I'M GONG TO GO AHEAD AND PASS THE BALL OVER TO KENDRA, WHO'S GOING TO GET US STARTED HERE, AND I'M GOING TO GET OUR RECORDING STARTED.
>> GREAT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, JENNIFER.
WE APPRECIATE YOU ALL BEING HERE TODAY FOR A WEBINAR ON THE REOPENING ARCHIVES, LIBRARIES, AND MUSEUMS PROJECT.
MY NAME IS KENDRA MORGAN, AND I WILL BE ONE OF YOUR HOSTS TODAY.
THE R.E.A.L.M. PROJECT IS A RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE INSTITUTE OF MUSEUM AND LIBRARY SERVICES.
THE PROJECT IS ALSO FUNDED BY IMLS.
THE AIM IS TO CONDUCT RESEARCH ON HOW LONG THE COVID-19 VIRUS SURVIVES ON MATERIALS THAT ARE PREVALENT IN LIBRARIES AND ARCHIVES AND MUSEUMS AND HOW THESE MATERIALS CAN BE HANDLED TO MITIGATE EXPOSURE TO STAFF AND VISITORS.
WE HAVE A WEBSITE WITH ALL OF THE PROJECT RESOURCES AVAILABLE.
MANY WILL BE MENTIONED TODAY DURING THE PRESENTATION.
WE ARE CONTINUALLY ADDING NEW INFORMATION.
SO, IF YOU'RE WATCHING THIS WEBINAR IN THE FUTURE, DON'T FORGET THINGS MAY HAVE CHANGED, SO WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO CHECK OUT THE LATEST INFORMATION.
ALSO, SIGN UP FOR A MAILING LIST, WHICH IS DEDICATED TO THE R.E.A.L.M. PROJECT.
I AM JOINED TODAY BY SEVERAL PANELISTS.
LET ME JUST GET MY MOUSE BACK HERE.
ROBIN FOLEY IS JOINING US FROM THE BUFFALO HISTORY MUSEUM.
CHRISTOPHER COOPER FROM THE HUMBOLDT COUNTY LIBRARY.
MY COLLEAGUE ANNA MUSUN-MILLER, WHO WORKS ON THE R.E.A.L.M. 
TOOLKIT MATERIALS, AND I WILL ALL BE PARTICIPATING TODAY, SHARING SOME OF OUR EXPERIENCES AND A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING.
SO, I WANTED TO TOUCH A LITTLE BIT ON THE HIGHLIGHTS OF R.E.A.L.M. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MAY BE NEW TO THE PROJECT.
AGAIN, I ALSO ENCOURAGE YOU TO CHECK OUT THE MATERIALS THAT ARE AVAILABLE ON THE R.E.A.L.M. 
PROJECT WEBSITE.
SO, SOME OF THE KEY ACTIVITIES THAT THE PROJECT IS FOCUSING ON IS REVIEWING AND SUMMARIZING RESEARCH ON SARS-COV-2, WHICH IS THE VIRUS WHICH CAUSES COVID-19.
LAST YEAR WE PUBLISHED TWO LITERATURE REVIEWS REALLY LOOKING AT THE FOCUS ON HOW THE VIRUS MAY IMPACT LIBRARIES, ARCHIVES, AND MUSEUMS, AND A THIRD REVIEW IS CURRENTLY UNDER WAY.
WE HAVE ALSO BEEN GATHERING INPUT THROUGH ONGOING CONSULTATION AND ENGAGEMENT WITH A PROJECT STEERING COMMITTEE, AS WELL AS A SCIENTIFIC WORKING GROUP AND AN OPERATIONS WORKING GROUP, AS WELL AS OTHER SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS FROM ARCHIVES, LIBRARIES, AND MUSEUMS.
THE DESIGN AND EXECUTION OF LABORATORY TESTING HAS BEEN WORKED ON BY OUR COLLEAGUES AT BATTELLE, WHO TO DATE HAVE CONDUCT THE SIX ROUNDS OF LAB TESTS ON HOW COVID-19 INTERACTS WITH A SELECTION OF MATERIALS, WHICH ARE FOUND IN ARCHIVES, LIBRARIES, AND MUSEUMS.
TWO MORE TESTS STARTED AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS MONTH, SO IN EARLY JANUARY.
WE'VE ALSO CREATED TOOLKIT RESOURCES, WHICH WE'LL TALK ABOUT LATER IN THIS PRESENTATION, TO SHARE SNAPSHOTS OF THE RESEARCH FINDINGS, AS WELL AS ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES FROM ARCHIVE, MUSEUMS, AND LIBRARIES, AS WELL AS GUIDANCE THAT THEY MAY HAVE WORKED ON DEVELOPING FOR THEIR OWN INSTITUTIONS.
WE'RE LOOKING TO FACILITATE ONGOING DISCUSSIONS WITH STAFF IN LIBRARIES, ARCHIVE, AND MUSEUMS, WHICH IS PART OF THIS WEBINAR, AND WE'RE ALSO LOOKING TO LISTEN, LEARN, AND ADAPT FROM ALL OF YOU.
SO, WE LIKE AND REALLY APPRECIATE THE FEEDBACK THAT YOU GIVE US, THE THINGS YOU SHARE ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN YOUR RESPECTIVE INSTITUTIONS.
SO, I ALSO WANTED TO TOUCH ON A FEW THINGS ABOUT R.E.A.L.M., AND THAT IS THAT WE ARE LOOKING TO PROVIDE DATA TO HELP US BETTER UNDERSTAND THE VIRUS AND THEN USING THAT DATA, MAKING THAT AVAILABLE TO YOU TO HELP INFORM YOUR PRACTICES AND POLICIES.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT R.E.A.L.M. IS NOT MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH VARIATION AMONG OUR INSTITUTIONS, THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE SERVE, THE LOCAL RULES AND GUIDELINES, WHICH MAY BE IN PLACE.
WE'RE REALLY PROVIDING INFORMATION THAT YOU CAN USE TO HELP INFORM THOSE LOCAL DECISIONS.
SO, WE DO KIND OF LOOK AT IT AS A THREE-STEP PROCESS, YOU KNOW, IN ADDITION TO ANY OTHER DATA THAT YOU MAY HAVE FROM FEDERAL OR LOCAL AGENCIES, TAKING THAT AND SUMMARIZING AND SORTING THROUGH THAT DATA LOCALLY, AND THEN DETERMINING YOUR OWN LOCAL POLICIES.
WHAT WE WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT AS WELL IS REALLY SEEING A THREE-PRONGED ISSUE WHEN IT COMES TO A LOT OF THE DECISIONS THAT GET MADE AROUND COVID-19.
THAT'S THIS CONVERGENCE OF URGENCY, COMPLEXITY, AND UNCERTAINTY.
THIS IS AN EXTREMELY STRESSFUL TIME.
WE KNOW THAT MANY OF YOU ARE FACED WITH MAKING OPERATIONAL DECISIONS ABOUT WHETHER YOUR INSTITUTION SHOULD OPEN, WHAT TYPES OF SERVICES YOU SHOULD PROVIDE, AND WE ARE LOOKING TO LISTEN TO THAT, TO LEARN, AND ADAPT, AND ALSO SHARE THAT OUT TO OTHERS, BUT WE'RE ALL FORCED TO MAKE DECISIONS RIGHT NOW IN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT INCLUDES THIS URGENCY, COMPLEXITY, AND UNCERTAINTY.
SO, IN RESPONSE TO INITIAL CONCERNS WITH CIRCULATING COLLECTIONS AND FREQUENTLY TOUCHED SURFACES, THE PROJECT WAS SET UP TO FOCUS ON MATERIALS.
OVER THE COURSE OF OUR INVESTIGATION AND THE RESEARCH, THERE'S CERTAINLY BEEN A SHIFT IN CONCERN FROM THE SURFACE CONTACT, HOW LIKELY TRANSMISSION MAY BE FROM TOUCHING SOMETHING, TO AIR TRANSMISSION.
WE'RE CERTAINLY SEEING THAT REFLECTED IN THE LITERATURE REVIEWS.
THERE'S MUCH MORE CONVERSATION GOING ON ABOUT AIR TRANSMISSION THAN THERE IS ABOUT SURFACE.
THE SECOND ASPECT IS THAT WE'RE ACCUMULATING SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE AND REALLY FORMING A BROAD PICTURE, BUT IN RESPONSE TO THE URGENCY AROUND NEEDING INFORMATION TO INFORM PLANS AND PROTOCOLS, WE HAVE BEEN PUBLISHING THE RESULTS OF OUR TESTING AS SOON AS THEY'RE AVAILABLE.
IT GOES THROUGH AN EDITING PROCESS.
IT GOES THROUGH QUALITY ASSURANCE.
BUT WE'RE RUNNING EACH TEST AND THEN RELEASING THE RESULTS AS SOON AS THEY'RE AVAILABLE.
THIS OFFERS SPEED, BUT IT CERTAINLY DOESN'T TAKE AWAY ANY OF THE COMPLEXITY.
WE SEE THIS IN GENERAL, LIKE THE NEWS MEDIA PICKS UP ON A NEW STUDY.
SOMETIMES THAT RESULTS IN NEW THEORIES OR CHANGES TO OPERATIONS, BUT IT'S CONSTANTLY EVOLVING.
SO, IT DOESN'T MAKE THINGS NECESSARILY SIMPLER TO HAVE MORE INFORMATION.
AND THE THIRD THING THAT WE LOOK AT IN THIS BIG PICTURE IS THAT THE PROJECT CAN'T COVER THE BREADTH AND CONSIDERATIONS RELATED TO COVID-19.
BUT WE'RE REALLY FOCUSING ON A FEW RESEARCH QUESTIONS TO HELP WITH LOCAL DECISION MAKING, ALONG WITH WHAT YOUR PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE ADVISING, AS WELL AS LOCAL INSTITUTIONS AND CONTEXT FOR CONSIDERATIONS.
RIGHT, SO I KNOW THAT SOME OF YOU HAVE ALREADY COMPLETED OUR FIRST POLL, AND WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS SWITCH US OVER TO THAT POLL.
WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A SECOND ONE.
SO, THE FIRST ONE YOU'RE SEEING NOW IS SHOWING WHERE PEOPLE ARE JOINING US FROM TODAY.
I CAN SEE MOST OF US ARE HERE IN THE UNITED STATES, BUT WE HAVE SEVERAL INTERNATIONAL FOLKS JOINING US AS WELL.
WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT POLL BECAUSE I'D LIKE TO HAVE YOU ANSWER, WHAT IS THE CURRENT STATE OF FACILITIES OPERATIONS AT YOUR ORGANIZATION?
ARE THEY CLOSED COMPLETELY TO PUBLIC AND STAFF?
ARE THEY OPEN WITH SOME STAFF ON SITE BUT NO PUBLIC?
ARE YOUR FACILITIES PARTIALLY OPEN WITH LIMITED SERVICES AND/OR PROGRAMS?
OR ARE YOUR FACILITIES FULLY OPEN TO VISITORS AND PATRONS?
SO, WHILE YOU ANSWER THAT QUESTION, AND JENNIFER HAS POSTED THAT INTO THE CHAT, WE WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT -- IT DOES LOOK LIKE THE MOST COMMON ANSWER HERE IS THAT YOUR FACILITIES ARE PARTIALLY OPEN.
WE DO HAVE SOME THAT ARE COMPLETELY OPEN, FULLY OPEN TO VISITORS OR PATRONS, AND A FEW THAT ARE STILL NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC OR STAFF.
THIS IS GOING TO CHANGE.
I THINK THE FIRST TIME WE DID THIS WEBINAR BACK IN THE SUMMER OF 2020, THE VAST MAJORITY OF INSTITUTIONS AT THAT POINT WERE NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC OR STAFF.
SO, THINGS ARE CHANGING.
WE SEE PEOPLE PARTIALLY REOPENING.
ALL RIGHT, GREAT, THANK YOU.
SO, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT TOPIC.
WE'RE GOING TO TOUCH REAL QUICKLY ON THE STATUS OF THE COVID-19 RESEARCH.
BASED ON THE FIRST TWO LITERATURE REVIEWS, WHICH ARE AVAILABLE AND POSTED TO THE PROJECT WEBSITE, A THIRD REPORT IS GOING TO BE PUBLISHED IN FEBRUARY.
SO, WE'LL BE SHARING THAT AS SOON AS IT'S AVAILABLE, CONTINUING TO FOCUS ON SHARING THE RESULTS OF THE LITERATURE AND WHAT WE DO KNOW.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN EMPHASIZING THROUGHOUT THESE PRESENTATIONS IS THAT THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT CONTINUE TO BE UNKNOWN ABOUT COVID-19.
SO, THE FIRST ISSUE THAT WE WOULD CALL UNKNOWN IS THAT WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH VIRUS IS NEEDED OR HOW MUCH VIRUS AN INFECTED PERSON WILL LEAVE BEHIND ON AN OBJECT.
SO, WHEN THEY SNEEZE, WHEN THEY COUGH, WHEN THEY HANDLE IT, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE.
THE SECOND ISSUE IS HOW MUCH VIRUS SOMEONE CAN PICK UP FROM AN OBJECT.
SO, IF I SNEEZED ON A MATERIAL AND THEN YOU HANDLED IT, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO PICK UP.
AND THIRD IS HOW MUCH VIRUS IS NEEDED TO CAUSE INFECTION.
SO, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT TAKES TO CAUSE INFECTION IN AN INDIVIDUAL, WHICH IS A REALLY BIG ISSUE.
AND THESE ARE THREE QUESTIONS THAT ARE BROADLY NOT UNDERSTOOD IN THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY, NOT JUST BY THIS PROJECT, AND THESE HAVE REMAINED CONSISTENT REALLY SINCE WE STARTED INVESTIGATING THIS.
SO, IT CONTINUES TO BE SOMETHING THAT THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY IS INTERESTED IN.
WE'RE LOOKING TO SURFACE THAT WHENEVER IT BECOMES AVAILABLE IN SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE, SO AS WE CONTINUE TO MOVE THROUGH THE LITERATURE REVIEWS, WE ARE LOOKING TO ANSWER THESE.
BUT AT THIS POINT, THESE ARE KNOWN UNKNOWNS RELATED TO COVID-19.
SO OUR LITERATURE REVIEWS ARE LOOKING AT THREE CORE QUESTIONS.
THE FIRST IS HOW MIGHT THE VIRUS SPREAD THROUGH GENERAL OPERATIONS IN OUR FACILITIES, HOW LONG DOES THE VIRUS REMAIN ACTIVE ON SURFACES, AND HOW EFFECTIVE ARE PREVENTION AND DECONTAMINATION MEASURES?
OUR FIRST LITERATURE REVIEW WAS PUBLISHED IN JUNE 2020, AND IN OUR DISCUSSIONS WITH THE PROJECT STEERING COMMITTEE AND WORKING GROUPS, WE FOCUSED ON PUBLIC LIBRARIES IN THAT FIRST LITERATURE REVIEW, BUT AS IT TURNED OUT, THE INFORMATION WAS BROADLY APPLICABLE TO ALL TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONS.
THEN IN THE SECOND REVIEW, WHICH WAS CONDUCTED THREE MONTHS LATER, WE REVISITED THESE SAME QUESTIONS.
YOU'LL NOTE THAT THIS RESEARCH IS FOCUSED ON THE BEHAVIOR OF THE VIRUS IN THE ENVIRONMENT AND NOT ABOUT THE DISEASE, COVID-19, WHICH CAN INCUR AFTER A VIRUS HAS INFECTED A PERSON.
SO, THESE QUESTIONS ARE AGAIN BEING REVISITED IN OUR THIRD LITERATURE REVIEW, WHICH WE DO EXPECT TO HAVE AVAILABLE LATER THIS WINTER.
I DO WANT TO TOUCH ON TWO KEY ISSUES THAT HAVE SURFACED THROUGH THE LITERATURE REVIEWS, AND THAT IS THAT SARS-COV-2 IS GENERALLY UNDERSTOOD TO SPREAD PRIMARILY THROUGH VIRUS-CONTAINING WATER DROPLETS EXPELLED FROM SOMEONE WHO IS INFECTED.
COUGHING, SNEEZING, SPEAKING, OR SINGING ARE ALL POSSIBLE WAYS OF TRANSMISSION.
THE EVIDENCE HAS SUGGESTED THAT OTHER POTENTIAL PATHWAYS FOR SPREADING THE VIRUS THROUGH BREATHING AIR THAT THE VIRUS IS SUSPENDED IN AFTER SOME KIND OF AEROSOLIZATION EVENT LIKE A SNEEZE, BY TOUCHING SURFACES AND OBJECTS, SOMETIMES CALLED FOMITES.
WHEN SOMETHING IS INFECTED, WE CALL IT A FOMITE.
AND WHEN SOMETHING IS DEPOSITED ON THAT SURFACE.
BUT BY FAR, THE MOST LIKELY AND DOMINANT WAY OF THE VIRUS SPREADING IS DIRECT CONTACT BETWEEN PEOPLE AND THOSE DROPLETS.
ADDITIONAL RESEARCH IS CONTINUING ON THE ISSUE OF AEROSOLIZATION, CONTAMINATED OBJECTS, WHICH IS WHAT R.E.A.L.M. IS FOCUSING ON, AND THEN OTHER POTENTIAL BODILY FLUIDS.
WE ALSO WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE FACT THAT ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS ARE ALSO A FACTOR.
TEMPERATURE, RELATIVE HUMIDITY.
MANY PARTS OF THE UNITED STATES, FOR EXAMPLE, HAVE VERY DIFFERENT LEVELS OF HUMIDITY, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT RESEARCHERS ARE LOOKING AT, AS WELL AS AIR QUALITY AND AIR FLOW.
AND WE'RE CERTAINLY PAYING ATTENTION TO THAT IN THE LITERATURE REVIEWS TO SEE IF HVAC SYSTEMS IN OUR BUILDINGS MIGHT BE ONE WAY THAT WE CAN HELP TO MITIGATE SPREAD.
WE'LL COVER A LITTLE BIT NOW ABOUT LAB TESTING AND WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING AS BATTELLE GOES THROUGH THE LAB TESTING.
OUR OVERALL RESEARCH QUESTION HERE WAS, HOW LONG DOES THE VIRUS REMAIN ACTIVE IN MATERIALS COMMONLY FOUND IN LIBRARIES, ARCHIVES, AND MUSEUMS?
AND THESE WERE REALLY REFINED TO MATCH REAL-WORLD CONDITIONS.
SO, IF WE LEAVE COLLECTION ITEMS FOR A DAY, A FEW DAYS, OR PERHAPS A WEEK, COULD WE GET NATURALLY -- COULD THE VIRUS NATURALLY DISAPPEAR FROM THOSE MATERIALS?
QUARANTINING IS ONE METHOD THAT MANY LIBRARIES AND MUSEUMS HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTING AS A WAY TO LIMIT POTENTIAL SPREAD, AND THEY'RE KEEPING THAT IN BALANCE WITH THEIR OPERATIONAL NEEDS, AS WELL AS INFORMATION THAT THEY'RE GETTING FROM THE LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
SO, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO INVESTIGATE.
THE WORK THAT'S BEEN HAPPENING WITH R.E.A.L.M. HAS INCLUDED TESTING MATERIALS, AND WE HAVE, TO DATE, COMPLETED SIX TESTS.
TWO ARE NOW UNDER WAY.
TESTS SEVEN AND EIGHT ARE BEING RUN CONCURRENTLY.
THESE MATERIALS -- THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING AT BATTELLE DURING TESTING, BUT THE MATERIALS ARE CUT DOWN INTO TEST COUPONS WHERE THE VIRUS IS THEN APPLIED DIRECTLY TO THE MATERIALS.
THEN THEY LOOK FOR THE PRESENCE OF VIRUS AFTER PRESCRIBED TIME POINTS.
SO, THE TESTING THAT HAPPENS IS IN A CONTROLLED BIOHAZARD LEVEL-THREE LAB AT BATTELLE.
THE FIRST TESTS, TESTS ONE THROUGH SIX, WERE KIND OF WHAT WE WOULD CALL IN AMBIENT ROOM TEMPERATURE.
IT WAS ABOUT 72 DEGREES, RELATIVE HUMIDITY WAS 40%, PLUS OR MINUS 10.
IN TESTS SEVEN AND EIGHT, WE'RE DIGGING IN TO SEE WHETHER OR NOT COLD OR WARMER TEMPERATURES HELP THE ATTENUATION, SO HOW QUICKLY THE VIRUS DISAPPEARS FROM MATERIALS.
SO TEST SEVEN, WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT 35 DEGREES, SO PRETTY CLOSE TO FREEZING, AND TEST EIGHT WE'RE LOOKING AT WARMER TEMPERATURES, SO UP TO 84 DEGREES, TO SEE IF THAT WILL HELP WITH THE ATTENUATION RATE OF THE VIRUS ON OUR MATERIALS.
SO AT EACH TIME POINT THAT WE RESELECT -- SO, THIS IS SOMETHING WE DO AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF EVERY TEST.
WE GIVE BATTELLE FOUR TIME POINTS.
WE HAVE TO TELL THEM THAT IN ADVANCE TO THEY CAN PREPARE THE MATERIALS.
THEY APPLY THE VIRUS, AND THEN AT EACH OF THOSE TIME POINT, THEY LOOK TO SEE HOW MUCH VIRUS IS LEFT ON THOSE MATERIALS.
THERE ARE TWO KEY POINTS THAT I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT, AND THAT'S THE LIMIT OF QUANTITATION AND THE LIMIT OF DETECTION.
SO, BELOW THE LIMIT OF QUANTITATION, WHICH FOR THIS IS 26 -- SO 26 VIRUS PARTICLES -- 
THE SCIENTISTS AT BATTELLE HAVE TO LOOK THROUGH A MICROSCOPE AND THEY CAN ONLY TELL IF THERE'S VIRUS THERE.
IT'S A TRACE AMOUNT.
IT'S BELOW 26 ITEMS.
THEN THE LIMIT OF DETECTION MEANS NO VIRUSES WERE FOUND.
FOR TEST SIX, I'M GOING TO USE THIS AS AN EXAMPLE.
IT'S THE MOST RECENT TEST THAT WAS CONDUCTED.
THIS WAS ON GLASS, MARBLE, LAMINATE, BRASS, AND POWDER-COATED STEEL.
SO, THESE WERE ITEMS THAT ARE COMMONLY USED IN LIBRARIES AND MUSEUMS AS PART OF OUR OPERATIONAL SPACE.
THEN WHEN WE APPLIED THE VIRUS, THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE CHART THAT WE'RE ABLE TO LOOK AT SHOWING THE ATTENUATION OF THE VIRUS.
IF YOU LOOK ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE OF THE SCREEN, IT SHOWS YOU THE TOTAL NUMBER OF VIRUS PARTICLES THAT WERE APPLIED.
SO, THIS WAS JUST OVER 100,000 VIRUS PARTICLES.
THEN AT THE VERY BOTTOM, WE GET DOWN TO ZERO.
THAT WOULD BE THE LIMIT OF DETECTION.
AS AN EXAMPLE, BRASS, SO THAT'S THE BLUE LINE, AFTER NOT EASTBOUND ONE DAY, SO A FULL HOUR THEY LOOKED, WHICH IS ZERO DAY, ONE HOUR OF DRYING TIME, THIS WAS ALREADY BELOW THE LIMIT OF QUANTITATION.
I MENTIONED EARLIER THAT'S 26 CELLS.
THEN WE REMOVED -- AT THAT POINT, WE WERE ABLE TO CONTINUE TESTING, AND FOR BRASS THERE WAS NO VIRUS PRESENT BY DAY TWO.
FOR OTHER ITEMS, IF WE LOOK AT MARBLE, FOR EXAMPLE, WHICH IS THE RED LINE, AFTER ONE HOUR OF DRYING TIME, IT WENT FROM OVER 100,000 VIRUS PARTICLES TO AROUND 1,000.
THEN BY DAY TWO, THERE WERE NONE.
THAT LIMIT OF QUANTITATION, AGAIN, IS THE DOTTED RED LINE.
WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT THERE WERE FEWER THAN 26 CELLS, WHICH IS A VERY TRACE AMOUNT OF VIRUS, AND THE RESEARCHERS HAD TO USE A MICROSCOPE IN ORDER TO SEE THEM.
IN COMPARISON, MY COLLEAGUES -- 
AND ANNA IS HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT THE TOOLKIT MATERIALS.
WE DESIGNED THESE TOOLKIT MATERIALS TO SHOW A LITTLE BIT OF THE DIFFERENCE IN HOW LONG IT TAKES TO FULLY ATTENUATE.
I DO ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK AT BOTH TYPE, AND ANNA WILL TALK ABOUT THIS A LITTLE AS WELL, BUT THIS TYPE OF REPORT IS IN ALL OF THE REPORTS THAT HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED ON R.E.A.L.M.
SO, YOU CAN SEE AT WHAT POINT DOES IT GET BELOW THE LIMIT OF QUANTITATION, HOW MUCH VIRUS WAS CONTINUED TO BE PRESENT.
SO, YOU CAN GET A LOT MORE DETAILS BY LOOKING AT THE GRAPHS, BUT THESE BAR CHARTS ALSO PROVIDE CONTEXT ABOUT HOW LONG VIRUSES LAST ON THOSE MATERIALS.
ALL RIGHT.
WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO OUR SECOND POLL.
LET ME SWITCH OVER TO THAT.
AND OUR NEXT QUESTION IS THINKING ABOUT YOUR SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES AT YOUR MUSEUM OR LIBRARY OR ARCHIVE.
WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR PATRONS AND VISITORS ARE GOING TO BE MOST EXCITED TO RETURN TO?
AND YOU CAN CHOOSE UP TO TWO ANSWERS HERE.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT OUR NEXT TWO PANELISTS ARE GOING TO TALK TO AS THEY SHARE ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES AND THEIR INSTITUTIONS AND HOW THEY'VE BEEN RESPONDING AND CHANGING WITH REGARDS TO NEW INFORMATION AND HOW THEIR SERVICES HAS EVOLVED.
SO FAR, THE POLL RESULTS THAT HAVE COME THROUGH, WE CAN SEE ABILITY TO BROWSE THE COLLECTION AND INTERACT WITH EXHIBITS IS ONE OF OUR TOP LEADERS, AS WELL AS ACCESS TO COMPUTERS AND TECHNOLOGY.
WE KNOW THAT'S A HUGE ISSUE WITH PUBLIC LIBRARIES IN PARTICULAR THAT PROVIDE SOMETIMES THE ONLY FREE COMPUTER OR INTERNET ACCESS FOR INDIVIDUALS, HELPING TO BRIDGE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE.
SO, THIS IS A HUGE ISSUE, AND WE CAN CERTAINLY SEE IT REFLECTED IN YOUR RESPONSES.
ACCESS TO MATERIALS WHICH CAN'T LEAVE THE BUILDING IS ALSO ANOTHER ONE, AND THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO NOTE.
THERE ARE THINGS WE HAVE IN OUR COLLECTIONS THAT WE SIMPLY CAN'T LET OUT THE DOOR AND THAT PEOPLE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO ACCESS DURING THIS TIME.
ALL RIGHT.
SO, WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO MOVE US TO OUR NEXT PRESENTER.
I'M GOING TO PASS YOU THE BALL HERE.
SO, ROBIN FOLEY COMES TO US FROM THE BUFFALO HISTORY MUSEUM, WHERE SHE'S THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US, ROBIN, AND SPENDING SOME TIME TODAY TALKING ABOUT YOUR SERVICES AND YOUR INSTITUTION.
>> THANK YOU, KENDRA.
I'M EXCITED TO BE HERE.
SO, I'D LIKE TO JUST GIVE YOU A LITTLE BACKGROUND, TELL YOU ABOUT OUR ORGANIZATION.
WE'RE THE BUFFALO HISTORY MUSEUM.
WE'RE A SMALLER LOCAL HISTORY MUSEUM IN BUFFALO, NEW YORK.
OUR ANNUAL BUDGET IS AROUND $1.5 MILLION.
WE USUALLY HAVE A STAFF OF ABOUT 25 FULL AND PART TIME.
WE'RE GENERALLY PRETTY SMALL, AND WE'RE LOCATED IN THIS BEAUTIFUL 1901 BUILDING.
IT WAS FIRST USED AS THE NEW YORK STATE BUILDING AND THEN TRANSITIONED TO MUSEUM USE.
OUR ORGANIZATION HAS ACTUALLY BEEN AROUND COLLECTING SINCE 1862.
SO, IN 2020, WE CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC ON MARCH 16th, THEN A WEEK LATER THE WHOLE STATE WENT ON PAUSE AND NONESSENTIAL WORKERS WERE TOLD TO STAY AT HOME.
SO WHEN THAT FIRST HAPPENED, WE REALLY DIDN'T KNOW HOW LONG IS THIS GOING TO TAKE, YOU KNOW, WHAT RELIEF OPPORTUNITIES WILL THERE BE TO MAKE UP THE FUNDING THAT WE WOULD INEVITABLY BE LOSING.
SO, WE FURLOUGHED MOST OF OUR STAFF IN THOSE FIRST FEW WEEKS.
THEN WE TRANSITIONED TO USING --
TO OFFERING A LOT OF DIGITAL CONTENT.
BUT AFTER WE GOT THE PPP FUNDING, WE WERE ABLE TO BRING BACK STAFF, AND WE ALSO RECEIVED AN NEH CARES ACT RELIEF GRANT, WHICH REALLY HELPS US ENHANCE OUR DIGITAL OFFERINGS.
WE WERE ABLE TO START A PODCAST, OFFER ZOOM LECTURES AND PROGRAMS, VIRTUAL TOURS, EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS, AND WE CREATED VIRTUAL REALITY VERSIONS OF OUR EXISTING EXHIBITS.
AND I DEPENDED ON A LOT OF GREAT RESOURCES TO APPROACH THE REOPENING PLANS.
WE HAVE A REALLY STRONG RELATIONSHIP WITH A LOT OF LOCAL CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS, OTHER MUSEUMS IN THE AREA.
SO, WE EXCHANGED A LOT OF IDEAS.
WE HONESTLY JUST HAD MEETINGS WHERE WE VENTED TO EACH OTHER AND KIND OF PROBLEM SOLVED TOGETHER TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, HOW WOULD WE REOPEN, AND WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE ALL OUR GUESTS HAD THE SAME EXPECTATIONS SO THEY COULD WALK INTO ONE MUSEUM AND KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT.
WE WOULD HAVE THE SAME REGULATIONS IN PLACE AS OTHER MUSEUMS IN THE AREA.
AND I ALSO LEARNED A LOT FROM WEBINARS OVER THE SPRING AND SUMMER.
SO MANY GREAT ORGANIZATIONS LIKE R.E.A.L.M., AEM, AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WERE REALLY PUTTING OUT SOME GREAT DATA.
REALLY, FOR NEW YORK STATE, IT'S BEEN REALLY HELPFUL TO LIVE IN NEW YORK STATE RIGHT NOW.
THEY'VE CREATED A PHASED REOPENING PLAN, AND MUSEUMS WERE LISTED UNDER THE LOW-RISK INDOOR ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT GUIDELINES.
THEY CAME UP WITH MANDATORY AND RECOMMENDED BEST PRACTICES THAT COVERED LIKE MINUTE DETAILS.
SO, IT REALLY HELPS TO SHAPE OUR PLAN.
AND ONCE THE PLAN WAS DRAFTED, WE DID SEEK FEEDBACK.
I WAS TALKING TO THE STAFF EVERY DAY, DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF WHAT WILL WORK, WHAT WON'T WORK, WHAT MAKES YOU FEEL SAFE BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY KEY, AND THEN WE ALSO GOT SOME ADVICE FROM MEDICAL AND LEGAL PERSPECTIVES ON OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
THEN WE TALKED TO OUR INSURANCE REPRESENTATIVE AS WELL.
SO, WE CREATED THE PANDEMIC AWARE PROCEDURES.
WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WEREN'T CREATING A REOPENING PLAN THAT WOULD JUST BE ONE-DAY ONLY USE.
WE WANTED TO COME UP WITH PROCEDURES THAT WE WOULD BE EVOLVING OVER THE YEARS.
WE KNEW ONCE IT WAS AUGUST AND WE WERE THINKING ABOUT REOPENING, WE REALLY WEREN'T GOING TO HAVE THE SAME PROCEDURES EVER AGAIN.
AND THESE PROCEDURES WERE GOING TO NEED TO EVOLVE AS THE PANDEMIC HAS EVOLVED.
SO, THIS PLAN HAS THREE MAIN SECTIONS -- GUEST EXPERIENCE, TEAM MEMBER PROTOCOL, AND CLEANING PROCEDURES.
I'LL JUST OUTLINE SOME OF OUR MAIN CHANGES THAT WE MADE, AND A LOT OF THESE WERE STATE MANDATED.
SO, I DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF CHOICE IN WHAT WE WERE GOING TO GO FORWARD WITH, BUT THAT JUST MADE IT EASIER, HONESTLY.
WE WERE REDUCED TO 25% OF OUR OCCUPANCY.
WE REDUCED OURS SO THAT WITH OUR REDUCED STAFFING, WE COULD ACCOMMODATE THAT.
WE SET UP ADVANCED REGISTRATION SO ALL GUESTS HAD TO PUT IN THEIR INFORMATION, WHICH HELPED WITH CONTACT TRACING.
THEN WE KNEW WHAT TO EXPECT FOR EACH DAY.
WE DO STILL ALLOW WALK-INS, THOUGH, BECAUSE WE KNEW THAT MOST OF OUR GUESTS, THEY DIDN'T PLAN FOR A MUSEUM TRIP BEFORE.
THEY WEREN'T USED TO SIGNING UP ONLINE, GOING TO OUR WEBSITE, AND TRYING TO FIGURE THAT OUT.
SO, WE DID CHANGE THAT.
WE DO ALLOW SOME WALK-INS.
AND THE MASKS ARE REQUIRED.
SOCIAL DISTANCING IS ENCOURAGED.
WE PROVIDED KIND OF A SUGGESTED ONE-WAY DIRECTION THROUGH THE MUSEUM.
AND WE ARE NOT HAVING ANY IN-PERSON PROGRAMS.
NORMALLY WE HOLD WEDDINGS.
WE'RE NOT DOING THAT.
AND WE'RE NOT EVEN HOLDING MEETINGS WITH STAFF ON SITE, UNLESS IT'S MEETING WITH A VENDOR FOR A MAINTENANCE PROJECT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THEN CLEANING PROCEDURES, WE REALLY HAD TO CHANGE WHAT WE WERE DOING.
I WORKED WITH OUR FACILITIES MANAGER TO COME UP WITH A CLEANING SCHEDULE FOR OUR VERY SMALL STAFF.
WE DID, WITH SOME INTERACTIVE ELEMENTS IN THE MUSEUM, WE WENT THROUGH AND FIGURED OUT, CAN WE CLEAN THIS OR SHOULD WE REMOVE IT?
ANY OBJECTS LIKE CLOTHING WE TOOK OUT.
SO, WE REMOVED AND SIMPLIFIED.
WE HAD OUR EXHIBIT AND PROGRAM STAFF ACTUALLY HELP WITH CLEANING THOSE EXHIBIT AREAS FOUR TIMES A DAY.
THEN OUR MAINTENANCE STAFF FOCUSED ON THE RESTROOMS AND HIGH-TOUCH POINTS LIKE RAILINGS AND DOOR KNOBS.
WE DO HAVE CHECKLISTS POSTED AT OUR BATHROOMS SO YOU CAN SEE THE LAST TIME THAT WAS CLEANED.
WE FEEL LIKE THAT'S A REASSURANCE TO OUR GUESTS.
AND I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE ON THIS CALL ARE RESEARCH LIBRARY FOLKS.
IT IS ONE OF OUR AREAS THAT WE WERE MOST CONCERNED WITH, WITH REOPENING.
WE HAVE A RESEARCH LIBRARY WHERE GUESTS COME IN AND DO RESEARCH ON SITE.
I WANTED TO WORK WITH OUR DIRECTOR OF LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES.
WE REVIEWED THE RESEARCH FROM R.E.A.L.M., AND THAT REALLY FOCUSED OUR EFFORTS.
WE ALSO LOOKED AT WHAT OUR LOCAL PUBLIC LIBRARY WAS DOING ABOUT QUARANTINING MATERIALS.
SO AS A RESULT, GUESTS TO OUR LIBRARY WOULD ONLY BE INVITED INTO THE SPACE ON WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS SO THAT THOSE THURSDAYS AND FRIDAYS WE COULD QUARANTINE THE MATERIALS IN BETWEEN.
THEY WERE QUARANTINED FOR AT LEAST 48 HOURS.
THEN WE ALSO WERE OFFERING VIRTUAL APPOINTMENTS ON THOSE THURSDAYS AND FRIDAYS TO STILL ALLOW SOME ACCESS TO OUR MATERIALS AT A SAFE DISTANCE.
AND AFTER THANKSGIVING, WE DID SEE AN INCREASE IN CASES IN THE AREA.
WE DECIDED TO GO WITH ALL VIRTUAL APPOINTMENTS, WHICH WE'RE ACTUALLY STICKING TO AT THE MOMENT AS WELL, UNTIL WE FEEL SAFE TO OPEN UP.
THE LIBRARY IS A PLACE WHERE, YOU KNOW, OUR STAFF HAVE LONGER INTERACTIONS WITH OUR GUESTS, SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE WAS FEELING SAFE AND WEREN'T GETTING UNNECESSARY EXPOSURES WHEN WE COULD OFFER THAT VIRTUAL OPTION.
THE VIRTUAL OPTION, OUR LIBRARIAN GETS ON A ZOOM CALL WITH OUR PATRON, AND THEN SHE KIND OF LOOKS FOR RESEARCH FOR THEM AND OFFERS THAT TO THEM.
IT VARIES A LOT IN HOW THAT ALL WORKS.
SO, NEXT WE STARTED PREPARING FOR REOPENING.
WE OPENED AGAIN TO THE PUBLIC ON AUGUST 1st.
THIS WAS A LITTLE BIT AFTER WE WERE ALLOWED TO BY THE STATE, BUT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE HAD EVERYTHING IN PLACE.
WE MADE SOME CHANGES TO THE BUILDING.
WE INCREASED SIGNAGE, PUT UP NEW HAND SANITIZER STATIONS, AND WE PUT A LARGE PLEXIGLASS SHIELD AROUND OUR FRONT DESKS.
THAT REALLY HELPED TO MINIMIZE THE INTERACTIONS WITH OUR GUEST SERVICE ASSOCIATES.
SINCE WE HAD PRE-REGISTRATION, GUESTS BASICALLY JUST WALK UP TO THE DESK, WE TAKE THEIR NAME, AND THEY CAN MOVE ON.
WE HAVE A TABLE AROUND THE CORNER WHERE THEY PICK UP MAPS AND PLAN OUT THEIR VISIT.
SO, IT'S A VERY SHORT INTERACTION TO LIMIT THAT EXPOSURE TO OUR STAFF.
AND SINCE REOPENING, WE HAVE THANKFULLY HAD NO KNOWN EXPOSURES AT THE MUSEUM, EITHER AMONG STAFF OR GUESTS, WHICH IS SOMETHING I THINK TO BE VERY PROUD OF.
BEFORE REOPENING, WE WERE REALLY NERVOUS THAT GUESTS WOULD COME IN AND REFUSE TO WEAR MASKS, BUT WE REALLY HAVEN'T SEEN THAT BE A PROBLEM.
WE DID SOME DE-ESCALATION TRAINING JUST IN CASE.
WE REALLY HAVEN'T HAD TO USE IT, KNOCK ON WOOD.
WE ARE CONSTANTLY REASSESSING AND ADJUSTING OUR PROCEDURES.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST ADJUSTMENTS THAT WE MADE WAS WE CHANGED FROM ADVANCED REGISTRATION FOR A WHOLE DAY TO TIMED TICKETING.
WE FOUND THAT IT MADE CHECK-IN EASIER, TO ELIMINATE ANY LINES AT THE FRONT DESK.
SO, WE KNEW THAT ONLY, YOU KNOW, 15 PEOPLE WOULD PROBABLY BE SHOWING UP BETWEEN 10:00 AND 10:30 A.M.
SO, IT MAKES IT EASIER ON OUR STAFF TO HELP.
THEN WE REVIEWED SOME R.E.A.L.M.
STUDIES RECENTLY, AND I REALLY JUST HAVEN'T FOUND ANY REASONS TO CHANGE OUR APPROACH JUST YET.
IT SEEMS TO BACK UP WHAT WE WERE DOING WITH THE SANITIZING OF OUR SERVICES.
SO, LOOKING FORWARD, WE ARE -- 
JUST THIS WEEK I WAS RESEARCHING THE NEW VARIANTS.
I'M ALWAYS LOOKING AT NEW RESOURCES.
I WATCH A LOT OF OUR GOVERNOR'S PRESS CONFERENCES AND KEEP UP TO DATE ON WHAT THE NEW PROCEDURES SHOULD BE.
THIS WEEK OUR STATE HAS REMOVED THE REGION FROM ORANGE AND YELLOW ZONE RESTRICTIONS.
SO, WE COULD GET LARGER MEETINGS, IF WE WANTED TO, AT THE MUSEUM, BUT WE HAVE DECIDED THAT WITH THE NEW VIRUS VARIANT THREATS, WE DON'T REALLY SEE A NEED FOR IT YET, AND WE ARE NOT CHANGING THOSE PROCEDURES AT THIS TIME.
JUST THIS MORNING, THE STATE RELEASED NEW REGULATIONS ON WEDDINGS.
WE'LL HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW THAT AFFECTS US BECAUSE WE DO USUALLY RENT THE VENUE FOR WEDDINGS.
THEN TO WRAP UP, I JUST WANTED TO TALK ABOUT SOME KEY LEARNINGS THAT I FOUND THROUGHOUT THIS WHOLE PROCESS OF CREATING THESE PROCEDURES.
I THINK A PLAN THAT'S BASED AROUND PEOPLE WILL DO BEST.
SCIENCE IS -- YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO IT, BUT DOING WHAT MAKES PEOPLE FEEL COMFORTABLE IS REALLY A KEY PIECE.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF OUR GUEST SERVICES STAFF MENTIONED THAT THEY SAW THESE ADHESIVE PANELS ON DOOR KNOBS, AND THEY SAID, YOU KNOW, I THINK PEOPLE WOULD FEEL COMFORTABLE KNOWING THAT THERE'S THIS PANEL ON THE DOOR THAT SHOWS THAT IT'S A SELF-CLEANING PANEL.
AT FIRST, I WAS LIKE, WELL, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THE SCIENCE BEHIND THIS IS, AND I WANT TO KNOW, IS THIS REALLY EFFECTIVE?
BUT, JUST THE MESSAGING THAT IT'S DOING SOMETHING, I THINK, IS IMPORTANT.
SO, WE DID PURCHASE THOSE AND PUT THEM IN PLACE.
MAKING THE STAFF FEEL COMFORTABLE IS REALLY ONE OF OUR MOST IMPORTANT ASPECTS THAT WE DO.
AND THEN WE MAKE TIME TO RE-EVALUATE OUR PROCEDURES REGULARLY.
WE DISCUSS THEM AT ALL STAFF MEETINGS.
AND I SEEK INPUT FROM STAFF FROM OUR COMMUNICATIONS, GUEST SERVICES, MAINTENANCE, AND LIBRARY DEPARTMENTS TO MAKE SURE WE'RE THINKING ABOUT HOW THIS IS WORKING FOR US EVERY DAY.
AND I THINK LEARNING FROM YOUR PEERS, GOING TO WEBINARS LIKE THIS IS REALLY HELPFUL TO GET SOME GREAT IDEAS THAT YOU CAN ADAPT TO YOUR ORGANIZATION.
AND TOLERATING THE AMBIGUOUS IS WHAT OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR HAS BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR A WHILE.
YOU'LL HAVE TO CHANGE YOUR PROCEDURES AS THE SITUATION CHANGES, AND WE JUST HAVE TO KNOW THAT'S OKAY.
WE WON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE, BUT IF YOU HAVE PROCEDURES IN PLACE, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO MAKE THOSE ADAPTATIONS.
AND I'VE REALIZED AT THE END THAT MANY OF THE PROCEDURES THAT WE PUT IN PLACE, SUCH AS THE CLEANING SYSTEMS AND THE ADVANCED TICKETING AND VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING, THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE WILL PROBABLY BRING INTO THE FUTURE EVEN AFTER THE PANDEMIC HAS SUBSIDED.
SO, WE'RE LEARNING A LOT, AND THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME GOOD THINGS THAT COME OUT OF THIS.
>> GREAT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, ROBIN.
COULD YOU MENTION HOW YOU APPROACHED THE DE-ESCALATION TRAINING THAT YOU OFFERED?
>> YEAH, WE HAD A LOCAL HR REPRESENTATIVE DO IT, BUT THERE ARE LOTS OF OTHER RESOURCES OUT THERE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT IN THIS AREA.
I DON'T REMEMBER OFF HAND WHAT THE RESOURCE WAS, BUT I CAN FIND THAT OUT.
>> GREAT.
WE'LL FOLLOW UP AND PUT THAT ON OUR SITE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING THAT EXPERIENCE.
WE'RE GOING TO MOVE OVER TO HEAR FROM CHRISTOPHER COOPER, WHO IS WITH THE HUMBOLDT COUNTY LIBRARY IN CALIFORNIA, WHERE HE'S THE DIRECTOR OF LIBRARY SERVICES.
THANKS FOR JOINING US, CHRIS.
AND YOU'LL JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU UNMUTE.
>> THANK YOU, KENDRA.
GREETINGS, EVERYONE.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE HOW THE R.E.A.L.M. PROJECT HAS PLAYED A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN HOW HUMBOLDT COUNTY LIBRARY HAS RESPONDED TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.
WE'RE CHARGED WITH THE RESPONSIBILITY OF BALANCING THE DELIVERY OF VITAL LIBRARY SERVICES TO THE PUBLIC WHILE BEING CONSCIENTIOUS ABOUT WHAT WE'VE LEARNED ABOUT THE VIRUS, SCIENCE, AND WHAT WE CAN DO TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITIES SAFE.
I FEEL FORTUNATE TO SERVE THE PEOPLE OF HUMBOLDT COUNTY.
HUMBOLDT COUNTY IS IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, UP IN THE HEART OF THE RED WOODS.
A COUPLE OF OUR LANDMARKS INCLUDE THE TRINIDAD BAY AND CARSON MANSION.
AND THE MANSION IS LOCATED RIGHT NEXT TO THE EUREKA LIBRARY.
IT'S A PREDOMINANTLY RURAL COUNTY WITH A FEW SMALL CITIES LOCATED ON ITS CENTRAL COAST.
WE HAVE 11 BRANCH LIBRARIES, INCLUDING A BOOK-MOBILE SERVING SMALLER COMMUNITIES IN THE REMOTE SECTIONS OF THE COUNTY.
DURING NON-COVID TIMES, WE CHECK OUT ABOUT A HALF A MILLION ITEMS PER YEAR.
LIBRARY CUSTOMERS DOWNLOAD ROUGHLY 45,000 E-BOOKS AND AUDIO RECORDINGS.
WE HAVE ROUGHLY 1,000 PROGRAMS PER YEAR AND WELCOME 23,000 GUESTS PER MONTH TOTAL AT ALL OF OUR LOCATIONS.
AT THE ONSET OF THE PANDEMIC, WE RESPONDED HOW MOST LIBRARIES DID, TASKED WITH HOW THEY WERE GOING TO ADAPT AND RESPOND TO THE R.E.A.L.M. STUDIES.
WE SENT EVERYONE HOME, LOCKED ALL THE BOOK DROPS, AND TOLD PATRONS WE DIDN'T WANT OUR STUFF BACK, EVER.
WE'RE STARTING OVER.
WELL, THE MORE OUR STAFF TALKED AND LISTENED TO EACH OTHER, THE MORE WE REALIZED OUR IMPORTANCE TO THE COMMUNITY.
ACCESS TO BOOKS, MAGAZINES, AND OTHER LIBRARY MATERIALS GIVES PEOPLE HOPE.
HOW ARE WE GOING TO BE ABLE TO REINVENT OURSELVES AND REMAIN RELEVANT WHILE STILL DOING OUR PART TO HELP THE COMMUNITY STAY SAFE DURING COVID?
WE DECIDED TO CLOSE FOR IN-PERSON SERVICES AND STARTED LOOKING AT STRATEGIES TO PROVIDE OPTIONS TO THE COMMUNITY, BALANCING COMMUNITY NEEDS WITH THE BEST AVAILABLE GUIDELINES FOR LIMITING THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS.
WE CREATED A PUBLICITY TEAM TO MAKE THE PUBLIC AWARE OF OUR EVOLVING SERVICES.
WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO THE COMMUNITY TO BE RESPONSIVE.
CONNECTING WITH COMMUNITY IS PARAMOUNT.
WE HAVE TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT EVEN THOUGH OUR BUILDINGS ARE CLOSED, THAT WE ARE THERE FOR THEM.
IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US NOW MORE THAN EVER TO BE GOOD LISTENERS AND TO MAKE TIME TO COMMUNICATE WITH STAFF AND GIVE THEM OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPRESS THEIR IDEAS AND CONCERNS.
WE BROUGHT TOGETHER FRONT-LINE STAFF AND MANAGERS TO DEVELOP NEW SERVICES FOR HUMBOLDT COUNTY RESIDENTS, INCLUDING E-ACCOUNTS, ONLINE STORY TIMES, AND PROGRAMMING.
I'M FORTUNATE TO WORK WITH AN OUTSTANDING, COLLABORATIVE STAFF AND A RESPONSIVE COUNTY HEALTH DIRECTOR.
LIBRARY PERSONNEL WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT FOR SUPPORT ON CLEANING AND DISINFECTING PROTOCOLS, EMPLOYEE TRAINING, INDIVIDUAL CONTROL MEASURES, AND SCREENING.
AND PHYSICAL DISTANCING GUIDELINES.
SO FAR WITH OUR 62 EMPLOYEE, WE'VE HAD NO ONE REPORT -- WE HAVE NO REPORTED COVID CASES.
INITIALLY, WE WERE FOCUSED ON MIGRATING THE LIBRARY TO ONLINE PLATFORMS.
.
WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE HUMBOLDT LIBRARY FOUNDATION AND THE CALIFORNIA STATE LIBRARY, WE WERE ABLE TO OFFER NEW DATABASES AVAILABLE FOR YOUTH, ADULTS, VETERANS, AND JOB SEEKERS.
WE OFFERED RESIDENTS THE OPTION TO SIGN UP FOR E-ACCOUNTS TO ACCESS ONLINE RESOURCES.
WE GREATLY EXPANDED OUR E-BOOK AND E-AUDIO COLLECTION.
USE OF THESE COLLECTIONS INCREASED BY 60%.
WE OFFER A WIDE VARIETY OF ONLINE BOOK CLUBS FOR ALL AGES.
THE LIBRARY BROUGHT WHAT WERE FORMERLY IN-PERSON PROGRAMS AND LECTURES ONLINE.
WE'VE WORKED WITH A LOCAL UNIVERSITY, THE PBS-TV AFFILIATE, AND OTHER COUNTY DEPARTMENTS TO OFFER WEB-BASED PROGRAMS AND DYNAMIC ONLINE STORY TIMES.
YAY, THERE'S SUSAN PARSONS, OUR LIBRARIAN.
WE REINSTATED OUR ILL AND ZIP BOOK PROGRAMS AND MADE THE REQUEST FORMS ACCESSIBLE FROM OUR WEBSITE.
PRIOR TO THE R.E.A.L.M. TEST, WE HAD VERY LITTLE INFORMATION ON THE VIABILITY OF THE VIRUS ON MATERIALS AND SURFACES.
THERE WERE VARYING LEVELS OF FEAR AMONG HUMBOLDT COUNTY LIBRARY STAFF.
SOME OF OUR PART-TIME EXTRA HELP STAFF, PARTICULARLY THOSE IN VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, OPTED NOT TO WORK FOR THE LIBRARY DURING THE PANDEMIC.
THE R.E.A.L.M. STUDIES DRAW UPON RESEARCH TO PRODUCE AUTHORITATIVE, SCIENCE-BASED INFORMATION ON HOW OR IF MATERIALS CAN BE HANDLED TO MITIGATE EXPOSURE TO STAFF AND VISITORS.
AS THE SUMMARIES AND DATA OF THE R.E.A.L.M. STUDIES WERE RELEASED, I STARTED SHARING THIS INFORMATION WITH A BROAD RANGE OF STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING OUR COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, STAFF, AND LIBRARY SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS.
IN APRIL, WE STARTED PLANNING FOR THE OPENING OF BOOK RETURN DROPS AND IMPLEMENTING CURBSIDE SERVICE FOR LIBRARY CUSTOMERS.
SOME STAFF WERE AMENABLE TO PROVIDING THIS SERVICE, AND OTHERS NOT SO MUCH.
 THEY WERE MORE CAUTIOUS AND WANTED TO BE INFORMED ABOUT HOW LONG THE VIRUS WAS VIABLE ON VARIOUS SURFACES AND OTHER RISK FACTORS.
AND THE PUBLIC SAFETY IMPLICATIONS OF PROVIDING THE SERVICE.
THE FIRST R.E.A.L.M. STUDY IN MAY 2020 WAS PIVOTAL IN GUIDING THE LIBRARY STAFF IN SETTING THRESHOLDS FOR QUARANTINING MATERIALS AND IMPLEMENTING CURBSIDE SERVICES.
THE DATA REASSURED OUR STAFF THAT WITH THE PROPER PPE AND QUARANTINE CYCLES, WE WERE ABLE TO SAFELY HANDLE RETURN MATERIALS, SET THEM ASIDE, AND CHECK THEM IN AFTER 96 HOURS.
WE OPENED THE BOOK DROPS.
ON THE FIRST DAY THAT WE REOPENED THE BOOK DROPS, I GOT A CALL FROM A CUSTOMER WHO SAID SHE DROPPED HER CAR KEYS IN THE NEW BOOK RETURN BOX THAT WE HAD JUST INSTALLED AT A SUPERMARKET.
I HAD TO CALL THE BRANCH MANAGER TO COME DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAIN, UNLOCK THE BOX, AND RETRIEVE HER KEYS.
WHEN THE RESULTS OF R.E.A.L.M. 
TEST FOUR WERE RELEASED, WE EXTENDED OUR QUARANTINE PERIOD FROM FOUR TO SEVEN DAYS BASED ON THE TEST RESULTS.
THE TESTING ASSESSED MATERIALS AND SCENARIOS MORE IN KEEPING WITH HOW WE HANDLED BOOKS, MAGAZINES, AND AUDIO-VISUAL MATERIALS RETURNED IN OUR BOOK RETURN ROOMS OR BOXES.
HCL STAFF EXAMINED LITERATURE FROM MYRIAD SOURCES ABOUT SANITIZING LIBRARY MATERIALS.
MUCH OF THE LITERATURE CONCURRED THAT THE BEST DISINFECTANT IS QUARANTINE -- THE EASIEST, SAFEST, AND LEAST EXPENSIVE DISINFECTANT IS TIME.
WE MOVED FROM LOCKING THE BOOK DROPS 24/7 TO OPENING THE BOOK DROPS SEVERAL DAYS A WEEK, TO LEAVING THE DROPS OPEN 24/7.
LISTENING AND FREQUENT ONGOING COMMUNICATION HELPED OUR STAFF UNIFY AND BE RECEPTIVE TO OFFERING, PLANNING, AND EXTENDING SERVICES DURING COVID.
WE MADE IT A PRIORITY FOR SUPERVISORS TO HAVE THE WILLINGNESS TO LEARN, TO LISTEN, TO ACTIVELY INVOLVE THEIR STAFF IN DEVELOPING, IMPLEMENTING, AND ASSESSING OUR PROCEDURES.
LIBRARY STAFF AND LEADERSHIP BEGAN DISCUSSING STRATEGIES ON HOW WE COULD GET PHYSICAL MATERIALS TO THE PUBLIC WHILE REDUCING THE RISK OF COVID EXPOSURE.
WE AGREED TO START WORKING ON PLANS FOR CURBSIDE SERVICE.
IN A COMMUNICATION MISUNDERSTANDING, THE COUNTY PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER ISSUED A PRESS RELEASE THAT WE WERE ROLLING OUT CURBSIDE SERVICE IN THREE WEEKS.
INSTEAD OF SENDING A CORRECTION, STAFF RALLIED TO THE CAUSE AND SPENT MOST OF THEIR WORKING HOURS ON DEVELOPING CURBSIDE PROCEDURES AND TEAMS.
THE SYNERGY WAS AMAZING, HEARTWARMING, AND SOMETIMES DOWNRIGHT SCARY.
I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE WORK OF OUR OPERATIONS MANAGER, RONDA WITTENBERG, FOR PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER.
WE DEVELOPED OUR PROCEDURES AND RECEIVED A COMPLIANCE AFFIDAVIT FROM THE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND MET THE DEADLINE.
HOLDS WERE PLACED OR GRAB BAGS WERE REQUESTED, AND MATERIALS WERE MADE AVAILABLE FOR CUSTOMER PICKUP.
HERE ARE A COUPLE SATISFIED GRAB BAG CUSTOMERING LAYING OUT THEIR BOUNTY.
WE EXPANDED CURBSIDE SERVICES TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO PICK UP CRAFT KITS, TAX FORMS, AND COMMUNITY SURVEYS.
WE WERE PROVIDING ACCESS TO PRINTING AND SCANNING SERVICES THROUGH EMAIL, WEB INTERFACE, AND TELEPHONE.
THE GREAT OUTDOORS ALSO PROVIDES THE LIBRARY WITH A BEVY OF SERVICE OPTIONS.
HERE ARE A COUPLE.
IN NON-COVID TIMES, LIBRARY CUSTOMERS ARE INVITEDN TO THE BOOK-MOBILE TO BROWSE THE COLLECTION.
IN JULY, WE REINTRODUCED BOOK-MOBILE SERVICE WITH MODIFICATIONS.
RATHER THAN INVITING PATRONS TO STEP ON TO THE BOOK MOBILE FOR BROWSING, WE DISPLAYED NEW TITLES OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE ON SHELVES TO PEOPLE CAN SAFELY BROWSE THE LIBRARY'S COLLECTION.
BOOK MOBILE STAFF WEAR GLOVES, MASKS, AND PRACTICE SOCIAL DISTANCING.
IN THE SUMMER AND EARLY FALL, SUSAN PARSONS, OUR SUPERVISING LIBRARIAN, POSTED STORY WALKS.
A STORY WALK IS A DISASSEMBLED BOOK POSTED OUTSIDE ON VARIOUS STAKES AND WALLS WHERE COMMUNITY MEMBERS CAN COME AND READ ALOUD OUTDOORS.
THE R.E.A.L.M. PROJECT'S PHASE TWO LITERATURE REVIEW PROVIDED LIBRARY STAFF WITH THE IMPETUS TO SET UP ADDITIONAL SANITIZING STATIONS AND SEVERAL SHARED WORK SPACES TO REDUCE THE SPREAD OF FOMITES.
AT THE EUREKA LIBRARY, WE HAVE ABOUT TEN SUCH STATIONS OUTFITTED WITH HAND SANITIZER, DISINFECTING WIPES, MASKS, AND GLOVES.
WE ALSO PURCHASE FACE SHIELDS TO PROTECT STAFF FROM AEROSOLS.
IN NOVEMBER 2020, WE STARTED TEMPORARILY SHARING OUR SPACE WITH ANOTHER COUNTY DEPARTMENT.
WE MAPPED OUT PATHS OF TRAVEL, ASSIGNED SEPARATE BREAK ROOMS, AND DISTINCT RESTROOM SPACES TO HELP LIMIT CROSS-CONTAMINATION.
AS WE LOOK AHEAD TO OFFERING IN-PERSON SERVICES, INCLUDING REDUCED CAPACITY BROWSING AND PUBLIC COMPUTER ACCESS, WE WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK TO R.E.A.L.M. 
RESEARCH TO INFORM OUR DECISIONS AS KNOWLEDGE CONTINUES TO EVOLVE.
CURRENTLY, THE COUNTY'S ADJUSTED COVID CASE RATE AND POSITIVITY RATE IS PEAKING.
MOST OF THE COUNTIES IN THE STATE ARE IN THE MOST RESTRICTIVE PURPLE TIER WITH REGARDS TO OPENING.
WE HAD THREE DEATHS IN THE COUNTY TODAY.
THE R.E.A.L.M. STUDIES HAVE HELPED US ESTABLISH TRUST, FOSTER BUY-IN, AND COMMUNICATE AND BUILD COMMUNICATION ABOUT OUR PROCEDURES AND PROTOCOLS AMONG LIBRARY USERS, COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS, AND STAFF.
WITH ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE FROM THE CDC, OSHA, THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH, AND THE COUNTY OF HUMBOLDT PUBLIC HEALTH, WE BELIEVE WE CAN PROVIDE ACCESS TO SERVICES WHILE KEEPING THE COMMUNITY SAFE.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, CHRIS.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR CONTRIBUTION AND ALL THAT YOUR TEAM IS DOING TO HELP KEEP YOUR COMMUNITY SAFE.
WE DO HAVE ONE FINAL PANELIST FOR TODAY'S PRESENTATION, AND THIS IS MY COLLEAGUE ANNA MUSUN-MILLER, WHO IS ONE OF THE R.E.A.L.M. TOOLKIT EDITORS WHO HAS BEEN SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF RESOURCES FOR THE R.E.A.L.M. PROJECT.
THANKS FOR JOINING US, ANNA.
>> THANKS SO MUCH, KENDRA.
I JUST WANTED TO GIVE FOLKS A QUICK RUNDOWN OF THE AVAILABLE TOOLKIT RESOURCES.
I'M GOING TO GET THROUGH THESE KIND OF QUICKLY SO WE HAVE TIME FOR QUESTIONS AT THE END.
BUT DO KNOW THAT ALL OF THESE ARE PUBLISHED ON THE R.E.A.L.M. 
WEBSITE SO YOU CAN ABSOLUTELY TAKE YOUR TIME WITH THEM THERE.
I PERSONALLY AM THE MUSEUM TOOLKIT EDITOR ON THE PROJECT, AND I WORK TOGETHER WITH MY COLLEAGUE KATHERINE, WHO'S THE LIBRARIES AND ARCHIVES TOOLKIT EDITOR.
SO, OUR FOCUS IS ON TRYING TO PRODUCE MATERIALS THAT WILL BE HELPFUL TO YOU IN YOUR LOCAL DECISION MAKING.
WE HAVE A SUMMARY OF THE PROJECT THAT'S BEEN PREPARED FOR BOTH LIBRARY AND ARCHIVE AUDIENCES, AS WELL AS FOR MUSEUMS THAT USES INDUSTRY SPECIFIC LANGUAGE FOR THOSE TWO FIELDS THAT COULD HELP EXPLAIN THE R.E.A.L.M. PROJECT TO YOUR STAFF AND STAKEHOLDERS.
AS KENDRA ALREADY REFERENCED, WE DO HAVE A GIANT VISUAL AID THAT COMPARES ALL OF THE MATERIALS TESTED SIDE BY SIDE.
THIS IS MEANT TO BE AN AT-A-GLANCE REFERENCE.
SO, PLEASE DO LOOK AT THE ORIGINAL TEST DATA TO SEE ANYTHING THAT'S RELATED TO MATERIALS THAT ARE OF SPECIFIC INTEREST TO YOU.
WE'VE ALSO GONE AHEAD AND DONE SOME MATERIAL COMPARISONS.
SO, IF YOU ARE AN EXHIBITS MANAGER AND REALLY JUST INTERESTED IN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HDPE AND LDPE PLASTIC AND THAT HARDBACK VERSUS SOFTBACK BOOKS, WE'VE GONE AHEAD AND BROKEN THOSE CATEGORIES DOWN FOR YOU.
AND WE'VE BEEN PRODUCING TAKEAWAY DOCUMENTS THAT ARE THE HIGH-LEVEL MESSAGES FROM THE LITERATURE REVIEWS.
SO, A COUPLE OF THESE ALREADY EXIST, AND AS KENDRA REFERENCED, WE HAVE A THIRD LITERATURE REVIEW COMING OUT SHORTLY.
THAT WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY A TAKEAWAY DOCUMENT.
WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO COLLATE EXAMPLES FROM INSTITUTIONS LIKE ONES WE HEARD FROM TEAM, OF THEIR PRACTICES, AND CURATE THOSE INTO DECISION-MAKING CHECKLISTS THAT YOU CAN USE AS REFERENCES AS YOU'RE MAKING YOUR OWN DECISIONS FOR YOUR INSTITUTION.
CURRENTLY, THERE'S A DECISION-MAKING CONSIDERATIONS CHECKLIST UP ON THE WEBSITE.
THERE'S A CLEANING CONSIDERATIONS DOCUMENT COMING SHORTLY, AS WELL AS SOME OTHER TOPICS COMING SOON.
WE DO HAVE NEW TEST RESULTS COMING SHORTLY.
THOSE WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY ADDITIONAL VISUAL AIDS.
WE ANTICIPATE COLLECTING RESOURCES RELATED TO ALL SORTS OF ISSUES THAT ARE RELEVANT TO THE LIBRARY ARCHIVE AND MUSEUM COMMUNITY, SUCH AS EXAMPLES OF SUCCESSFUL VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING, EXAMPLES OF SUCCESSFUL SOCIAL DISTANCING MODIFICATIONS, INCLUDING SIGNAGE AND COMMUNICATIONS, AS WELL AS SOME ISSUES RELATED TO VACCINATION THAT WILL HAVE OPERATIONAL IMPACT TO ALL OF OUR LIBRARY, ARCHIVE, AND MUSEUM STAKEHOLDERS.
SO, THOSE RESOURCES CAN BE FOUND ON THE R.E.A.L.M. WEBSITE.
AS KENDRA MENTIONED EARLIER, YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR THE R.E.A.L.M. 
MAILING LIST AND BE NOTIFIED WHEN THEY'RE POSTED ON THE WEBSITE.
AND IF YOU PERSONALLY HAVE ANY IDEAS FOR RESOURCES THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE, WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR IT.
SO, PLEASE GET IN TOUCH.
>> GREAT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, ANNA.
REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT YOU AND KATHERINE ARE DOING ON THE PROJECT.
SO, WE HAVE JUST ABOUT FIVE MINUTES LEFT IN THE PRESENTATION TODAY.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'D LIKE TO HAVE YOU ALL SHARE IN THE CHAT IS, WHAT FEELS MOST URGENT TO YOU NOW?
WE'RE OBVIOUSLY ON THE CUSP OF VACCINATIONS, WELL UNDER WAY IN MANY COMMUNITIES, BUT AS YOU LOOK AHEAD FOR THE NEXT EVEN, YOU KNOW, MONTH, THREE MONTHS, WHAT FEELS MOST URGENT IN YOUR LIBRARY OR MUSEUM OR ARCHIVE THAT IS TOP OF MIND?
AND WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THIS FEEDBACK AS WE LOOK TO CREATE NEW MATERIALS, HOW WE PROCEED WITH THE LITERATURE REVIEWS, WHAT OTHER QUESTIONS WE SHOULD BE ASKING SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUALLY PUT OUT RESOURCES THAT ARE VALUABLE.
AND I REALLY WANT TO THANK ROBIN AND CHRIS FOR SHARING HOW THEIR INSTITUTIONS WENT THROUGH THIS PROCESS, HOW THEY EVOLVED THEIR SERVICES, AND I THINK THAT WAS A REAL KEY CONNECTION BETWEEN BOTH OF THEIR INSTITUTIONS, IS THAT IT'S CHANGING AS INFORMATION CHANGES.
AND THAT IS A REALLY DIFFICULT SITUATION.
I SAW A CHAT COME THROUGH EARLIER ABOUT HOW DO YOU DO THIS WITH FOLKS?
HOW DO YOU SIGNAL THAT THINGS ARE GOING TO CHANGE AS INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE?
I DID POST A LINK TO AN ARTICLE THAT CAME OUT IN BMJ, WHICH WAS "THE BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL," AROUND DEALING WITH AMBIGUITY.
A LOT OF IT IS BEING TRANSPARENT ABOUT DECISION MAKING, ABOUT BEING FORTHRIGHT WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO SOMETHING.
AND FOR R.E.A.L.M., A LOT OF THIS IS INDICATING WE DON'T KNOW ALL THE ANSWERS.
THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY DOESN'T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS.
SO, WE'RE CONTINUING TO INVESTIGATE AND PUT OUT INFORMATION AS IT BECOMES AVAILABLE, BUT IT'S CONSTANTLY CHANGING.
AND THAT'S DIFFICULT BECAUSE WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME SOMETIMES FORMULATING CHANGES AND RULES OR POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, AND WE MIGHT GET USED TO THAT AND THEN THINGS CHANGE.
SO, JUST LOOKING THROUGH SOME OF THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE ARE POSTING, CONCERNS ABOUT THE NEW VARIANTS, I KNOW THAT'S COMING UP A LOT IN THE NEWS, AND WE ARE LOOKING INTO THE RESEARCH TO SEE WHAT WE CAN SHARE.
KEEPING STAFF AND PATRONS SAFE, REMINDING PEOPLE TO CONTINUE TO MASK UP, WEAR THAT PPE, KEEP WATCHING YOUR HANDS.
THAT GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO BE TOP OF MIND AND ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS TO LATCH ON TO.
PROVIDING ACCURATE INFORMATION.
MY INFORMATION PROFESSIONALS OUT THERE, I KNOW THIS IS CORE TO YOUR WORK.
SO MAKING SURE PEOPLE HAVE TIMELY AND ACCURATE INFORMATION TO HELP MAKE DECISIONS IS A HUGE, HUGE ASK IN OUR COMMUNITIES AS WE HELP TO SUPPORT THE MINIMIZATION OF THE SPREAD OF THIS DISEASE.
PROVIDING SAFE ACCESS TO OUR RESOURCES.
LIBRARIES, ARCHIVES, AND MUSEUMS, WE ALL CONNECT TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO LIFELONG LEARNING, TO RESOURCES THAT HELP WITH CULTURAL ENRICHMENT OR PRESERVING OUR CULTURAL HERITAGE, AND NOT BEING ABLE TO DO THAT IN THE WAY THAT WE'RE USED TO, IT DOES FEEL REALLY URGENT.
WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO RETURN TO WHERE THINGS WERE.
AND I JUST WANT TO NOTE THAT WE REALLY -- WE UNDERSTAND HOW CHALLENGING THIS IS TO ALL OF YOU.
I CAN'T EMPHASIZE ENOUGH THAT ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING PARTS OF THIS PROJECT FOR US IS KNOWING HOW VERY HARD YOU ALL ARE WORKING OUT IN YOUR COMMUNITIES TO TRY AND DO THE RIGHT THING.
WE KNOW THAT YOU ATTEND THESE WEBINARS, THAT YOU DO READING, THAT YOU ARE SEEKING LOCAL INPUT, AND WE HOPE WE CAN BE PART OF THAT SOLUTION FOR YOU.
BUT I DO WANT TO COLLECTIVELY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE SEE HOW CHALLENGING THIS IS FOR YOU, AND WE APPRECIATE THE TIME AND EFFORT THAT YOU ALL PUT INTO HELPING TO SUPPORT YOUR COMMUNITIES.
CONTINUE TO COME TO THE R.E.A.L.M. WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION.
JOIN OUR SUBSCRIPTION LIST TO GET UPDATES.
THEY'RE USUALLY ABOUT EVERY TWO WEEKS.
YOU'LL GET THE LATEST INFORMATION WHEN IT'S AVAILABLE.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE R.E.A.L.M. PROJECT, YOU CAN SEND THOSE IN.
YOU'LL FIND A LINK TO THAT ON THE PROJECT WEBSITE.
I REALLY WANT TO AGAIN THANK OUR PRESENTERS TODAY, CHRIS AND ROBIN AND ANNA, FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR YOUR GUIDANCE AND YOUR SUPPORT OF THIS PROJECT.
JENNIFER, ANYTHING AS WE CLOSE TODAY?
>> YES, I'LL JUST MENTION THAT WHEN YOU LEAVE, WE'RE SEND YOU TO A SHORT SURVEY TO COLLECT YOUR FEEDBACK ON TODAY'S SESSION.
WE'LL SHARE THAT WITH OUR PRESENTERS AS WELL.
AND LATER ON THIS EVENING, I'LL SEND YOU ALL AN EMAIL ONCE THE RECORDING HAS BEEN POSTED.
NEXT WEEK I WILL SEND YOU A CERTIFICATE FOR ATTENDING TODAY.
THANK YOU, ALL OF OUR PRESENTERS, AND FOR ALL OF YOU ATTENDING.
KNOW THAT WE APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR GREAT WORK AND KNOW THAT IT'S VERY DIFFICULT, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO SUPPORT YOUR NEEDS THROUGH THE R.E.A.L.M. PROJECT.