Pandemic Preparedness

This page provides information about preparing for a pandemic, and many of the resources are specific to influenza outbreaks.

Pandemic Preparedness Resources for Libraries (representation of a COVID-19 virus under electron microscope)

A pandemic is an outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area and affects an exceptionally high proportion of the population. (Merriam-Webster Online). This page provides information about preparing for a pandemic, including library-specific policy suggestions and more universal resources on pandemic education, prevention and preparation. Some of the resources are specific to seasonal influenza outbreaks and the 2019/2020 COVID-19 pandemic, but can be used more universally to help educate and inform decisions on pandemic prevention and preparedness.

News

Library responses to COVID-19

Topics to include in an individual library policy

Professional development/training resources

Resources from ALA

Federal resources

State and local resources

Additional resources

News

Below are news items from ALA and other sources regarding Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). News items will be added as they are released.

ALA News and official ALA statements:

New ALA Resource, Free Webinar Spotlight Changes to the 2020 Census in Response to COVID-19 (ALA News, June 23, 2020)
Library Associations Underscore Importance of IMLS COVID-19 Efforts (ALA News, April 28, 2020)
National Library Week, April 19-25, 2020, Celebrates Libraries' Resilience During the COVID-19 Pandemic (ALA News, April 15, 2020)
American Library Association cancels 2020 Annual Conference due to COVID-19 (ALA News, March 24, 2020)
American Library Association recommends libraries leave WiFi open during closures while continuing to follow any applicable local, state and federal health and safety guidelines (ALA News, March 23, 2020)
ALA Executive Board recommends closing libraries to public (ALA News, March 17, 2020)
ALA Statement on COVID-19 (American Libraries, March 13, 2020)

View all ALA press releases related to COVID-19

From American Libraries:

ALA Survey Shows Effects of Pandemic on Library Services (June 3, 2020)
Coping in the Time of COVID-19 (June 1, 2020)
Other (Pandemic) Duties as Assigned (April 24, 2020)
"A Civilized Term for Hate Crime:" How to Protect Your Library from Zoombombing (April 23, 2020)
Reopening: Not "When?" But "How?" (April 17, 2020)
Vendor Responses to COVID-19 (April 15, 2020)
How Public Libraries are Responding to the Pandemic (April 9, 2020)

View all American Libraries content related to COVID-19

From the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Board of Directors:

Academic Libraries and COVID-19 (March 18, 2020)

From the Association of Library Service to Children (ALSC):

ALSC is Thinking of You and Asking for Your Strategies in Coping with COVID-19 (ALSC Blog, March 11, 2020)

From the ALA Office of Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services (ODLOS):

Libraries Respond: Combating Xenophobia and Fake News in Light of COVID-19 (March 13, 2020)

From ALA Publishing:

ALA Neal-Schuman Releases Free E-book on Disaster Planning, Response, and Recovery (ALA News, April 9, 2020)
Access to ALA Editions | ALA Neal-Schuman E-books during the COVID-19 Pandemic (ALA News, April 2, 2020)
Access to ALA Editions | ALA Neal-Schuman Textbooks during the COVID-19 Pandemic (ALA News, April 2, 2020)

From Programming Librarian, a website of the ALA Public Programs Office:

Evaluating Your Virtual Programs (March 29, 2021)
7 Ways to Make Your Virtual Programs More Accessible to Patrons with Disabilities (December 18, 2020)
Pedaling Through History: Pedal PV at Palos Verdes Library (December 8, 2020)
Librarians On: Marketing Virtual Humanities Programs (October 23, 2020)
Wear the Dang Mask: Lessons from a Library that Re-opened Too Soon (August 12, 2020)
What Now?! Thoughts on Re-opening My Library in a Pandemic (May 12, 2020)
Distanced, but Connected: Ways to Reach Your Whole Community (April 25, 2020)
From A to Z(oombombings): Risks and Rewards of Online Lectures (April 20, 2020)
From Crafts to Masks: Empty Makerspace Makes Protective Gear (April 7, 2020)
Your Story is the Peninsula's Story: Local History in the Time of Coronavirus (April 6, 2020)
Online Story Time & Coronavirus: It's Fair Use, Folks (March 24, 2020)

View all Programming Librarian content related to COVID-19

From the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA):

APALA Condemns Rise in Xenophobia and Racism Novel Coronavirus Outbreak (March 13, 2020)

From the Association of Research Libraries (ARL):

Mitigating COVID-19: The Contribution Research Libraries are Making (March 16, 2020)

From the REopening Archives, Libraries and Museums (REALM) research project:

Research Shows Virus Undetectable on Five Highly Circulated Library Materials After Three Days (June 22, 2020)

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Library responses to COVID-19

From Lisa Janicke Hinchliffe (2010-2011 ACRL President) and Christine Wolff-Eisenberg (Ithaka S+ R):

Academic Library Response to COVID19: The First 24 Hours of Survey Data (Ithaka S+R Blog, March 13, 2020).
- Access the original survey here
- Access real-time results to survey here

From the Public Library Association:

In response to the COVID-19 crisis, the Public Library Association (PLA) surveyed the public library community between March 24 and April 1 to understand the immediate impacts the crisis is having on their operations, staffing, programs and services. More details are available on their Public Libraries Respond to COVID-19: Survey of Response and Activities page.

Crowdsourced resources:

U.S. public library closings (March 2020), created by Michael Sauers (Do Space), Julie Erickson (Technology & Innovation in Education) and Heather Braum (Northeast Kansas Regional Library System)
U.S. college and university closings (or shifts to online classes), created March 2020 by Brian Alexander (Brian Alexander Consulting, LLC)
Academic library LibGuides related to COVID-19 (March 2020), created by Emily Ford (Portland State University)
Tracking library responses to COVID-19 crisis, created by Marshall Breeding (Library Technology Guides)

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Topics to include in an individual library policy

Below are some topics to include in an individual library policy on illness and/or pandemic prevention and preparedness - after ensuring (if necessary) that they are consistent with the policies of the library's governing body:

Criteria for closing the library
Employee policies for sick leave, payroll and banking/financial issues, working from home
Mandated documentation of procedures or cross training so others can take over for sick employees.
Policies for social distancing -- that is, removing a number of chairs so people aren't sitting close to each other, or limiting the number of people who can come in at any one time, or taking out coat racks, and similar things that keep people and their belongings separate from each other.
Criteria for suspending story times and other library programs.
Provision of masks and gloves along with the training of staff in their removal and disposal.
Standards for the cleaning of bathrooms, railings and door knobs, telephones, keyboards, counters, and cleaning of workstations/offices of employees who go home sick, emptying of wastebaskets, etc.
Setting a schedule for seeing to the critical needs of the facility if the library is closed for an extended time (boiler and building checks by custodians, book drop, payroll and banking considerations).
Communications plan for reaching staff and for communicating with the public
Means for continuing to provide information services for the public, such as digital reference, online materials access and expansion of other online resources
Accommodation of the needs of people in the community who rely on library resources
Education of the public in advance of an epidemic

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Professional development/training resources

From the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL):
- Open Learning for Uncertain Times, a collection of easily accessible options for free online professional development opportunities to help you build your skills during the COVID-19 pandemic
- ACRL Presents webcasts:
  - Information Literacy at a (Social) Distance: Strategies for Moving Online - originally presented March 17
  - Pandemic Pedagogy: Resources for Library Instruction at a Distance - originally presented March 18
  - Copyright for Campus Closures: Exploring the Copyright Issues around Moving Instruction and Reference Online - originally presented March 20
  - Tips for Suddenly Switching to Online Reference and Access Services - originally presented March 27
  - Evaluating Online Library Learning - originally presented April 1
  - Quickly Implementing Accessibility Tools - originally presented April 3
  - Managing Remote Workers - originally presented April 7
  - Beyond "Managing Change": Leading Through Seismic Shifts - originally presented April 14
From American Libraries Live:
- Libraries and COVID-19: Managing Strategies and Stress - originally presented March 20
- Libraries and COVID-19: Providing Virtual Services - originally presented March 26
- Libraries and COVID-19: Considering Copyright during a Crisis - originally presented April 3
- Libraries and COVID-19: Using 3D Printing to Make Personal Protective Equipment - originally presented April 9
- Libraries and COVID-19: Considering Copyright during a Crisis, Part 2 - originally presented April 17
From the Library and Information Technology Association (LITA):
- A Crash Course in Protecting Library Data While Working from Home - originally presented April 9
From the Library Leadership & Management Association:
- Managing Remote Library Teams - originally presented April 29
From the Public Library Association (PLA):
- Using Social Media Listening to Adapt Your Library for COVID-19 - originally presented May 6
- Public Libraries Respond to COVID-19: Free Webinar Series - presentations offered weekly March 26 - April 16 on the following topics:
  - The Current Landscape - originally presented March 26
  - Successful Ways to Work Remotely - originally presented April 2
  - Managing Stress and Anxiety - originally presented April 9
  - Innovative Solutions in Times of Crisis - originally presented April 16
  - Public Libraries Respond to COVID-19: National Survey Results - originally presented April 22
  - Public Libraries Respond to COVID-19: Strategies for Advancing Digital Equity Now - originally presented April 23
From United for Libraries (Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations):
- Engaging Library Supporters During the COVID-19 Pandemic - originally presented April 1
- Advocacy for Your Library During a Crisis - originally presented April 15
From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
- Mitigating COVID-19 When Managing Paper-Based, Circulating, and Other Types of Collections - originally presented March 30
From the Federal Depository Library Program:
- Coronavirus Frauds and Scams: What You Need to Know - originally presented April 8
From the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NNLM):
- Providing Virtual Programming in a Health Crisis - originally presented April 10
- Connecting Communities to Health Information: Graphic Medicine Kits at the Public Library - originally presented April 15
- Leading with Compassion during the COVID-19 Crisis - originally presented April 22
From the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA), a page of resources on how COVID-19 is affecting business events globally - including an informational webinar series offered in March 2020
Open Culture offers free asynchronous courses on the new Coronavirus, COVID-19

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Resources from ALA

Recording: ALA Connect Live: COVID-19 and the Library Community Response from 4.23.20

From the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL):

A Pandemic Resources for Academic Libraries LibGuide, with updated information, professional development, and resources to support academic and research library personnel during a pandemic

From the ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee:

From the Association for Library Collections & Technical Services (ALCTS):

Handling Library Materials and Collections During a Pandemic, a webpage on the ALCTS Preservation Week site

From the Association of Specialized Government and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASGCLA):

A COVID-19 Resources page, including a section of resources specifically for children and teens

From the ALA Chapter Relations Office (CRO):

COVID-19 Resources for Chapters, a listing of State Chapters' responses to COVID-19

From the Public Library Association (PLA):

A PLA Resources on COVID-19 webpage, with information for public librarians to consider at their libraries, communities and families respond to the COVID-19 crisis

From the Public Policy and Advocacy office (PPA):

Federal resources

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) offers many resources on the prevention, treatment and national impact of influenza and Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), including:

What To Do if You Are Sick, with steps to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. This resource is also available in a printer-friendly version, and in Spanish and Chinese
A COVID-19 Research Guide, with a downloadable database - researched by staff from the CDC's Stephen B. Thacker Library - of all COVID-19 research articles published
The Seasonal Influenza (Flu) pages of CDC's website have lots of flu prevention and education resources, including specific information for schools, businesses & travelers, and a Communication Resource Center with free resources - everything from print-ready brochures to videos to podcasts - to help with flu prevention communication.
The Pandemic Influenza pages of CDC's website provide in-depth information on preparing for a global outbreak of a new influenza A virus, including basic definitions and planning and preparedness resources.
Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
A downloadable graphic novel, "Preparedness 101: Zombie Pandemic," a free resource that helps younger readers understand the importance of being prepared for an emergency, and also offers a preparedness checklist.
Immigrant and Refugee Resources, a page with downloadable seasonal flu resources in 12 different languages.
The regularly-updated Twitter feed of the CDC's Center for Preparedness and Response

From the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA):

A Coronavirus Rumor Control page, to help the public distinguish between rumors and facts regarding the response to COVID-19.
A Pandemic Influenza Template to help organizations develop a Pandemic Influenza Continuity of Operations Plan.

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) provides a self-paced course on setting up a Continuity of Operations Plan, as well as multiple resources on the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) provides Protecting Workers: Guidance on Mitigating and Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 in the Workplace.

A U.S. Department of Education COVID-19 resource page includes guidance specific to elementary, secondary, and higher education settings.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has a Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) resource page, with a listing of fast facts and frequently asked questions.

From the U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO):

The Government Book Talk blog recently posted a Coronavirus Pandemic: Reliable Government Information Resources page.
GovInfo created a new Coronavirus (COVID-19) webpage that regularly posts legislative, Presidential and regulatory documents on COVID-19
The Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) has a LibGuide on Coronavirus, featuring several guides on the virus created by the FDLP community.

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State and local resources

From the CDC:

A directory of state & territorial health department websites
- Per the March 30 IMLS/CDC webinar, Mitigating COVID-19 When Managing Paper-Based, Circulating, and Other Types of Collections, libraries should seek advisories and other information from their local health departments when making policy decisions on pandemic response.
A regularly updated Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) activity map and an interactive, state-specific surveillance tool on their Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report.

Some other helpful resources from state and local agencies:

A searchable directory of local health departments from the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)
From the ALA Chapter Relations Office (CRO):
- COVID-19 Resources for Chapters, a listing of State Chapters' responses to COVID-19
Alabama Public Health's Personal Pandemic Preparedness discussion exercise.
CT Flu Watch from the State of Connecticut Pandemic Flu Task Force offers good educational resources on the flu.
Illinois Department of Public Health offers statistics, printable handouts in both English and Spanish, and links to other useful resources.
King County (Washington) Public Health has prepared a comprehensive website on Pandemic Flu Preparedness. The site includes the King County response plan, as well as informational links to a range of other topics.

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Additional resources

Resources on disinfecting books, practicing good hygiene and keeping workspaces clean and disinfected:

The REopening Archives, Libraries and Museums (REALM) project - from OCLC, IMLS and Batelle - conducted research on how materials can be handled to mitigate exposure to staff and visitors. Results of this study, published June 22, 2020, found that the virus SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19 is not detectable on five common library materials after three days.
American Libraries has published an article, How to Sanitize Collections in a Pandemic (March 27, 2020), which provides advice from several conservators on the proper way to disinfect circulating materials
The Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) has provided recommendations on Disinfecting Books and Other Collections on their website.
The National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT) hosted a Facebook live video on March 23 - now archived and available for asynchronous viewing on their website - entitled Covid-19 Basics: Disinfecting Cultural Resources. A few helpful resources cited in this presentation:
- A March 2020 study from the Journal of Hospital Infection, entitled Persistence of Coronaviruses on Inanimate Surfaces and Their Inactivation with Biocidal Agents
- A list of recommendations from the NCPTT on the disinfection of historic materials, listed in order of recommendation
Library Journal published an article, IMLS, CDC: On Staff Safety, Handling Paper In COVID-19 Pandemic (April 8, 2020), summarizing the March 30 webinar from the IMLS and CDC, "Mitigating COVID-19 When Managing Paper-Based, Circulating, and Other Types of Collections" (recording linked above)
The CDC has a page offering Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers, which includes advice on keeping workspaces clean and how to guide employees towards practicing good respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene. They also offer properties of an ideal disinfectant.
The ALSC Blog offers Best Practices for Cleaning Play and Learn Spaces in libraries - with advice that could be applied to all frequently-touched surfaces during an outbreak of influenza or other viruses
NPR offers a somewhat lighthearted look at proper hand-washing technique with their article "How to Do a Really Good Job Washing Your Hands"

Mental health resources to help with pandemic-related fears and anxiety:

From the American Psychological Association:
- A collection of free articles from APA journals relevant to the topic of pandemics and COVID-19
- A pandemic resource page, with information from the APA and other organizations on coping with the realities of a pandemic
Manage Anxiety & Stress, from the CDC
Coronavirus Anxiety: 4 Ways to Cope with Fear, from PsychCentral
Coping with Stress During Infectious Disease Outbreaks, from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

From the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) and the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), a continually updated page of downloadable translated language resources to help libraries communicate with their communities

PSA/Promotional resources:

Free and open-source COVID-19 informational posters created by Alex P. Watson, research & instruction librarian and associate professor at the University of Mississippi, created from public health posters from the WPA that are available in the public domain from the Library of Congress.
The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) and the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) have created a continually updated page of downloadable translated language resources to help libraries communicate with their communities
Comics for Good has a comic series on COVID-19, along with free print-outs and coloring pages. There are translations of the comics in multiple languages as well.
A printable fact sheet on COVID-19 from the Administration for Community Living (ACL)
From the World Health Organization, a page of myth-busting infographics to download and share

Resources for children and young adults:

Comics for Good has a comic series on COVID-19, along with free print-outs and coloring pages. There are translations of the comics in multiple languages as well.
From the National Association of School Psychologists, a parent resource for talking to children about COVID-19. The CDC also offers a similar guide for parents, school staff and others working with children.
NPR editor Malaka Gharib created a COVID-19 web comic based on interviews that education reporter Cory Turner conducted with several experts. Users can also download a zine version of the comic.
PBS Kids offers some de-stressing activities that familes can engage in together, to help manage the stress associated with widespread illness.
Several podcasters on Kids Listen - a non-profit that advocates for high-quality audio content for children - have contributed to a Coronavirus Playlist, to help children and their families understand COVID-19 and the actions we're all taking to prevent its spread.

Resources for older adults:

The Administration for Community Living (ACL) has a resource page on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), including a printable fact sheet.
The CDC offers COVID-19 Guidance for Older Adults
AARP will present a weekly live Coronavirus Information Tele-Town Hall to help answer questions and provide resources for caregivers.

Resources from the World Health Organization (WHO):

FluNet offers virological data on the spread of influenza worldwide
Global Influenza Strategy provides a framework for partnerships and programs, with the goal of strengthening prevention and preparedness
A page of myth-busting infographics to download and share

Resources from the Mayo Clinic:

From Unicef:

Social Stigma Associated with the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), a guide for preventing and addressing social stigma associated with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), intended to support governments, media and local organizations.

The Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering has a global map of COVID-19 cases, updated in near real-time and with data available for download.

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Page updated June 30, 2020

Image by Felipe Esquivel Reed used under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.