Kids, masks and anxiety — a back-to-school guide for Ontario parents https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2020/08/16/kids-masks-and-anxiety-a-back-to-school-guide-for-ontario-parents.html

Click here to view this message in a browser window. As a respected industry leader, you are cordially invited to be the first to register for Library Journal’s Summit: What’s Next? Libraries Adapt to the New Abnormal, taking place on October 6th. With the COVID-19 pandemic upending strategic plans across the country, libraries had to be nimble, flexible, and collaborative on a scale and time frame like never before. Fortunately, all three of those proficiencies are in the library wheelhouse....

Survey Aims to Capture Library Digital Activity and Community Contribution In collaboration with Counting Opinions, the EveryLibrary Institute is launching the eMeasures Snapshot survey -- designed to capture your library’s digital activity and community contribution, along with several COVID-19 specific questions. "We anticipate that libraries will experience some challenges in the near future, and they will be expected to play a critical role in what may be a surprisingly different future...

Keep Yourself and Others Protected with Out Of Print Face Masks As libraries are entering Phase 3 and beginning to reopen across the province, the safety of all library employees and patrons must remain top of mind. Ontario Library Association’s official store, The Library Marketplace, is excited to announce that we will be carrying Out of Print’s new face masks in the Bookshelf design and the Book Nerd design for librarians to protect themselves and patrons while displaying their pride in...

Ontario Public Library Week: October 18 - 24, 2020 October is Canadian Library Month! During this month, libraries and library partners across Canada raise awareness of the valuable role libraries play in Canadians' lives. The first week of October features First Nations Public Library Week, September 29 to October 5, and the third week is Ontario Public Library Week, which is October 18 to October 24. Of course, this year will look different for OPLW and OLA is working on coordinating this...

Just released! Survey results of Ontario Public Library Response to COVID-19 While public libraries across Ontario were ordered to close to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 in March, OLA’s Ontario Public Library Response to COVID-19 survey shows that libraries remained very active during this period of physical distancing. You can read the full report online here. Highlights: Libraries have continued to offer relevant programming and services to their communities. Libraries have been:...

Barriers to Social Services Fuel Racial Inequity (Contributed) With a few changes to existing systems, human-centered technology can help counter the racial bias embedded in the social safety net by creating more opportunity for people of color to access services digitally. https://www.govtech.com/opinion/Barriers-to-Social-Services-Fuel-Racial-Inequity-Contributed.html While this article is American, it shows the systemic barriers to equitable access that public libraries help ameliorate....

How risky is it to spend time in a classroom? Ride the bus? This mathematical model helps estimate the riskiness of different activities based on one potential route of coronavirus spread: itty-bitty particles known as aerosols. MEASURE YOUR RISK "Measure the risk of airborne COVID-19 in your office, classroom, or bus ride Can kids go back to crowded schools? Is it safe to eat dinner with friends? Use this mathematical model to help provide some clues....

School outbreaks of COVID-19 will happen. Here's what teachers and parents can do to keep them in check Distancing and number of people inside are key considerations as teachers and students head inside this fall https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/covid-19-school-infection-prevention-1.5681326?cmp=rss 500 public health nurses will help keep schools safe: This nurse explains what they'll do Province has pledged to hire up to 500 school health nurses to help prevent outbreaks among students...

Top Francophone Library Conference Going Virtual in November 2020 http://micheladrien.blogspot.com/2020/08/top-francophone-library-conference.html "The 5th annual Congrès des professionnel.le.s de l'information, the top information professional gathering in Québec, will take place in a virtual form November 2-6, 2020. The program is now online. It is necessary to register to take part. Registration includes access to recordings to keynote speeches and roundtables after the event. The...