14/5/2020 COVID-19 Research Partnership to Inform Safe Handling of Collections, Reopening Practices for Libraries, Museums | Institute of Museu…

COVID-19 Research Partnership to Inform

Safe Handling of Collections, Reopening
Practices for Libraries, Museums

April 22, 2020

COVID-19 Research Partnership to Inform Safe Handling of Collections, Reopening

Practices for Libraries, Museums
Public-Private Partnership Engages Library, Museum Sectors to Develop Science-Based
Information to Help Organizations Plan for a New Future

Washington, DC—The Institute of Museum

and Library Services, together with OCLC, Inc.
and Battelle, announced a new collaboration
to support the nation’s libraries and museums
as they consider safe reopening practices in
light of COVID-19.

Each year, people visit public libraries over

1.35 billion times, in addition to the
approximately 850 million annual visits to
American museums—the latter of which alone
is more than the attendance for all major league sporting events and theme parks combined.

While most museums and libraries’ physical spaces are currently closed to the public, some are
already working with local health o cials to compile plans on when and how to safely reopen.

IMLS, the primary source of federal funding for museums and libraries, OCLC, a global library
technology and research organization, and Battelle, a not-for-pro t global research and
development organization, have come together to help identify and respond to the needs of
collecting institutions. Other federal contributors include the Smithsonian, the Library of
Congress, and the National Archives and Records Administration.

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IMLS took initial steps to help identify and respond to the needs of collecting institutions several
weeks prior. On March 30, the agency hosted a webinar with the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention; the recording is available on the IMLS website
(https://www.imls.gov/webinars/mitigating-covid-19-when-managing-paper-based-circulating-
and-other-types-collections).

IMLS, OCLC, and Battelle will also engage a steering committee drawn from the museum and
library elds with the goal of understanding and mitigating the impact of the virus. Together,
they will help support the curation and development of information on how to handle materials,
training, and cleaning in support of safely reopening and sustaining operations under a COVID-
19 reality.

As the national emergency has intensi ed, so has the concern over the handling of paper- and
plastic-based, circulating, and the other types of collections and interactive exhibits managed by
libraries, museums, and related organizations.

“Managing inventory and handling materials is a daily function of collecting institutions across
America and the globe,” said IMLS Director Crosby Kemper. Collecting institutions in the U.S.
hold more than 13 billion items (https://www.imls.gov/hhis), from furniture to photos and sheet
music to soil samples, and the amount of loose paper in collections alone is enough to ll 347
Olympic-sized pools.

“The challenge of working with collections is compounded by inconclusive information on how

the virus survives on surfaces and how—or if—di erent types of materials can be handled to
mitigate exposure. As library systems, museums, and similar institutions across the United
States plan for their reopening, an enhanced understanding of how to apply best practices in the
context of local o cials’ guidance is absolutely essential in mitigating risk to employees in
handling collections and engaging with the public,” said Kemper.

“These unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures to protect people,” said Skip
Prichard, OCLC President and CEO. “There is still a lot we have to learn about COVID-19 as we
plan to reopen libraries and museums. Working with IMLS and Battelle, OCLC will be able to
provide libraries and museums with the best research available to determine best practices for
handling collections materials, and protecting the health and safety of sta and the communities
they serve.”

“This project will likely not answer all the concerns around reopening, nor will it supersede
community health guidance,” said Kemper. “However, it is part of a larger, critical e ort to help
the more than 140,000 libraries and museums across the country.”

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On April 13, IMLS announced plans to distribute $30 million (https://www.imls.gov/news/imls-

announces-new-stimulus-funding-communities-across-america) in CARES Act funding to all U.S.
states, territories, the District of Columbia, and the Freely Associated States to help communities
address the digital divide. This followed the agency’s April 6 release of new exibilities
(https://www.imls.gov/news/imls-authorizes-new-grant- exibilities-libraries-museums) for its
nearly 1,300 open awards to provide relief for sta salaries and other pandemic-related
operating expenses.

“We hope that by working together, we can aid communities by o ering vital information as they
consider reopening and beyond in a changed world,” said Kemper.

More details, as well as the anticipated timeline of results and information, will be available in
the coming week. For the latest updates, subscribe (https://www.imls.gov/news/subscribe) to
IMLS news and visit imls.gov/coronavirus (https://www.imls.gov/coronavirus).

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the
nation's libraries and museums. We advance, support, and empower America’s museums,
libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. Our
vision is a nation where museums and libraries work together to transform the lives of
individuals and communities. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov (https://www.imls.gov/) and
follow us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/USIMLS/) and Twitter
(https://twitter.com/us_imls).

About OCLC
OCLC (http://www.oclc.org/) is a nonpro t global library cooperative providing shared
technology services, original research and community programs so that libraries can better fuel
learning, research and innovation. Through OCLC, member libraries cooperatively produce and
maintain WorldCat (http://www.oclc.org/worldcat.en.html), a comprehensive global network of
data about library collections and services. Libraries gain e ciencies through OCLC’s WorldShare
(http://www.oclc.org/worldshare.en.html), a complete set of library management applications
and services built on an open, cloud-based platform. It is through collaboration and sharing of
the world’s collected knowledge that libraries can help people nd answers they need to solve
problems. Together as OCLC, member libraries, sta and partners make breakthroughs
possible.

About Battelle
Every day, the people of Battelle apply science and technology to solving what matters most. At
major technology centers and national laboratories around the world, Battelle conducts
research and development, designs and manufactures products, and delivers critical services for

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government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio since its founding in
1929, Battelle serves the national security, health and life sciences, and energy and
environmental industries. For more information, visit www.battelle.org (http://www.battelle.org).

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