LibGuides: Pandemic Resources for Academic Libraries: Resources for Reopening

Advocating for Your Library

Webcast Recording

Advocating for Library Workers During Uncertain Times
Wednesday, May 13

The recent public health situation has created much uncertainty for higher education funding. Libraries are finding themselves in increasingly more complex fiscal situations, with layoffs, furloughs, and budget reductions being announced and anticipated. Our panel of library leaders from institutions of all sizes discusses practical strategies for engaging campus administrators in conversations that emphasize the importance of supporting library employees and the critical work they are doing for their students and organizations.

Presenters:

Kristin Henrich, Associate Dean and Head for User and Research Services, University of Idaho Library
Devin Savage, Dean of Libraries, Illinois Institute of Technology
Cynthia Simpson, Director of Library Services, Madonna University
Gary White, Senior Associate Dean, University of Maryland Libraries
Moderator: Cynthia Ippoliti, University Librarian and Director, Auraria Library

Advocating for Library Workers During Uncertain Times Blog Series

In this three-part series on Advocating for Library Workers During Uncertain Times, library leaders from institutions of all sizes discuss practical strategies for engaging campus administrators in conversations that emphasize the importance of supporting library employees and the critical work they are doing for their students and organizations. Additional information is available in the recording of our recent ACRL Presents webcast.

Posts:

"Library Advocacy Best Practices" by Cynthia Simpson. (July 8, 2020)

"Collecting and Presenting Meaningful Library Impact Data" by Devin Savage. (July 15, 2020)

"Furloughs and Layoffs: Advocating for Library Workers" by Kristin Henrich. (July 22, 2020)

Possible Futures: Planning for a Post-Pandemic World

Chronicle of Higher Education: " The 5 Biggest Lessons We’ve Learned About How Coronavirus Spreads on Campus"
December 3, 2020. From the article: "When colleges shifted operations online in the spring because of Covid-19, so much remained in question. How did the new coronavirus spread? What were its ill effects? Could colleges open for in-person instruction in the 2020-21 academic year, and what would happen if they did? As the fall term comes to a close, we now have some hard-earned answers. These five lessons may shape institutions’ responses both to the coming spring semester and to pandemics and other public-health threats in the future."
Library Journal: "Novel Strategies for a Novel Virus: Designing Resilient Libraries for a Post-COVID World"
May 22, 2020 article on adapting library spaces that reduce the risks associated with a pandemic.
"Coronavirus: How should US higher education plan for an uncertain future?"
Article from McKinsey and Company covering possible futures for reopening higher education.
American Council on Education: College and University Presidents Respond to COVID-19 (April 2020 Survey)
In early April, ACE fielded the first of 12 monthly Pulse Point surveys to gather presidents’ insights and experiences with COVID-19 and its effects on their institutions and the larger higher education landscape. In this first survey, 192 presidents* shared their most pressing concerns and assessed their institution’s capacity and needs on prominent COVID-19 issues, including financial impact, remote learning, and student mental health.
The Atlantic: "There’s No Simple Way to Reopen Universities"
Article from The Atlantic focusing on how do you operate institutions designed to mix people and ideas without also mixing viruses?
Center for the Future of Libraries: Coronavirus Pandemic
This page seeks to compile information about the possible near- and long-term implications for the current coronavirus pandemic. It includes information about the possible ways communities will respond to the pandemic and implications for specific areas of society. Updated continually.
Chronicle of Higher Education: "5 Ways to Transform the Academic Workplace in a Post-Covid-19 World"
Covid-19 has created an opportunity to fundamentally transform the workplace in higher education. The steps you take now will determine whether you capitalize on new possibilities or simply waste this crisis. What are the new possibilities and opportunities? Here are five to consider.
Chronicle of Higher Education: "6 Steps to Prepare for an Online Fall Semester"
Steps colleges should take to help prepare for fall 2020 and beyond.
Governing: "Can Colleges Reopen in the Fall? If Not, Some Won't Survive"
Article on the future of higher education from Governing.com, a resource focusing on question of what state and local government looks like in a world of rapidly advancing technology.
Inside Higher Ed: "Colleges Are Not Light Switches"
Opinion piece urging institutions to start planning for possible fall reopening.
NPR: "6 Ways College Might Look Different In The Fall"
All Things Considered story (audio and text) examining what may happen on college campuses in the fall.
Slate: "Empty Lecture Halls, No Fall Football, a Freshman-Only Campus"
Article from Slate.com discussing ways colleges are thinking through reopening plans.
Chronicle of Higher Education: "Welcome to the Socially Distanced Campus"
May 26, 2020 article about what classes and campus facilities might look like when reopening. Focus is on campus at large and not library-specific. (Chronicle subscription required)

Returning to Campus and Reopening Your Library

HGHI: Key Metrics for COVID Suppression (Data Map)
From Harvard Global Health Institute, this COVID Risk Level map shows if a county or state is on the green, yellow, orange or red risk level, based on the number of new daily cases.
CDC: Considerations for Institutes of Higher Education
As some institutes of higher education (IHE) open in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers the following considerations for ways in which IHEs can help protect students and employees (e.g., faculty, staff, and administrators) and slow the spread of COVID-19. These considerations are meant to supplement—not replace—any state, local, territorial, or tribal health and safety laws, rules, and regulations with which IHEs must comply.
LIbrary Journal: Science-Based Reopening Plans in Everyday English
May 28, 2020. "I’m a librarian married to a molecular biologist who’s really good at explaining science to non-scientists. This is incredibly helpful when you’re in the middle of a pandemic. Our consortium of three community colleges in Seattle, WA, gathered information from my spouse, our institution’s environmental health coordinator, and several health agencies to develop our re-opening plans."
ACHA: Considerations for Reopening Institutions of Higher Education in the COVID-19 Era (PDF)
May 7, 2020. Guidelines from the American College Health Association for reopening higher education institutions in the wake of COVID-19.
AIHA: "Reopening: Guidelines for General Office Settings"
Guidelines for reopening office spaces from the American Industrial Hygiene Association.
American Libraries Magazine: "Reopening: Not 'When?' But 'How?'"
April 17, 2020 article in American Libraries Magazine. As stay-at-home orders extend deeper into spring, some public libraries are drafting plans for their eventual reopenings—even as it remains difficult to predict how and when those plans might be implemented.
Chronicle of Higher Education: Here’s a List of Colleges’ Plans for Reopening in the Fall
The coronavirus pandemic has left higher-education leaders facing difficult decisions about when to reopen campuses and how to go about it. The Chronicle is tracking individual colleges’ plans. Updated daily.
CUPA-HR Coronavirus COVID-19 Resources
Resource guide to the COVID-19 pandemic from the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources, including information on the outlook for higher education and reopening campus operations. The guide is updated regularly and focus primarily on Human Resources issues.
IFLA: "Reopening Libraries"
Section from the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions' "COVID-19 and the Global Library Field" resource covering considerations for reopening libraries.
Inside Higher Ed: "The Evolving Fall Picture"
Article from Inside Higher Ed covering reopening plans from several institutions.
Library Journal: " Purdue Dean of Libraries Beth McNeil on How Reopening Campus Might Look"
May 4, 2020. Interview with Beth McNeil, dean and Esther Ellis Norton Professor at Purdue University Libraries and School of Information Studies, who believes that a measured reopening of the Purdue University’s eight libraries is possible. LJ caught up with her to find out what that might look like.
Public Libraries Online: "Libraries Contemplate Re-Opening"
Article on plans for reopening libraries. While the focus is on public libraries, the article looks at several questions for library leaders to consider while building plans to reopen that can also apply to academic libraries.
Reopening Archives, Libraries and Museums (REALM) Information Hub: A COVID-19 Research Project
Website for a research project from OCLC, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and Battelle to create and distribute science-based information and best recommended practices designed to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 to staff and visitors who are engaging in the delivery or use of museum, library, and archival services.
U.S. Chamber of Commerce: State-by-State Business Reopening Guidance
Interactive map and state guides that include the latest guidelines, timelines and other critical information for businesses aiming to restart safely and sustainably amid the pandemic, as well as the latest information for employers in that state.
Library Journal: "Some Thoughts on Reopening: An Open Letter to My Fellow Directors"
May 22, 2020 opinion piece in Library Journal from Christian Zabriskie, Executive Director of the Onondaga County Public Library and Urban Librarians Unite.
AAUP: Guidance for Reopening Campuses
The AAUP offers the following guidance on reopening campuses to our chapters, faculty governing bodies, and administrations.

Pandemic Resources for Academic Libraries: Resources for Reopening

Preparing for What Comes Next

Advocating for Your Library

Possible Futures: Planning for a Post-Pandemic World

Returning to Campus and Reopening Your Library