcast by the National Center. I am Mary Striegel. I am a Conservation Scientist with the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training, and I'll be talking to you today about personal protective equipment, or PPE, which it is commonly referred to. We're going to talk about what you need if you work near people or places that might be exposed to COVID-19.

Our discussions and recommendations today are going to be based on the currently available knowledge and we need to remember that this pandemic is still emerging and it's a rapidly evolving situation.

In the first of our broadcast, we discussed what the COVID-19 virus is and what we can do to deactivate it on surfaces, and also consideration for cultural resources. This includes isolating, cleaning or disinfecting a site. We emphasize, and I want to strongly emphasize to you, that if you are responsible for cultural sites you want to first approach the situation as an isolation. We want to emphasize isolation is the preferred method to control the virus within cultural sites and it helps protect the resources, which of course is our job.

In our second Facebook Live we're going to discuss with you the need to protect yourself if you need to address a known contamination, or if you're enlisted to help someone who might be sick with the COVID virus.

In a cultural resource environment if your collections are closed off and isolated, if they're in display cases and not being touched, if they're in storage units, you don't need to do anything. But if you are in a situation where you're open to the public and there might be a known contamination, then you're going to need to understand your personal protective equipment. Additionally, we're going to offer advice to you on how you may help your community and their first line responders.

So, today I'm going to talk about personal protective equipment, and we're going to answer these following six questions. We're going to talk about risk assessment. We're going to address some of the reservations that people have about homemade masks. Finally, as conservators, we're going to talk about how we can help our communities. So these are the six areas that we're going to discuss today.

In any crisis situation the first thing is to do a risk assessment. What are the risks to you? What are the risks to people around you? How much protection do we really need? I'm going to talk about a risk assessment approach to determine our personal protective equipment depending on the situation you are facing.

We are fortunate at the National Park Service to have had what was called occupational leadership training. And this was for safety protection in our work environment. Out of that came a series of tools that we use, and NCPTT has created a risk assessment app. This is the information on the risk assessment

app. This risk assessment app can be found on our website and can be downloaded to your Apple iPhone or your android phone or device.

We're going to talk about using an SPE model. That is the severity, the probability, and exposure. Based on the severity, probability, and exposure, we can then determine how much of a risk we're taking and what we need to do to protect ourselves.

So when we talk about severity we ask ourselves questions like are we in a high risk category? Are we over the age of 60? I am. Do I have a underlying health condition? Am I facing asthma, diabetes, respiratory issues, cancer treatments, heart conditions? Do I have a compromised immune system? Have I been on some drugs that would greatly lower my immune system?

The second component that we're going to talk about, and that you would grade in this assessment, would be the probability. What's the probability that you've been around someone or been in contact with a surface that might have a coronavirus on it? Have you been around people? Have you been practicing safe social distancing, staying six feet away from people that might be able to transmit to you?

Have you had to go to public places? Did you go to the grocery store, the pharmacy? Were you forced to take your vehicle in to get it repaired? Have you been in contact with someone that's displaying signs of illness or coughing or other risky behaviorórisky nowadays?

What's the probability that you or the collections you're caring for have been in contact with someone who might have a virus? Has your collection been isolated for six to nine days? If it has and no one has been in, you don't have anything to worry about. Has anyone been in your storage areas or in direct contact with your collection?

So by answering those questions, you can determine whether your probability is about 50/50, very slight, or you have something to worry about.

The third component of the SPE model, risk assessment model, is exposure. If you've been sequestered away at home and haven't seen anybody, haven't let anybody in the house, and it's been like that for 14 days, you're pretty safe. Your exposure is low.

If, instead, you're on the front lines, working with known sick patients, like some of my family members might be, then, you are in a high exposure situation. Are you working in a facility that is still open to the public? Were you, or was your site, in contact with someone known or suspected to have COVID-19?

So, again, you can go to our website and this will take you to your Apple store or Google Play store and you can download the risk assessment tool. Based on

your risk assessment, you're going to be responsible, and you and you alone are responsible, for determining how much risk you're really willing to tolerate.

So what are our protection options based on the risk assessment that we have chosen? If the risk assessment is very low you may resolve yourself to use gloves or a procedural or examination mask. This is not an N95 mask, but this is what you might use in a low risk situation. These masks would include a paper surgical mask or even a homemade mask, and I have a couple of masks here. This is a homemade mask. Yes, if you're a Dr. Who fan, those are Daleks on them.

Let's talk about gloves. These gloves, these are blue nitrile gloves. They come in a variety of sizes. They're examination gloves. These are the recommended gloves for use to protect your hands. Now you see a lot of news saying don't wear gloves, just wash your hands frequently, and that is an excellent idea. But for me, if I've got gloves on I am much less likely to touch my face, so I keep that in mind.

This is the only mask that's recommended by the CDC and the American Institute for Conservation. This is an N95 full respirator mask. This is a respirator, not a mask. You can see on it, it says N95, although it says that backwards. This is able to block out the COVID-19 virus to about 95%. It fits tightly on your face. It has two straps.

In addition, you may use goggles. I happen to have these at home. My laboratory goggles are in the lab, where I can't go right now. Normally you want goggles that fit over your glasses if you're like me. I'll be blind for a little while today and wear a safety goggle. These still don't adhere tightly to your face. And they do make goggles that do adhere tightly to your face, and that helps prevent the virus from getting into your eyes.

Here is another type of N95 mask. This was kindly given to me by my Research Associate, Vrinda. This comes from India. But, again, you see a different design of these masks.

In addition, you might want to have personal protective clothing, or outer clothing. This is my lab coat that I wear in a laboratory environment. If I'm going to go out and I'm going to be in a public place where I feel is a risky place, I'm going to have some protective clothing over me, something that I can take off and turn inside out and launder.

So based on your risk assessment and your comfort with risk, you may choose to only use gloves and a procedural mask in a low risk situation. You may want to add goggles and a protective clothing in a high risk situation, or a medium risk... Excuse me, a medium risk situation.

In high risk scenarios you are going to want to have a gown or outer protective clothing, or even a Tyvek suit, an N95 respirator, gloves, goggles, and a hair cap. Now note, this should probably be reserved for first responders or really high risk individuals.

The CDC has advised using personal protective equipment based on three different categories. The first is conventional use, and that is where hospitals have... or healthcare providers have plenty of access to gloves, respirators, personal protective equipment.

The second realm, which is one that we're really currently facing, is contingency use. This means that there's a shortage of N95 masks, so instead of this being a one wear mask, many healthcare providers are wearing these masks until they're visibly soiled, and then they have to dispose of them. So they're reusing these masks. They make sure that they keep their hands off the mask and that they handle them a lot by the straps and they put them safely in a sterile situation.

The third situation is one that we might be facing in the future, and that is when we are in crisis situations, there's no longer masks, there's no longer the appropriate materials. And I think that that is when we have to start thinking about other sources for protecting ourselves.

I need to note here that the American Institute for Conservation's Health and Safety Committee advises against using anything but an N95 mask during this pandemic. Their logic is that you would be fooling yourself if you used anything less.

Now, I want to talk a little bit about how to put on your PPE. Both how you put on the PPE, and how you take off the PPE, is really critical to protecting yourself. You always work by putting on your garment first, so I would put this on first. Then I would put on my goggles, I would put on my mask... Let me get the mask on. They recommend putting it on from the bottom up. Can you hear me? And then after that you would put on your gloves. Okay.

So once you have your protective equipment on... Here is the slide for this and the order you put it in. Put on your gown or outer protective clothing, put on your goggles, put on your mask, and then put on your gloves.

Before you do any of this there are two things you need to remember. First, make sure you're not running a fever or feeling sick. Second, make sure you wash your hands, do proper hand sanitation for 20 seconds, as recommended by the Center for Disease Control, or CDC. You may want to go on and have a hair cap that you'll cover your hair with as well. And you'll find notes on the PPE sequence in our comments that will take you to the appropriate page.

Now after you have been in a situation where you might be exposed to a virus on a surface or somebody who might be sick, removing your PPE is a critical part of the process. The gloves are removed first, because they're the most contaminated. I'm going to put these gloves on. Give me a second. I really should use larges, but I have mediums with me.

So I have my gloves on, let's say I have my respirator on, but I'm not going to put it on so that you can hear me. I have my gloves on. I've come in contact with surfaces that may or may not have the virus. What do I do next? First I'm going to take and wipe down the gloves with an alcohol based disinfectant or a bleach based disinfectant if that's what you've got.

So I've washed the gloves. Now I made sure that I didn't get the water onto my hands, but I've rinsed off and I've washed the gloves. We're going to wait like 10 seconds to make sure they're clean. Now we're going to take this finger and put it inside this glove and pull it inside out, because what we're doing is trapping any of the contamination inside the glove. I'm going to reach over to the other hand, grab that exterior and turn that glove inside out and shove this glove into that glove. Now these gloves are ready to be disposed of, and they should be disposed of in a place that's not going to come into contact with other people.

Okay, so we've talked about removing the gloves first. Once we remove the gloves we wash our hands again with soap and water, so we've disinfected our hands. Now we're going to put another pair of gloves on, because the first were really, we know, the most contaminated, and now these are the least contaminated, the new gloves we put on.

We'll take the gown off. If it's tied in the back we'll have somebody unhook it for us. Then we take our eye protection off. When you take off your mask you do it from the back of your head, and use the straps at the back of your head to take your mask off. After that your hairnet should be taken off. Okay, the last personal protective equipment that you remove is that which you've worn, those last set of gloves. Then you do your hand hygiene again.

Okay, so here's to recap the order in which we do this. You move from the most contaminated to the least contaminated area. You clean the gloved hands with an alcohol based sanitizer. Then you remove those gloves and dispose of them. You wash your hands with soap and water. You put on a new pair of gloves, and then you go from the most contaminated to the least contaminated.

Again, you remove your goggles or face shield from the back of the head, you remove your mask or respirator using the straps from the back of your head, you remove your cap or your hairnet, and then you remove those gloves again last.

We've taken our items off. We've turned them inside out. What is our next step? We have the contaminated outer clothing. We might have worn... If all

else failed, we might have worn our personally made mask, and we'll talk about these a little more in a minute. If we had our N95, we're going to store that.

So, after each use you dispose of the gloves. If we reach the crisis level we may have to reuse gloves. If that's the case, the Journal of Hospital Infections states that the life of the coronavirus on a surgical glove is about eight hours and on silicone gloves it's about five days. So they need to be set aside and isolated until the virus is no longer active.

While wearing gloves, you want to carefully wipe the inside and the outside of your face shield or goggles with a clean cloth saturated with a neutral detergent or a cleaner wipe. Always, you want to remove these items and put them in an appropriate place. I would separate my personal protective equipment, my outer protective equipment, from my regular laundry and I would launder that normally with soap and water, and I would do that on the hottest temperature that the fabric can stand, which you really want it to be 90 degrees centigrade.

Again, to summarize what we do for disinfecting our PPE... Let me see if I can see from over here. We dispose of gloves, turning them inside out. We clean our goggles and face shields with a clean cloth and soap and water or a disinfectant. We remove and store the N95 mask until it's visibly soiled before we get rid of it. We wash cotton masks in hot water and detergent, and we turn protective clothing inside out, and again wash in hot water and detergent.

References:

About the Team

Jason Church has spent that last 17 years as a conservator focusing on masonry and metals. He is an active member of the N ational Heritage Responders, having taught several disaster response workshops as well as being deployed to disaster recovery in the field . Church has a MFA in Historic Preservation and is a Professional Associate of the American Institute for Conservation .

Sean Clifford is an IT Specialist with the National Park Service where he develops web and mobile projects. Before joining NPS, he developed software for DirecTV and Dish Network service providers, worked as a licensed investigator in New Orleans, and managed download so ftware s tores at SoftDisk . He is a graduate of the Louisiana Scholars' College and holds an M.Ed. and Ed.S . in Educational Technology from Northwestern State University of Louisiana.

Catherine Cooper is a research scientist at NCPTT , where she focuses on analysis and characterization of materials. As an analytical chemist, she completed postdoctoral research at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) Museum and the Arizona State Museum prior to joining NCPTT. She holds a Ph.D. in Archaeological Chemistry/Anthropology from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver.

Vrinda Jariwala is working as a research associate at the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training. She is working on research on removing crude oil from cultural resources using surface washing agents. She studied A.P.D. Technical Building Conservation-a Historic Environment Scotland run programme in the field of material conservation at Engine Shed, Scotland. Jariwala did her Masters in Architectural Conservation from the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi.

Isabella Jones is a recent graduate of Northwestern State University of Louisiana with a double major in; B iology with a concentration in natural sciences as well as a bachelor's degree in A rt with a concentration in graphic communications. Jones has joined the NCPTT team producing videos and doing graphic design.

, has 25 years of experience working as a conservation scientist with the National Park Service. She focuses on decay of cultural materia ls and treatments to protect them . Previously she served as a conservation scientist with the Getty Conservation Institute. She is a Fellow of the American Institute for Conservation and holds a Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry from Washington University in St. Louis .

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Covid-19 Basics: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

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I want to introduce myself in case you didn't see the first broadcast by the National Center. I am Mary Striegel. I am a Conservation Scientist with the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training, and I'll be talking to you today about personal protective equipment, or PPE, which it is commonly referred to.

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A reminder that hand sanitizer can harm library materials

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Background: As with many heritage institutions, hand sanitizers solutions are provided in Library of Congress (LC) reading rooms and public areas. There has been interest into the impact or effect of any of these solutions, or whether it could be detected that transfer to collection items could occur. The Preservation Research and Testing Division (PRTD) screened two classes of sanitizers (alcohol-based and water-based) to assess their effect on paper based collection materials.

Project Description: Several paper types and two sanitizer classes were tested using accelerated aging techniques in conjunction with colorimetry. Paper types included newsprint, calendared or gloss-coated, Whatman filter, and Mead Bond. Five sanitizers, two alcohol-based and three water-based solutions, were tested.

To qualitatively assess the effect of hand sanitizers on paper, the four paper types were coated directly with hand sanitizers, allowed to dry, and aged at 90ºC & 50% relative humidity (RH). Aging at elevated temperature and RH was employed to increase the rate of degradation according to the TAPPI 544 standard. Colorimetry assesses the color of an object relative to a standardized white reflector, and this technique was used to correlate the degree of degradation of hand sanitizer coated papers relative to non-coated papers.

Acknowledgements: Alexandra Galindo

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the impact of hand sanitizers on collection materials aging of coated and uncoated papers in a temperature and humidity controlled oven.

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The Impact of Hand Sanitizers on Collection Materials

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It has long been recognized that low quality housing materials can release volatile organic acids that hasten the deterioration of collection items stored in them. By contrast, mat boards, boxes, folders and like materials containing alkaline buffers can absorb volatiles released by the collection items as they degrade.

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Designed to be located near discharging stations as a reminder of safe handling procedures.