1) School librarians, whether you see your Ss tomorrow or in several weeks, you're also going to see their books. I want to share my thinking on sanitizing these books and get your ideas too. Please share this thread w/ other librarians you know.
2) If you're w/ Elem Ss, these books can already be germy, but now we're dealing w/ something more serious and we don't want to be part of the problem, so sanitation is key. Here's where my thinking is now. It's evolving so chime on this thread so we can all learn together!
3) We were already wiping down the outside of books w/ district approved cleaner as soon as people were being tested for coronavirus in our area. That step needs to stay, but what about the pages? I'm thinking about a holding area where we quarantine books. But 4 how long?
4) I'll start w/ this NPR story (the study is reported elsewhere too) about how long the coronavirus lives on certain surfaces. The closest thing we're getting to paper in a book is cardboard which is showing a life of 24 hours. npr.org/sections/healt…
5) But no information yet on paper. Looking further, the flu virus ( I know we're dealing w/ a dif. virus here, but follow me) lives for 8-12 hours on paper. Furthermore, the porous nature of paper is the reason a virus lives a shorter time period there. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6282993
6) So studies are showing that both viruses behave similarly on different surfaces, but for different amounts of time. W/ paper being more porous than cardboard, a 24-hour quarantine for books seems appropriate. So what does that look like in practice for me?
7) On return, we will collect books and put in a holding area for 24+ hours. The exterior of books will be wiped down w/ district approved cleaner. Then books will be returned to shelves. I see this as books come in on Mon. They are quarantined and cleaned Tues & shelved Wed.
8) We'll also need multiple holding areas so books coming in Tues don't mix w/ Mon. books. I need thinking partners. What am I missing? Please share. I'm tagging some who inquired or similarly shared out lots of books: @MsThomBookitis @librarymom89 @MakingLibrarian @NCES_Knights
9) Continued list of thinking partners. Please share w/ other librarians and share your ideas here. @karayorio @TiffanyE @raeannelocke @linhnly @LippertH114 @SaraDanTeach @MASLOnline @MrsPaceReads @TWiPball @jdaniel_judy @amyclu @maddieschnurr @CheriDobbs @nces_library
10) Continued list of thinking partners. Please share w/ other librarians and share your ideas here. @lizpslibrarian @MsSavidge @LintheLibrary
