COVID-19 Pandemic

We compiled the following resources to assist conservators and collections care professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic. As always, we advise you to follow the advice of federal, state, and local public health officials.

Collection Care

General

• #covidcollectionscare
  Twitter hashtag started by the National Endowment for the Humanities used “for resources and information regarding what cultural heritage practitioners can do to mitigate and secure collections during pandemic for all aspects of collection care."

• REALM Project
  Our partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services, OCLC (a non-profit global library cooperative), and Battelle (a non-profit scientific research organization) to evaluate and develop guidelines for reopening collections on the safe handling of materials, training, and cleaning.

• Disinfecting Cultural Resources, Personal Protective Equipment, and Re-Entry to Cultural Sites
  Videos (Spanish translation available) from the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT) on multiple topics related to COVID-19 in the context of cultural institutions.

Cleaning

• The Impact of Hand Sanitizers on Collection Materials
  Summary of outcomes from research done at the Library of Congress on deterioration caused by hand sanitizer.

• Disinfecting Books and Other Collections
  Technical leaflet  on disinfecting collections from the Northeast Document Conservation Center.

• Isolating, Disinfecting, and Cleaning Historic Materials
  Transcripted video presentation from the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training explaining cleaning methods for historic materials.

Preparing an Institution for Closure or Reopening

• Reopening Museums: A Planning Tool
  This article contains a checklist of ideas developed by Adrian Ellis, AEA Consulting and Global Cultural Districts Network, and András Szántó, András Szántó LLC, for museums to consider when re-opening, including considerations for staff safety and mental health.

• Reopening: Guidance for Museums and Collecting Institutions
  Created by the Museum & Cultural Heritage Industry Working Group of the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) and part of the AIHA's Back to Work Safely initiative, focused on addressing the unique issues associated with cultural heritage collections. This resource will be updated as conditions and regulations change and with feedback from organizations as they begin to reopen.

• Long-Term Closure Re-Entry Checklist for Cultural Institutions and Collections Care Stewards
  Checklist template, developed by Rebecca Kennedy, Curae Collections Care, LLC, and Anne Young, Newfields, for staff and public re-entry into an institution following long-term closure.

• Closing a Museum for the Winter
  Guide from the Canadian Conservation Institute that includes a checklist for closing a museum for an extended period of time. 

Funding

• American Rescue Plan: Humanities Grantmaking
  NEH grant program, provides financial support to organizations and individuals working in the humanities that have been adversely affected by the coronavirus pandemic and require support to restore and sustain their core functions and activities.

• IMLS American Rescue Plan Grants
  Institute for Museum and Library Services, this grant supports museum and library services in addressing community needs created or exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and in assisting with recovery. Projects may continue, enhance, or expand existing programs and services, or they may launch new ones to address emergent needs and unexpected hardships.

• Financial Relief and Support for Individuals and Institutions
  American Alliance of Museums (AAM), includes resources that may be useful in developing short-term and long-term fiscal strategies for supporting organizations, as well as information for museum workers who need their own financial plans for riding out the pandemic.

• Grant Watch
  A general Grant database for nonprofits, individuals and small businesses.

Small Business Assistance

• Economic Injury Disaster Loan
  The U.S. Small Business Administration is making low interest loans, up to $2 million dollars, available to nonprofits and small businesses to recover from economic injury from coronavirus.

Health & Safety

• CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Resources

• Respiratory Protection During Outbreaks: Respirators versus Surgical Masks (blog)
• How to Protect Yourself and Others
• Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Home

• Back to Work Safely
  Site sponsored by AIHA that features expert, industry-specific guidance for both businesses and consumers to safely re-open and re-engage as they emerge from the COVID-19 quarantines.

• The links offer specific, easy-to-follow, science-based recommendations for limiting the transmission of the coronavirus while operating a wide variety of businesses, including restaurants, retail outlets, and hair and nail salons.
• These guidelines were developed for those smaller business that don't have readily available occupational health and safety resources.
• We encourage employers, employees, and customers to carefully read and implement as many of the recommendations contained in the guidance document provided for your industry as possible.

• Safe Practices for Art Services Workers During the COVID-19 Crisis                                            Art Services Worker Safety Coalition. This website describes and promotes industry-specific guidelines for how art service workers can safely do their jobs in a post-coronavirus world.

• Combating Burnout in the Museum Sector                                                                           American Alliance of Museums (AAM), report from May 2021, compiled in response to survey results indicating that the pandemic has taken a toll on mental health for museum workers.

• Disaster Distress Helpline
  The US SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) maintains a 24/7 disaster distress hotline for victims of natural and man-made disasters.

• NAMI COVID-19 Mental Health Resources
  The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) maintains a webpage with current initiatives and activities related to the pandemic.