COVID-19 Resources for Libraries
A place for Idaho library staff and their communities to find resources and support
The staff at the Idaho Commission for Libraries are following Governor Little’s announcement (4/30) and moving to Phase 1 of the Reopening Phases. While our lobby is currently closed to the public, we ARE still working. Staff is available for online or phone appointments and curbside pick-up of TBS books and program materials. Reach us at 208-334-2150 or 208-639-4145 or by email (staff emails are on our website at https://libraries.idaho.gov/).
Take care all,
Stephanie Bailey-White, State Librarian
ICfL is hosting a series of themed online chats to share information and ideas about how libraries are addressing the COVID-19 pandemic.
Recordings
- Teen Services During a Pandemic
- Youth Services – Streaming Storytime
- Make It at the Library – Library Makerspaces and PPE
- Reopening and Disinfecting Strategies
- Info2Go! – Self-care During a Pandemic
- Re-imagining Summer Reading
Notes
- Resources and ideas shared in weekly COVID-19 chat
- COVID-19 Resources for Youth Services (please add to the growing list!)
Upcoming
- School Libraries – Tuesday May 5th, 10am MST
- Impact on Your Library’s Stats – Thursday May 14th, 1pm MST
- Connecting with Adults – Tuesday May 19th, 10am MST
- Virtual Teaching & Learning Platforms – Thursday May 28th, 1pm MST
Child Care Crisis: How your library can support early learning
Thank you to the library staff who joined us for today’s conversation regarding the child care and preschool crisis in Idaho and throughout the nation. As mentioned during the conversation, and also in the August 2020 issue of “The Scoop,” a large percentage of child care centers and private daycare providers are perilously close to going out of business due to the pandemic.
Read more about the issue here: Idaho’s child care industry ‘literally on the verge of collapse’
In addition to private childcare instability, many Head Start and district preschool centers will be […]
COVID-19 News & Updates (Week of May 11)
Governor Brad Little announced with the Stay Healthy Order that Idaho is moving to Phase 2 in the reopening plan on May 16th. Additionally, small businesses have a new resource to access masks, gloves, and sanitizer as the state enters Stage 2 of the four-stage Idaho Rebounds plan to safely and responsibly open Idaho’s economy.
Idaho small businesses can obtain a 30-day supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) for their employees and patrons at supplies.idaho.gov.
Library related COVID-19 resources and articles […]
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CARES Act Mini-Grants
The ICfL is receiving $161,477 as Idaho’s portion of the funds appropriated to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. This funding is to be used to address digital inclusion and related technical support in the context of workforce development and/or broadband availability.
The first portion of this funding (approximately $100,000) will be made available immediately as competitive mini-grants ($250-$1,000 per location) to address digital inclusion needs for public libraries (including branches and bookmobiles) and special libraries (including tribal, military, corrections, and archives). (See our full grant eligibility requirements for more details.) Applicants are encouraged to be creative in identifying their needs for these funds, but some eligible needs include:
- PPE (personal protective equipment) and cleaning supplies for staff and the public to safely utilize library spaces, services, and technology
- Internet accessible devices (such as laptops, Chromebooks, and tablets) for checkout or use in the library
- WiFi access points, repeaters, and/or antennas to expand the library’s public WiFi beyond the walls of the building
- Mobile hotspots for checkout and/or to be deployed throughout the library’s community to extend broadband availability
- Video conferencing equipment and/or licenses to facilitate virtual library meetings and programming
ICfL staff will host two optional virtual sessions for interested applicants to discuss needs, share plans and ideas for grant funds, and answer questions. These sessions will be recorded for those who are unable to attend but interested in hearing the discussion.
- Thursday, May 14 at 2:00pm-3:00pm MDT / 1:00pm-2:00pm PDT
- Thursday, May 21 at 11:00am-12:00pm MDT / 10:00am-11:00am PDT
For more information (including the full grant overview and requirements) and to apply, visit the online mini-grant application form. The deadline for applications is May 31, 2020. Applicants will be notified of their grant status by June 15, 2020. Grantees can anticipate receiving grant funds by approximately July 1, 2020. For grantees, an interim report will be due January 1, 2021, and a final report will be due June 30, 2021. If you have any questions about this program or your application, please contact Jamie Mott at the Idaho Commission for Libraries, (208) 639-4164 or at jamie.mott@libraries.idaho.gov.
Do you have a bit more time for continuing education? We’re here to help!
The Continuing Education resources listed an the CE for COVID-19 Guide are available to all library workers in Idaho for free. An abundance of webinar recordings, online courses, and various online resources are listed by subject.
Some vendors are opening up or expanding access to their products, and where available we have added their resources to LiLI.org. Some of those expansions are listed below:
- Expanded access to World Book Online until April 30, 2020
- Includes: Early World of Learning, eBooks, Activity Center, Dramatic Learning, Kids eLearn, L’Encyclopédie Découverte, Science Power, and Social Studies Power
- Expanded access to Tumblebooks resources until August 31, 2020
- Includes: TumbleBookLibrary, TumbleMath, TeenBookCloud, and AudioBookCloud
- Access to EBSCO’s Faculty Select OER Portal is openly available until June 30, 2020
- BiblioBoard is offering free access to their platform of high-quality open access journals, textbooks, and other open educational resources, as well as historical and carefully curated multimedia content.
- Gale is offering a COVID-19 Resource Center, which contains:
- Curriculum-aligned resources to support online learning from pre-k through undergraduate
- Live and on-demand training materials
- Professional development eBooks
- Authoritative resources on health-related topics
- EBSCO created an information portal to support the immediate need for trusted information around COVID-19
- PBS is sharing:
- PreK-12 Resources for Emergency Closings, from PBS LearningMedia
- Making Sense of Coronavirus Through Media and Storytelling, from PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs
- Distance Learning Tips From One Teacher to Another, from the PBS Teachers Lounge
- Amigos Library Services is offering 3 months of SimplyE access at no charge
- DPLA offers free access to the SimplyE app, available for iOS and Android. Simply choose DPLA as your library and tap on the DPLA Collection.
For more information, please contact Deana Brown, Emerging Trends Consultant at the Idaho Commission for Libraries, 208.639.4156 or at deana.brown@libraries.idaho.gov.