Preparations and the public

• For a guide on when public libraries in the UK are reopening, and the current situation, see this page.
• For a guide on how libraries around the world are coping with the crisis, and the various health and safety precautions that are being used, see this page.

Editorial

Up and down the country, staff are preparing for reopening to some extent or another. Risk assessments are being done, plastic shields are going up, markings on the floor are going down and there’s a bunch of training and (if not done already) consultation going on.

But, you know, there’s only so much that can be done to prepare. A lot of it is down to the public and how they will behave. And in this, signs are horribly mixed, with many behaving wonderfully but some others seeming even to take offence at the PPE being worn to protect them. As almost all of us at some time or other have been frontline workers, if not now, this difference in public attitudes will not be a surprise to us but the stakes are higher now than ever before. It may be worth factoring in zero tolerance and how to successfully remove people from libraries (without touching – that’s going to be challenging), into those risk assessments.

Anyway, a real test will come this week, when “non-essential” shops are reopened. Will there be spitting in Primark? Kerfuffles in John Lewis? We will see and make adjustments to our plans accordingly but, in the end, how fast and far we reopen will be down to things like the behaviour of the public and (not unconnected) infection rates. We can just make sure we are as prepared as possible …

… and watch out for curveballs like suggestions libraries can be taken over by schools to be used as classrooms.

National news

• Authors, Austerity and the UK’s Save Our Libraries Campaign – Bookriot. “I don’t believe the widespread closure of libraries over the past nine years was a failure of the Save Our Libraries campaign – the librarians, authors and readers who came together to try to save their libraries from austerity couldn’t have worked harder, and we have no idea how many more libraries would have been closed without their efforts.”
• Beyond the Horizon – A series of inspirational talks from international thought leaders and industry experts – Eventbrite. “Libraries Unlimited is proud to present a series of 5 talks from international pioneers in library and community practice, presented in collaboration with Libraries Connected and the the Wellcome Centre.”

They’ve been worried about my low blood pressure but they’ve brought me the Daily Mail so it’ll be fine in just a moment.

— Michael Rosen (@MichaelRosenYes) June 13, 2020

• Chris Evans hits out after BBC axes world’s biggest story-writing competition that he created and Duchess of Cornwall championed -Mail. Radio 2 will scrap “500 Words”.
• CMLS – Renewal/recovery – Community Libraries Network. Includes distance group classes for seniors on computer skills run by Upper Norwood and also the news that Garden Suburb volunteer library has been doing click and collect since 3 May.
• Information Professional article featuring Dominic Cummings – an apology – CILIP. “While we are committed to intellectual freedom and must not succumb to no-platforming, we ought not to have given a platform to Cummings’ views without subjecting them to appropriate critique and contextualisation. In so doing, we failed to meet the editorial standards which we set ourselves”
• Library Activists Meeting – Only when its safe – Facebook event. Thursday 18 June 6pm. “An open meeting for libraries workers to discuss safety at work in the coronavirus Covid-19 crisis, the Libraries Connected Toolkit and how to win a safe world for our communities and staff.”

“We now need a proper plan for education along the lines being developed by the Scottish Government. It should cover all possible scenarios and focus on blended learning, with greatly increased support for disadvantaged children. Is the Secretary of State planning, as Scotland has done, to use public buildings, such as libraries and council offices, to relieve pressure on classroom space?”

Carol Monaghan, Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Armed Forces and Veterans), House of Commons 9 June.

• Restart of library service proves popular in Torfaen – South Wales Argus. “More than 70 people have used a new “request and collect” service from Cwmbran Library within days of it being set up. Torfaen council launched the service on Thursday, June 4, with 73 residents requesting 340 books by Monday afternoon.” … “Books will be placed in a 72-hour quarantine prior to distribution, in line with Public Health Wales guidance.” … “Newport City Council said it is finalising plans for a phased re-opening of the library service.” … “Caerphilly council is also set to start re-opening services through a phased approach.” … “Monmouthshire council would also look at a click and collect or delivery service in the future.” … “Aneurin Leisure Trust, which runs libraries in Blaenau Gwent, has previously said it is developing plans to re-open libraries in the county borough.”
• Statement on the death of George Floyd in Minnesota, USA – CILIP. “Library, information and knowledge professionals have a key role to play in dismantling racism. The CILIP BAME Network calls on professionals to pro-actively deliver collections, services, space and teaching with the objective of creating an anti-racist society. We ask everyone to personally reflect and take action.”
• When will libraries reopen amid easing lockdown measures? – Metro. “Under new lockdown rules, retail spaces in libraries in England can reopen form 15 June along with other non-essential retail stores provided they ensure the branches are safe for customers.” … “As for being able to borrow books from a library, at the time of writing, fully opening libraries in England is part of the third phase in the Government’s plan for easing lockdown.”

International news

• Ethiopia – Camel libraries are bringing books to children in Ethiopia – Metro. “Save the Children began the camel library in 2010. It includes 21 camels, which are traditionally used by communities in the Somali region of Ethiopia to transport goods across the hot lowland areas.”. One camel can carry 200 books.
• Norway – Welcome to the new public library of Oslo, Norway – Deichman Bjørvika – My newsdesk. “Stretching over six floors and 13, 500 square meters (approx. 1,4 millon square feet) you will find books – 450,000 of them – but also other offers and activities. You can visit the children’s section with all its playful hiding places, watch movies with your friends, make podcasts, learn to play the piano, sew a dress, use the 3D printers, enjoy the view of the Oslo Fjord or just admire the architecture by Lundhagem Architects and Atelier Oslo.”
• Global – Statement by the IFLA President and Secretary General: Racism Has No Place in the Society Libraries are Working to Build – IFLA. “Libraries are institutions with a mission to improve the lives of the individuals and communities they serve. They do this not just through rejecting discrimination, but through actively promoting inclusion, giving everyone a meaningful opportunity to realise their rights to information, culture, information and science. Racial discrimination and race-based violence – most recently in the case of George Floyd, but also worldwide – have no place in the society we wish to build.”
• USA – Internet Archive ends free e-book program, following publisher suit – Yahoo Finance. “The National Emergency Library is one of those well-intentioned ideas that was destined to get pushback.”
  • Nearly $200,000 raised to save Redlands library from deep budget cuts – Redlands Daily Facts. “Combining more than $193,000 in donations and $126,000 in library reserves, A.K. Smiley Public Library is expected to stave off the elimination of 11 positions and 21 hours of service”
  • How to stay safe at a cookout, the library, restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic – MSN. “If you want to check out a library book, consider checking out materials online in advance, if possible, and requesting curbside pickup, if available, the guidance says. People should wash or sanitize their hands before and after exchanges.”
  • KKR Completes Acquisition of OverDrive – Cision. “The financial terms of the acquisition were not announced.”
  • Now that’s a bookmobile: Google’s drone delivery service Wing will now bring books to children in Virginia to make up for school library closures due to COVID-19 – Mail. Drone delivery in experimental phase in area, expanded to school library. Video showing drone delivering books in a bag.
  • What’s Lost in a Furlough – American Libraries. Many US libraries have handled furloughing badly, with poor and abrupt communication and decision-making.
  • What the Future Holds – American Libraries. Trends identified robots, sustainability, virtual reality, confronting data bias and privacy.

Local news by authority

• Calderdale – Appropriateness of Calderdale statues and memorials to be reviewed if concerns are raised – Halifax Courier. Readers advised to look at library online materials to find out history of local statues and other memoria.
• Cardiff – Coronavirus: Libraries reopen with reserve and collect service – BBC. “Books will be quarantined and cleaned before they are reused, and will not be shared between hubs. Residents who book using the service will be given an allocated time slot to collect their choices.”
• Devon – Lots to Learn during Lockdown – Midweek Herald. Summer Reading Challenge prominent.
• Essex – Maldon libraries among first in Essex to reopen after lockdown – Clacton Gazette. “Maldon will be among the first wave to of libraries to reopen on July 6, county council bosses have confirmed.”

• The above video is from last week’s Save Our Libraries Essex meeting. “Hundreds of library users joined an online public meeting via Zoom and Facebook live organised by the library campaign group SOLE – Save Our Libraries Essex. They heard a passionate defence of libraries from former New Statesman editor and top author Nicci Gerrard – one half of the psychological thriller writing duo ‘Nicci French”
  • Dovercourt library is due to reopen in July – Standard series. “Customers will be asked to use the self-service machines to issue and return their items and to pay any charges.”
• Fife – Fife looks ahead to a creative revolution for libraries, theatres & museums – Fife Today. “LibrarYAY initiative has netted over 500 new library members and seen book borrowing digitally soar 65 per cent, with demand for e-books up 128 per cent.” … “Our virtual programme launch happened so quickly. That has now become our programme. We are actively looking at it and arranging more.””
• Hertfordshire – Hertfordshire library service to look at click and collect option – Times series. Will reopen a few libraries as soon as guidance allows and “looking at the possibility of offering a new ‘click and collect’ service at others.”
• Hillingdon – Children encouraged to join Hillingdon Reading Challenge – Hillingdom Times. “From Monday, June 22, a reserve and collect service will be available at Manor Farm, Oak Farm and Hayes End libraries. Books will need to be reserved on the phone or online prior to visiting. From Monday, June 29, this service will be extended to Northwood Hills, West Drayton and Uxbridge libraries and the mobile library. “
• Inverclyde – Libraries’ online book club is a hit – Greenock Telegraph. “Read and Recommend is a virtual forum for bookworms to share their thoughts on the titles they are reading. Over 35 people have joined the group since it launched at the end of May”
• Jersey – Jersey Library announces phased re-opening – Government of Jersey. “Visitors will be asked to use hand sanitiser when they enter the building, and keep their visits timely, People will be asked to visit the Library alone where possible and avoid gathering in large groups, Limits on the number of people allowed in the building at any one time, New queuing systems to maintain physical distancing, All returned books and other resources will be quarantined for 72 hours – this means some titles are not immediately available to borrow “
• Kent – The Summer Reading Challenge is back – digitally – Kent Council.
• Leicester – Leicester children choose their Best Book – Leicester Council. 600 children involved. “The annual Our Best Book competition, organised by Leicester Libraries, asks children aged 10-11 to vote for their favourite reads from a longlist of 20.”
• Medway – Medway to mark 150th anniversary of Dickens’ death virtually – Community Ad. “Residents can also download a copy of The Mystery of Edwin Drood from Medway’s library service and join in virtual discussions about the novel on the Reading Drood blog each month until October. If you’re not already a member of Medway libraries you can join online and borrow eBooks immediately. A member of the Medway Libraries team will also read an extract from The Uncommercial Traveller on their YouTube channel.”
• North Yorkshire – Demand for e-books surges in lockdown as 2,000 new members join North Yorkshire libraries – Yorkshire Post. “Around 2,000 new members have joined the library service since March and nearly 60,000 e-book downloads have been recorded.”
  • It’s all right to be silly with your summer reading – Harrogate Informer.
  • Lockdown can’t beat library’s code club launch – North Yorkshire County Council. “Norton Hive, which is one of 31 community libraries in North Yorkshire managed by volunteers with support from the County Council, was not to be beaten. David, who previously ran a holiday business and then a horticultural nursery with his wife, decided he could run the club himself, remotely, despite having to learn about coding himself first”
• Redbridge – Redbridge’s ‘Death Positive Library’ turns tables on taboo topics surrounding grief and loss – Ilford Recorder. “The objective of the death cafes is “to increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their (finite) lives”.”
• Renfrewshire – Renfrewshire Libraries team join the fun playing video game – Gazette. “the team at Renfrewshire Libraries who are taking part in the Nintendo Animal Crossing New Horizons video game. Now they’re inviting youngsters with Nintendo Switch to join the fun on the RenLibrary Island to pick up items and make a virtual visit to their museum and library.”
• St Helens – Library delivery service hits the road again in St Helens – Reporter. “, St Helens Library Service has 130 people signed-up to the service but has capacity to welcome those who are in the shielding category, or over the age of 70, to join the offer which will allow them to enjoy up to 20 books or audio books over a six-week period.”
• Shropshire – Ellesmere Library supports Summer Reading Challenge – Advertizer.
• Southend – Phased return of Southend library services planned for July – Yellow Advertiser. “home library service has also restarted, with 34 home deliveries being made to vulnerable residents at the end of May.” … “‘click and collect’ service will be available at all six libraries in the borough from July 6. Plans to safely reopen library buildings for browsing and other services are also being worked on. Further details on this will be announced when plans are finalised.””
• Staffordshire – Reopening plans prepared for Staffordshire libraries – Tamworth Informed. “Although the date when library buildings can reopen has not yet been confirmed by the Government, libraries directly managed by Staffordshire County Council will open first in phases, with the Community Managed Libraries (CMLs) following suit.” … ““All libraries will have safety arrangements in place regarding social distancing, hand sanitising and we may have to impose a maximum number of visitors at any one time.” … “CMLs have been told they can reopen at their own pace and will be supported by county council staff throughout the process.”
• Suffolk – Borrowers asked to settle library debts – Stowmarket Mercury. “many people will have historic fines for overdue books on their library accounts. Bosses say a new change rolled out on Friday, June 4, means book-lovers can clear any charges accrued on their accounts without needing to visit a library. This can be done online by logging into a Suffolk Libraries account and selecting the option to resolve fines.”
• Worcestershire – Summer reading challenge starts – Advertiser.
• Wrexham – Wrexham Library Service: more than books – Leader.