COVID-19 Update Ontario Government actions on COVID-19 July 20, 2020 Good afternoon, Today the provincial government announced that seven more regions will enter Stage 3 of reopening Ontario’s economy this Friday, joining the 24 regions that entered into Stage 3 last week. Effective Friday, July 24, 2020 at 12:01 a.m., Durham, Halton, Hamilton, Niagara, Haldimand-Norfolk, Lambton and York regions will be allowed to enter Stage 3. However, Peel, Toronto and Windsor-Essex regions are excluded...

REALM Project Test 2 Results Available OCLC / 20 July 2020 https://www.webjunction.org/news/webjunction/test2-results.html "As part of the REALM Project’s Phase 1 research, Battelle has conducted a natural attenuation study to provide information on how long some commonly handled materials would need to be quarantined prior to being returned to being put back into use. Testing was conducted by applying the virulent SARS-CoV-2 virus (the virus that causes COVID-19) on five materials held at...

ALA COVID-19 Recovery Website http://www.ala.org/tools/covid-19-recovery Strong libraries — and a well-supported library workforce — are essential to the recovery of communities devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This collection of tools, developed and updated by units across the American Library Association, will help communities, library workers, and library supporters plot the best course forward for their libraries. Advocacy & Policy Learn about funding opportunities for recovery...

Two Great COVID-19 Playbooks: One for Public Libraries and one for Academic Libraries Both are from the US.  I love the Playbook word. Toledo Lucas County Public Library (TLCPL) Safe Work Playbook: COVID-19 Pandemic and Preparedness Response The Playbook covers a wide range of topics, including: •Step-by-step guides for setting up a Pandemic Response Team •Disinfection procedures •Staggering shifts and other social distancing strategies •Daily health screening protocol •Protocols for isolating...

All in Stage 3 now except Peel Public Health; Toronto Public Health; and Windsor-Essex County News Release https://news.ontario.ca/opo/en/2020/07/ontario-moving-more-regions-into-stage-3.html Ontario Moving More Regions into Stage 3 More Businesses and Services Across the Province Can Safely Reopen on Friday July 20, 2020 1:00 P.M. Office of the Premier TORONTO — The Ontario government is allowing seven more regions to enter Stage 3 on Friday, increasing the number of businesses and public...

Two New Accessibility Toolkits Available Now The Accessibility Assembly has released two new toolkits, Accessible Communication Styles, www.asgcladirect.org/resources/..., and Virtual Accessibility, www.asgcladirect.org/resources/virtual-accessibility. These new topics are part of the Library Accessibility Toolkits: What You Need to Know series, available at www.asgcladirect.org/resources. Accessible Communication Styles provides guidance for choosing Inclusive language to celebrate the...

Pandemic-rattled Canadians still cautious about everything from schools to 2nd lockdowns, polls say Despite calls for full classes in the fall and an end to lockdowns, most Canadians still want to play it safe https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/grenier-covid-caution-pandemic-polling-1.5652609?cmp=rss

You gotta love the Toronto Star when along with doctors and public health professionals, they included Dr. Colin Furness, a professor at my alma mater, The U of Toronto Faculty of Information (iSchool). What Doug Ford and Ontario got right – and wrong – in four months of fighting COVID-19. We asked seven experts to weigh in...

Lots of great advice here - especially around re-designing library spaces for physically distancing.  It;s from the UK so some Ontario adaptation may be required. Libraries bring people together. They need to be able to do that again. https://www.covid19saferspaces.org/ People of all backgrounds come together in public libraries, and they help to foster stronger and more resilient communities. The Covid-19 Safer Libraries guide has been developed in partnership with Libraries...

News Release Province Takes Steps to Ensure All Ontarians Benefit from Local Research and Innovation Government Unveils Intellectual Property Action Plan Along with COVID-19 Research Projects https://news.ontario.ca/opo/en/2020/07/province-takes-steps-to-ensure-all-ontarians-benefit-from-local-research-and-innovation.html July 17, 2020 1:00 P.M. Office of the Premier KITCHENER — The Ontario government announced a made-in-Ontario Intellectual Property Action Plan to help ensure the tremendous...