The OCLC, IMLS, and Battelle COVID-19 Research Partnership to Provide Information, Best Practices on the Reopening of Archives, Libraries and Museums (REALM) Launches Project Website

Note: The REALM project was first announced on April 22, 2020. Today, additional information about the effort was released.

From the OCLC Web Site:

REopening Archives, Libraries and Museums (REALM) is a research partnership between OCLC, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and Battelle to create and distribute science-based information and recommended practices designed to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 to staff and visitors who are engaging in the delivery or use of museum, library, and archival services.

Visit [the project website] for more information on the project, research timeline, and committee members. Project updates and resources will be added to this information hub as they become available.

About the Project (via Website):

• Collect, review, and summarize authoritative research that applies to materials commonly found in the collections and facilities of archives, libraries, and museums
• Ongoing consultation and engagement with a project steering committee, working groups, and other subject matter experts from archives, libraries, and museums
• Laboratory testing of how COVID-19 interacts with a selection of materials commonly found in archives, libraries, and museums; and identifying methods of handling and remediation
• Synthesize the above inputs into toolkit resources that support reopening and operational considerations
• Share project information and toolkit resources through the project website and amplified by member associations and support organizations that serve archives, libraries, and/or museums.

Direct to REALM Website

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