[Libs-Or] Updated COVID-19 Materials Handling Advice

Thu Oct 8 16:54:00 PDT 2020

Hi Cindy,

Good question! The OHA staff who offered this advice reviewed all of the currently-available results from REALM, including the results of test 4<https://www.webjunction.org/content/dam/WebJunction/Documents/webJunction/realm/test4-report.pdf>, which specifically looked at the attenuation of the virus in a stacked condition. From REALM’s description of the test 4 results:

“Four of the five items in Test 4 are similar book materials to Test 1, but in Test 4, these items were stacked to simulate their common storage configuration in bins and book drops and on shelves.”

We did not have a detailed conversation with the OHA staff about the specific working conditions in libraries. The main rationales that OHA expressed in advising a 24-hour quarantine were 1) the amount of viable virus being used in REALM, which OHA felt was higher than most real-life scenarios and 2) how much the viral load reduces after 24 hours, based in REALM’s results.

We definitely understand that the advice we received from OHA differs from other information libraries have been using to make decisions on local materials handling procedures. The working conditions and processes in different libraries vary widely, and there are good reasons why many of you may choose not to adopt the recommended 24-hour quarantine. However, we nonetheless hope that the advice is useful in making local decisions on materials handling.

One other point of interest: This advice was mentioned during a recent REALM Steering Committee meeting as a good example of how their study is contributing to discussions at the local level. I do not want to imply endorsement by REALM, but we were heartened to know that they appreciate that their results are being put to use.

I understand that these are not easy decisions to make, with the safety of patrons, staff, and volunteers at stake. It was only a couple of months ago that I was making decisions like these, too, in my previous position. They were some of some of the hardest decisions of my professional life! This is all to say, I greatly appreciate the thought and care all of you are putting into adapting your libraries’ practices in light of the pandemic, and I know that your patrons appreciate it, too. Thank you all for the work you’re doing!

Please feel free to ask me any other questions!

Cheers!

Buzzy Nielsen, MPP, MSI
Program Manager, Library Support & Development Services,
State Library of Oregon
Pronouns: he/him/his
buzzy.nielsen at state.or.us<mailto:buzzy.nielsen at state.or.us>  |  971-375-3486
www.oregon.gov/library/libraries<http://www.oregon.gov/library/libraries>
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From: Cindy Gibbon [mailto:cindyg at multco.us]
Sent: Thursday, October 8, 2020 2:45 PM
To: Buzzy Nielsen <Buzzy.Nielsen at state.or.us>
Cc: libs-or at omls.oregon.gov; Academic Library Directors announcement list (al-directors at omls.oregon.gov) <al-directors at omls.oregon.gov>; Public Library Directors announcement list (pl-directors at omls.oregon.gov) <pl-directors at omls.oregon.gov>; Tribal Library Directors announcement list (tl-directors at omls.oregon.gov) <tl-directors at omls.oregon.gov>; OCCLL at LISTSERV.CO.MARION.OR.US
Subject: Re: [Libs-Or] Updated COVID-19 Materials Handling Advice

Buzzy, one of the things that would be helpful to know about the OHA evaluation is how much information did the evaluators have about actual conditions in our libraries.  Did they understand, for example, that materia  are stacked in bins or crates while waiting to be checked in, which apparently allows the virus to survive for longer based on the REALM study?  Were they aware that in busy libraries, a single staff member might remove from a book drop and/or check in as many as 35 crates of items (with 30-35 items per crate) in a single day--or more?  Obviously we have not way of knowing how many of those items might have been sneezed on by an infected person, but I know it would help library staff who handle materials to feel confident that the health professionals at OHA who evaluated the studies had a realistic idea of what their jobs entail.

And lest it not be obvious because I'm asking these questions, thanks so much to OSL for taking the initiative to get this advice for us.  We appreciate it very much!
Cindy

Cindy Gibbon (she, her, hers)
Director of Policy and Special Projects
My schedule: Monday through Friday
Multnomah County Library
503.988.5496
multcolib.org<http://multcolib.org>

Did you notice my font is large for better accessibility?  Experts recommend<http://createsend.com/t/d-ABFFF5F25EC93A19> we use at least 14pt font size with Arial or Verdana fonts for best readability.

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On Thu, Oct 8, 2020 at 2:24 PM Buzzy Nielsen via Libs-Or <libs-or at omls.oregon.gov<mailto:libs-or at omls.oregon.gov>> wrote:
External -
[External Sender]
Hi everyone,

Many of you have been asking about the commentary in The Lancet to which Dr. Hamade referred in his advice re: library materials handling. Here’s a link, for anyone who’s interested. Dr. Hamade and his OHA colleagues also reviewed the citations noted in the commentary, among other information. The relevant commentary is the second one in the link, starting near the bottom of the first page.

https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/laninf/PIIS1473-3099(20)30561-2.pdf

Please feel free to contact me if you have further questions.

Cheers!

Buzzy Nielsen, MPP, MSI
Program Manager, Library Support & Development Services,
State Library of Oregon
Pronouns: he/him/his
buzzy.nielsen at state.or.us<mailto:buzzy.nielsen at state.or.us>  |  971-375-3486
www.oregon.gov/library/libraries<http://www.oregon.gov/library/libraries>
Follow us: Facebook<http://fb.me/StateLibraryOR> | Twitter<https://twitter.com/StateLibraryOR> | Instagram<https://www.instagram.com/statelibraryor/> | Pinterest<https://pinterest.com/statelibraryor/>

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From: Libs-Or [mailto:libs-or-bounces at omls.oregon.gov<mailto:libs-or-bounces at omls.oregon.gov>] On Behalf Of Jennifer Patterson via Libs-Or
Sent: Monday, October 5, 2020 9:02 AM
To: Libs-or <libs-or at omls.oregon.gov<mailto:libs-or at omls.oregon.gov>>
Subject: [Libs-Or] Updated COVID-19 Materials Handling Advice

Good morning,
In response to questions received from local libraries, the State Library of Oregon sought the advice of experts from the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) on how to handle and circulate library materials safely during the COVID-19 pandemic. OHA reviewed the REALM Project<https://www.webjunction.org/explore-topics/COVID-19-research-project.html> test results to date and offered the advice outlined in the attached document to assist libraries in making local decisions about handling and circulating materials safely. If you have questions after reviewing the attached information, you may contact Buzzy Nielsen, Program Manager for Library Support and Development Services, at buzzy.nielsen at state.or.us<mailto:buzzy.nielsen at state.or.us> or 971-375-3486.

Best,
Jennifer

Jennifer Patterson
State Librarian
Pronouns: she/her/hers
jennifer.l.patterson at state.or.us<mailto:jennifer.l.patterson at state.or.us>
Office: 503-378-4367 | Cell: 971-375-2713
www.oregon.gov/library<http://www.oregon.gov/library>
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[Title: State Library of Oregon]

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