COVID-19 & Libraries

Reopening Archives, Libraries, and Museums (REALM) Information Hub: A COVID-19 Research Project.
As libraries and museums around the country begin to resume operations and reopen facilities to the public, there is need for clear information to support the handling of core museum, library, and archival materials.OCLC, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and Battelle are conducting research on how long the COVID-19 virus survives on materials that are prevalent in libraries, archives, and museums. The REALM project will draw upon the research to produce authoritative, science-based information on how—or if— materials can be handled to mitigate exposure to staff and visitors.
CLICK HERE to stay updated on the latest new and test results from REALM.
CLICK HERE to view the test results on materials handling from August 18 2020

Latest Research on COVID-19:

EBSCO Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Healthcare Resource Center:   https://more.ebsco.com/EBSCO-COVID-19-ResourceCenter.html
Social Science Research Network: https://www.ssrn.com/index.cfm/en/coronavirus/ (SSRN) reports (Free registration required)
CDC Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/Novel_Coronavirus_Reports.html

Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Online Educational Resources

  • New Census Bureau Resources for Distance Learning. The U.S. Census Bureau’s Statistics in Schools (SIS) program created several new online resources for teachers, parents and caregivers to keep children engaged while distance learning.
  • MedlinePlus has new links for COVID-19 resources.  You can now find information on COVID-19 vaccines​ and COVID-19 testing.
  • Thinkalong™ is a free educational service of Connecticut Public, the parent company of Connecticut Public Television and Connecticut Public Radio, and the state’s only locally-owned media organization producing TV, radio, print, web and digital content for Connecticut’s wide-ranging and diverse communities.
  • COVID Explained Newsletter provides list or resources of sites and organizations offering guidance for schools and parents on school-reopening.
  • A new interactive database​ created by Kaiser Health News and The Guardian tracks the deaths of healthcare workers who died of COVID-19.  The database can be searched by occupation, race, and state. 
  • The organization COVID Act Now  gathers and presents data from a number of reputable sources for US states and counties. Answers are provided to key questions to help consumers make informed decisions based on the risk level for their community.
  • The Child Health and Development Institute of Connecticut has assembled a list of resources​ for professionals (medical and educators), as well as families.
  • American Association on Health and Disability’s has provided a list of Resources for People with Disabilities on COVID-19.
  • The Heritage Emergency National Task Force has launched its COVID-19 Resource Hub. This web portal leads to an array of resources that can help you and your constituents respond to and recover from the pandemic.
  • Urban Libraries Council’s EDGE Program provides information to help equip libraries of any size address the challenges presented by COVID-19.
  • Humans Like Us is one of many organizations in Australia that help integrate immigrants into their country’s workforce.  Their COVID-19 page pulls together public health materials produced by many organizations enabling one-stop shopping for handouts, videos, audio recordings, and posters in 30 languages about handwashing, and keeping safe from this Coronavirus.
  • For educators and students looking to find open and free access to e-resources, use this link from the Connecticut State Library.
  • Also, see this link to resources put together by the Enfield Public Library. Visit the researchIT About page to see a growing list of resources.
  • Are you or your patrons looking for information about the global spread of the Corona Virus disease (COVID-19) and other health related information?
  • The UConn Extension service is acting as a clearinghouse for COVID-19 resources for Connecticut farmers, businesses, and consumers.
  • COVID-19 fact sheets available in 35 different languages produced in collaboration with Harvard Health Publishing.
  • You can find quality information with these researchIT databases. EBSCO has also created a COVID-19 Resource Center.
  • The NEJM Group  has created a resource web page for librarians containing links to all freely available Covid-19 content from the New England Journal of Medicine, NEJM Catalyst, NEJM Journal Watch, and NEJM Resident 360. You will also find links to NEJM multimedia and teaching resources.
  • The Coronavirus Project is a new initiative of Federation of American Scientists that aims to debunk misinformation circulating the web on matters of public health and safety, as well as provide clear and sourced information for policymakers.
  • A new book aimed at children 6-11 years of age  explains how children can protect themselves, their families and friends from the novel Coronavirus that causes COVID-19. “My Hero is You, Kids Can Fight COVID-19!”  uses a fantasy creature to help children manage difficult emotions caused by the rapidly changing reality we now live in. It is available in multiple languages.