From the American Library Association
Strong libraries are essential to the recovery of communities devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic. To help guide communities, library workers and library supporters along the path to recovery, the American Library Association (ALA) has launched a curated, online repository of tools, guides and resources.
The ALA COVID-19 Recovery website includes everything from the latest information on safely reopening libraries to funding opportunities available on the local, state and federal level. It will be updated often and replace the existing COVID-19 Response page that has served the community through the pandemic thus far.
The online resource center is arranged into four sections:
- Advocacy & Policy – offers information on federal recovery and corporate and philanthropic programs. It also contains valuable tips on how to engage local boards and Friends groups and make the case for your library to local decision makers
- Education – includes on-demand webinars with topics ranging from legal issues revolving around reopening to operating in the “new normal” following the pandemic
- Data & Research – has links to the Public Library Association (PLA) library survey featuring diverse responses to the pandemic, as well as related research results from the field
- Guidance Content & Protocol – shares state-by-state guidelines for library re-openings and resources to support libraries as they open back up
For more information, visit www.ala.org/tools/covid-19-recovery.