#looktolibraries September 1, 2020| Kirby McCurtis Have you visited the “Look to Libraries in Times of Crisis” page yet? Knowing that you and the families you work with need more help during this pandemic, ALSC created this resource page. Here you’ll find tons of reading recommendations,  virtual games and activities to help kids thrive at home,  tip sheets for managing stress, and articles from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The idea for # looktolibraries is two fold: Part...

MIT’s New Online Science Course About the Pandemic & SARS-CoV-2 Is Free & Open to the Public https://kottke.org/20/09/mits-new-online-science-course-about-the-pandemic-sars-cov-2-is-free-open-to-the-public "MIT’s biology department is offering a new online class this fall called COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2 and the Pandemic. The class will be led by Richard Young and Facundo Batista and will include guest lectures by several leading authorities on Covid-19, coronaviruses, epidemiology, and...

Toronto officials outline plan for expected resurgence of COVID-19 https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2020/08/31/toronto-officials-outline-plan-for-expected-resurgence-of-covid-19.html Is Ontario nearing the much-dreaded second wave? Four charts that sum up COVID-19 in August plus what we can learn from cities around the world...

Minister Guilbeault in Arts Sector Townhall - 3 pm today Townhall with Minister Guilbeault Tuesday September 1, 2020 3:00 PM Join Business / Arts, Global Public Affairs, Mass Culture and the Canadian Arts Coalition for a discussion with the Hon Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Heritage on how the government can help the arts sectors recover from the impacts of the pandemic. Register HERE.

Are you struggling with patrons sharing racist, sexist, anti-mask, etc. viewpoints?  I recently read a crowd-sourced discussion of appropriate responses from front line library staff about what t say while remaining professional. Here are the best responses I saw (lightly edited for language and identity). "Do you have a library question that I can assist you with?" This my passive aggressive way of saying this is not why I am behind this desk." “I say “do you have anything library-related...

Latest PLA webinar available now on-demand   The webinar Transition Planned In-Person Adult Programs to a Virtual Environment, originally presented on July 22, is now available on-demand for purchase. Start virtual programming for adults using Zoom! Learn about training staff to present virtually, integrating community partners into your virtual schedule, and other strategies to transition programs from in-house to online. Learn more and purchase on PLA's On-Demand Webinars...

PLA Webinar: Responding to COVID Closures with Digital eCard Access: A County Library Case Study   The onslaught of the COVID pandemic has brought significant changes to how libraries offer services to their community, including the ability to allow new cardholders access to e-resources and virtual programs during building closures. Join PLA for a case study webinar on September 23 at 1pm Central, featuring staff from Sarasota County (Fla.) Libraries. Participants will learn the ins and...

Ontario teacher unions file labour board challenge over school reopening plans https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2020/08/31/ontario-teacher-unions-file-labour-board-challenge-over-school-reopening-plans.html

Free Printable Posters and Signs for COVID-19 for Small Businesses & Organizations https://www.websiteplanet.com/blog/free-printable-posters-covid-19/