I had a delightful conversation with over 70 folks on the OLBA Webinar session on May 23, 2020:

COVID-19: Next steps for Library Boards

THIS POST’S CONTENTS:

1. Introduction and Digital Resources Sites
2. NYT: 3-5 year post-COVID-19 Scenarios
3. CULC: Toolkit Webinar Presentations on Recovery & Re-imagined Public Library Service Post COVID-19
4. The Big Picture Stuff: IFLA and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and Libraries
5. Understanding the Municipal Challenge from their perspective (MW Shares Podcasts)
6. Re-Opening and Returning to the Workplace + Assorted FOPL Pieces on Planning Your Re-Opening
7. Post-COVID-19 Strategies and Predictions for Libraries
8. Sample Cleaning and Quarantine Guides
9. Social Equity
10. Sample Resources for re-opening Museums
11. Collection Development
12. Management & Human Resources, Legal Issues
13. Fundraising
14. Technology Tips for Meetings
15. In conclusion

Introduction

Here are some of these resources I referenced (or intended to reference!):

It is likely unnecessary to read or listen to all of these.  However, feel free to share them with your Board and CEOs.  Choose to read/review/share what you find interesting or what is your current challenge.

We always update and find more {lately daily!} at our FOPL Blog (http://www.fopl.ca) and on Twitter (Follow @FOPLnews).  A broader perspective on issues for public libraries and other types of libraries is at my personal blog, Stephen’s Lighthouse (http://www.stephenslighthouse.com).

Lastly both SOLS and OLS-North have great resources as well as LearnHQ and The Governance HUB (http://www.sols.org, http://www.olsn.ca, http://www.learnhq.ca, https://www2.librarygovernance.ca/gov-hub).  And, of course, there’s always the OLA (http://www.accessola.org) and OLBA (https://www.accessola.org/web/OLA/OLBA/About_OLBA/OLA/OLBA/About_OLBA.aspx) have informative websites too.

For public libraries, most scenarios suggest that the next 3 years, and depending where you are in your strategic planning annual reviews, will be materially different and consumer and human behaviours are in a state of flux but several things have changed including the digital capacity of our communities as well as their movement and recreational behaviours.  Some of these are permanent and sped up trends already in progress.  Indeed, 90 days of stay-at-home along with COVID-19-driven fears, mean that many of our goals and strategies need a moderate to intense review.  This article is worth a read.

COVID-19 isn’t going away soon. Two recent studies mapped out the possible shapes of its trajectory.

For the week of May 26th, 2020 (next week) you can find a number of CULC sessions:

Toolkit Webinar Presentations on Recovery & Reimagined Public Library Service Post COVID-19

CULC/CBUC will be hosting a series of one hour Zoom presentations on the new Toolkits next week.  The Working Group for each section will present an overview and discuss the most relevant parts.  There will be a chat function where questions can be raised and additional resources suggested.  The Webinar presentations will be recorded and archived on the CULC/CBUC website along with the Chat transcript.  Please register with the links below.

• Tuesday, May 26th – 1:00 pm Eastern – Information Services – Register – Open to all Public Library Staff/Leaders.
• Wednesday, May 27 – 11:30 am Eastern – Governance – CULC CEO Members Only
• Thursday, May 28 – 1:00 pm Eastern – Staffing – CULC CEO Members Only
• Thursday, May 28 – 2:30 pm Eastern – Marketing & Communications – Register – Open to all Public Library Staff/Leaders.
• Friday, May 29 – 11:30 am Eastern – Programming – Register – Open to all Public Library Staff/Leaders.
• Friday, May 29 – 1:00 pm Eastern – Collections – Register – Open to all Public Library Staff/Leaders.
• Friday, May 29 – 2:30 pm Eastern – Built Environment – Register – Open to all Public Library Staff/Leaders.

Pre-registered attendees will receive an email and access information on the morning of the webinar.

Information and Other Frontline Service

Providing information services while protecting public health and safety will require innovation. Thoughtful use of technology, virtual service, leveraging partnerships, and modifications that support physical distancing can all help public libraries to continue to meet the community’s information needs. Join the team that developed the Information Services Toolkit for a discussion of information services in the time of COVID-19.

• Tuesday, May 26th – 1:00 pm Eastern – Information Services – Register – Open to all Public Library Staff/Leaders.

Governance

COVID-19 poses a range of governance challenges for public libraries. Libraries may need to develop new policies to manage work from home, customer and staff safety within the public space and virtual meetings. Libraries must also ensure a strong enterprise risk management framework, and clear roles of responsibility for the Board and the CEO to ensure stable governance. Join the team that developed the Governance Toolkit for a discussion of public library governance in the time of COVID-19.

• Wednesday, May 27 – 11:30 am Eastern – Governance – CULC CEO Members Only

Staffing

COVID-19 is posing a range of challenges for public library employees and management. Supporting and accommodating staff, ensuring a safe work environment and building an agile work culture that helps the library respond rapidly and competently in times of uncertainty have never been more important. Join the team that developed the Staffing Toolkit for a discussion of library staffing in the time of COVID-19.

• Thursday, May 28 – 1:00 pm Eastern – Staffing – CULC CEO Members Only

Marketing & Communication

COVID-19 is impacting all aspects of library service and community life more broadly. What are our key messages for the community? How best can health and safety messages be communicated? How do libraries ensure the public and our funders understand the value of libraries in recovery and community resilience? Join the team that developed the Communication and Marketing Toolkit for a discussion of communication in the time of COVID-19.

• Thursday, May 28 – 2:30 pm Eastern – Marketing & Communications – Register – Open to all Public Library Staff/Leaders.

Library Programming

With the implementation of physical distancing requirements and the accompanying reduction in room capacity, public libraries will need to be innovative in their approach to programming. Are there options to move programming outside? Should some audiences that should be prioritized? How can digital programming content be shared across libraries? How will staffing models and staff roles be affected? Join the team that developed the toolkits on Programming Inside and Outside the Library for a discussion of library programming in the time of COVID-19.

• Friday, May 29 – 11:30 am Eastern – Programming – Register – Open to all Public Library Staff/Leaders.

Collections

What is the best way to manage collections to minimize the health and safety risk COVID-19 may pose to the public and staff? What services can be offered that support equitable access to collections when access to our buildings is restricted? Is it time for a review of membership and circulation policies? How do libraries achieve a balanced collection given the restraints and financial demands that COVID-19 creates? Join the team that developed the Collections Toolkit for a discussion of collection development and management in the time of COVID-19.

• Friday, May 29 – 1:00 pm Eastern – Collections – Register – Open to all Public Library Staff/Leaders.

The Built Environment

Over the last decades, public libraries have increasingly become spaces where our community gathers and lingers. How will COVID-19 change the capacity of libraries? How will furniture and finishes changes? Where can technology help reduce the risk of virus spread within public spaces? How can staff and the public safely more through and interact within library buildings? Join the team that developed the Built Environment Toolkit for a discussion of library spaces in the time of COVID-19.

• Friday, May 29 – 2:30 pm Eastern – The Built Environment – Register – Open to all Public Library Staff/Leaders.

BONUS Webinar Recording

Niche Academy free WEBINAR: REOPENING LIVES WITH THE LIBRARY

The Big Picture Stuff: IFLA and United Nations

Key Resources for Libraries in responding to the Coronavirus Pandemic (including re-opening)

https://www.ifla.org/covid-19-and-libraries

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
• Library closures around the world
• Managing different approaches to restrictions
• Staying safe at home and work
• Providing services remotely
• Managing remote working
• Reassigning library resources
• Reopening libraries
• Actions by Associations, National Libraries and Library Partners
• Communicating with users in different languages
• Ongoing issues
• IFLA’s activities

Libraries, Development and the United Nations 2030 Agenda

https://www.ifla.org/libraries-development

The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a framework of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with a total of 169 Targets spanning economic, environmental and social development. They lay out a plan for all countries to engage actively in making our world better for its people, with no-one left behind.

Libraries are key institutions for achieving the Goals. Over the last few years, IFLA has been actively involved with the creation of the UN 2030 Agenda, advocating for the inclusion of access to information, safeguarding of cultural heritage, universal literacy, and access to information and communication technologies (ICT) in the framework.

In August 2015, after more than three years of negotiations and intense involvement from many stakeholders, including IFLA, the Member States of the United Nations agreed to a final version of the post-2015 Development Agenda – now known as the 2030 Agenda. This Agenda was adopted by world leaders in September 2015 at a historic UN Summit.

In the UN 2030 Agenda, access to information has been recognised as a target under Sustainable Development Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels:

“Target 16.10: Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements.” (Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development)

Culture (target 11.4) and ICT (targets 5b, 9c, 17.8) have also been included in the SDGs.

“Half of the world’s population lacks access to information online. In our knowledge society, libraries provide access and opportunity for all.” (Lyon Declaration on Access to Information and Development)

And, universal literacy is recognised in the vision for the UN 2030 Agenda.

“We envision…a world with universal literacy.” (Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development)

The International Advocacy Programme (IAP)

IFLA’s consistent position is that access to information is essential in achieving the SDGs, and that libraries are not only key partners for governments but are already contributing to progress towards the achievement of the 17 Goals.

For this reason, IFLA launched the International Advocacy Programme (IAP) in 2016, a new capacity-building programme designed to promote and support the role libraries can play in the planning and implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda and the SDGs.

The objectives of the IAP are to:

• Raise the level of awareness on the SDGs of library workers at community, national and regional levels, and to promote the important role libraries can play in development by contributing to the UN 2030 Agenda and the SDGs;
• Increase the participation of library associations and public library representatives in advocacy work at national and regional levels to secure sustainable public access to information through library services and programmes.

Learn more about the IAP

Libraries, Development and the United Nations 2030 Agenda

https://www.ifla.org/node/11013

Libraries and the Sustainable Development Goals: A Storytelling Manual

https://www.ifla.org/publications/libraries-and-the-sustainable-development-goals–a-storytelling-manual

Understanding Municipal Relations:

If anything, this emergency and the ongoing fiscal crisis can be expected to last for many years as we approach full recovery.  It took many years to recover from the Great Recession that started in 2008.  This one is bigger, wider, global, and more complicated and complex.  This tells us that Board and management relationships with the municipal civil service and local, county or regional Councils is a greater imperative than it was.  Good relationships start with understanding, relationships, and trust.  Invest in listening to these podcasts to hear the key issues and viewpoints promoted in this key “host” sector.

Municipal World (Canada) Podcasts

Municipal World Podcast: MW SHARES: MUNICIPAL PANDEMIC RESPONSE The Second Wave is Coming

Municipal World Podcast: MW SHARES: MUNICIPAL PANDEMIC RESPONSE: Tough decisions ahead for Canadian municipalities – Parts 1&2

Municipal World Podcast: MW SHARES: MUNICIPAL WORLD PODCAST: Launching an economic development strategy during a pandemic

Municipal World Podcast: MW SHARES: MUNICIPAL PANDEMIC RESPONSE: The long weekend and the delicate tipping point

Municipal World Podcast: MW Shares: Challenges of being a mayor during COVID-19

Municipal World: MW Shares Podcast: Fostering a culture of innovation during crisis – Parts 1&2

Municipal World Podcast: MW SHARES: MUNICIPAL PANDEMIC RESPONSE: The paradox of reopening

Municipal World: MW Shares Podcast: Reopening, reconnecting, and pondering the double bubble

Municipal World Podcast: MW SHARES: MUNICIPAL PANDEMIC RESPONSE: Financial Crisis and Potential for easing restrictions

Municipal World MW Shares Podcast: Richard Florida discusses COVID-19 & the recovery of cities

Municipal World: MW Shares Podcast: Impact of COVID-19 on rural and Indigenous communities

Municipal World: MW SHARES PODCAST: MUNICIPAL PANDEMIC RESPONSE – Municipal Deficits . . .

Municipal World: MW SHARES PODCAST: 🌻 Victory gardens: building community during times of crisis

Re-Opening and Returning to the Workplace

New Checklist and Report: Planning Toward the “New Normal’ for Libraries in Australia

Post-COVID-19 Strategies and Predictions for Libraries

Is it time to re-open Ontario’s Public Libraries as Fine-free Public Institutions?

Pick-Up and Delivery Services: Guidance for Ontario Public Libraries is now available.

The “New Normal” Agenda for Librarianship with R. David Lankes

The Atlantic: The Post-pandemic Future of Libraries

Realign Your Library Program: Space Planning in an Era of Social Distancing

What offices might look like in a post-COVID world

Sample Cleaning and Quarantine Guides

IMLS Recorded Webinar: Mitigating COVID-19 When Managing Paper-Based, Circulating, and Other Types of Collections

NEDCC: 3.5 Disinfecting Books and Other Collections

ALIA: COVID-19 Infection Prevention Tips for Libraries

Social Equity

Canadians without reliable internet access being left behind, experts warn

Pandemic exposes how social inequities not only wound the marginalized but hurt us all

Resources on Reopening Museums

Museums have similar issues to public libraries. They also have archives and ,local history collections as well as partnerships with public libraries.  It is good preparation to find ‘metaphor’ sectors and look for inspiration there for your own plans.  Another sector to follow for public libraries is retail and take-out physical spaces (and provincial guides and rules) as well as the event and theatre space as it recovers aligned with our own meeting rooms, programs and auditoriums or large multi-purpose rooms.

Re-Opening the Library: Guidelines to Consider

Redesigning Libraries, Archives & Museums Post-COVID-19

Full Text of the Trump blocked Guidance from the CDC on Re-opening

Collection Development

Management & Human Resources:

Fundraising

Meetings and Technology

In conclusion:

Let’s re-open better than ever before. Think about COVID-19 as an excelerant rather than as a change agent.  Your Board and CEO/Management teams are the change agents.  Ask yourself this key question:

Cheers,

Stephen Abram, MLS, FSLA

Executive Director, Federation of Ontario Public Libraries

sabram@fopl.ca

Twitter: @foplnews

stephen.abram@gmail.com

Cel: 416-669-4855

Blog: http://www.StephensLighthouse.com

Twitter: @sabram