[PL-Directors] Tracking programming activities during COVID-19 closures

[Ross Fuqua]

Hello Oregon public library directors,

I hope you, your staff, friends, and families are all hanging in there and staying healthy!

I wanted to get the word out about a couple of data-gathering efforts underway for/about public libraries affected by COVD-19 closures. Please note that these are all optional, if-you-feel-up-to-it kinds of efforts. If these types of things raise any amount level of stress for you right now, I would certainly advocate for deleting this email and moving on!
That said:

*       Public Library Association (PLA) would like to get a better picture of public library response and activities during the current COVID-19 crisis. Public library directors (or their designees) are asked to complete this online survey this week: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/publiclibrariesrespond. It should only take 10-15 minutes to complete, and you can view the full set of questions and FAQs here: http://www.ala.org/pla/issues/covid-19/surveyoverview. This survey closes on 11:59pm on Monday, March 30.

*       If your library is (or will soon be) providing virtual programming, please consider tracking the number of virtual programs as well as live program attendance. We will most likely add optional questions to the 2020 Oregon Public Library Statistical Report in an attempt to capture some statewide data on the response. For now, I'm stealing guidance from my counterpart in Michigan, who states: "Keep virtual program counts separate from physical programs. Count each instance of a virtual program as 1 program. Count the audience while the program is live as attendees.  Do not count views of a recording as attendees." Please let me know if you have questions!

*       If your library has closed and you have not already done so, please consider reporting your closure via this simple Google Form<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeZ1_UMvKwiEyIUisyqmB3Wzex15SjP7vZeT-bQuRoxMMCSQQ/viewform>, which is attempting to track closures nationally. See a list of closures already reported here<https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vG21vqjeWUyqQNin7QzAoxUBg2UMO8mCgGQ_rhnX2lI/htmlview> - or a map of these reported closures here<https://tiesd.maps.arcgis.com/apps/View/index.html?appid=f2255538c83d4826b7d3259fb9610bce&extent=-220.8431,-21.6036,49.1568,71.7508>.

Thank you, and be well!

Ross Fuqua
Data & Federal Programs Consultant
503-378-5027 | oregon.gov/library/libraries<https://www.oregon.gov/library/libraries>
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COVID-19 info: https://libguides.osl.state.or.us/coronavirus

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