The Scoop

Federal Relief Package Supports Libraries
ALA asks advocates to remain engaged
By Kathi Kromer | March 27, 2020
University Libraries Help Hospitals with PPE Donations
Preservation specialists rush to fill shortages of protective gear
By Timothy Inklebarger | March 27, 2020
How to Sanitize Collections in a Pandemic
Conservators weigh in on the mysteries of materials handling during COVID-19
By Lara Ewen | March 27, 2020
Libraries’ Next “Act” in Health During COVID-19
Libraries Connecting You to Coverage, resources from PLA | Sponsored
By Leighann Wood | March 27, 2020
Libraries and COVID-19 Webinar: Providing Virtual Services
Free webinar offers practical tips on providing direct services while your library is closed
March 25, 2020

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ALA Cancels 2020 Annual Conference
For the first time in 75 years, ALA cancels annual gathering
March 24, 2020
The 2020 Census and COVID-19
Updates and resources for libraries
By Larra Clark | March 24, 2020
Dewey Decibel Podcast: Exploring Gale’s Women’s Studies Archive
Using the archive to enhance programming and teaching | Sponsored
March 23, 2020
ALA Recommends Libraries Leave Wi-Fi Open During Closures
March 23, 2020
Libraries React to Macmillan Embargo Lift
Publisher calls for unity with libraries
By Timothy Inklebarger | March 20, 2020
Fighting Fake News in the Pandemic
Using your library's digital reach to thwart misinformation
By Sarah Ostman | March 20, 2020
Free Webinar: Libraries and COVID-19
Managing strategies and stress
March 18, 2020

Latest Library Links

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With everyone forced to bear with the stay-at-home mandate, the Children’s Place at the Wood County District Public Library in Bowling Green, Ohio, is helping to promote a way to ease the isolation, especially for children. Taking inspiration from the classic picture book We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury, the library is urging people to put toy bears in their windows, and if they don’t have one, a picture of a bear. The library has provided one to print out or copy to color. Children out for walks can spy them in the windows. The library’s bears hold hearts that contain the outline of the State of Ohio and then another heart marking the location of Wood County.
Bowling Green (Ohio) Independent News, Mar. 28
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Jessica Leigh Hester writes: “If time at home has you missing life in the stacks or sifting through old papers in search of pieces of the past, fear not: You can do the same thing online. Slews of institutions are in the market for armchair archivists—volunteers who can generate knowledge by clicking through digitized resources, deciphering handwriting, or tagging photos. Several institutions have already seen an uptick in digital detective work since the start of the pandemic. Here are a few projects you might consider.”
Atlas Obscura, Mar. 23
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Kathi Kromer writes: “Libraries were included in the largest economic stimulus package in history, which passed March 27. The $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act includes $50 million for the Institute of Museum and Library Services for digital inclusion projects and more than $30 billion in relief for schools and colleges, plus billions more for state and local governments and nonprofit organizations. The stimulus package also includes libraries—on Main Street, in schools, and on campuses—as part of a massive, long-overdue effort to ensure digital equity in America. Read a summary of CARES Act provisions for libraries, education, and cultural heritage institutions.”
The Scoop, Mar. 27
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Timothy Inklebarger writes: “Shortages of surgical masks, N95 respirator masks, safety goggles, and other personal protective equipment (PPE) have created a desperate need among health care workers as the pandemic escalates. Archivists and conservators from university libraries across the country have been pitching in to help bridge the supply gap, donating their supplies of the PPE. Through networking with local health care providers, libraries are getting lifesaving supplies where they’re needed most. Eric Alstrom, head of conservation and preservation at Michigan State University Libraries, says that he first heard about libraries making donations on an ALA listserv for preservation administrators.”
AL: The Scoop, Mar. 27
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Lara Ewen writes: “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. Despite anecdotal evidence in a 2019 article in Smithsonian Magazine, Evan Knight, preservation specialist at the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, says there’s very little historical data available. ’[There’s] nothing published or shared from previous epidemics,’ he says.”
AL: The Scoop, Mar. 27
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Leanne Ellis writes: “The best response of a capable educator is to focus on student learning no matter what. While some educators lament the influx of emails, technology directives, and response time to take students online, others take on the challenge of learning the best practices and tools for teaching students in a virtual environment. None of this work is easy. Switching instruction from in-person to Google Classroom, for example, involves thought and preparation: how to manage student accounts and work, design lessons, post content, communicate, guide discussions and responses, give useful feedback, and grade work. And that’s just for one class. Here are some pointers to keep in mind.”
Knowledge Quest blog, Mar. 27
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Kate Conger and Erin Griffith write: “As life has increasingly moved online during the pandemic, an older generation that grew up in an analog era is facing a digital divide. Often unfamiliar or uncomfortable with apps, gadgets, and the internet, many are struggling to keep up with friends and family through digital tools when some of them are craving those connections the most. According to a 2017 Pew Research study, three-quarters of those older than 65 said they needed someone else to set up their electronic devices. A third also said they were only a little or not at all confident in their ability to use electronics and to navigate the web. Families are finding new apps and gadgets that are easy for older relatives to use.”
New York Times, Mar. 27