School Libraries

[Leeds2]

I volunteer in a primary school library, and wondered if any of you could share how your children's school library worked from the start of lockdown to the end of term (mine was completely closed), and/or how it will work when they go back in September? School is keen for the library to be open, but I am looking for ideas as to how to do that safely.

Our school hasn't said how the library will work yet, but I think it will be a system of only a few in the library at a time, hand sanitiser on when you come into the library, if you touch books (picking them off of the shelves to look at the blurb etc) they need to go in a tray to be wiped down before they go back on the shelf again, and any books that are borrowed are in quarantine for 72hrs before going back on the shelves.

Thanks, sleepismysuperpower. That was along the lines I was thinking, although I hadn't considered touching the books whilst in the process of choosing one! Do you think it would be ok to just wipe these books with, say, a paper towel or do you think they would have to be wiped with an anti bag wipe and/or also go in quarantine for 72 hours?

I'd say probably the wipes or an antibacterial spray and paper towel (so it would be worth looking into plastic book covers for the ones that don't already have them).

None of our books currently have plastic covers ................... Good point though, and I will see if the school will agree to pay for some.

Primary school library didn't function during lockdown and classrooms stripped of anything without a hard surface.

Wiping with a paper towel would achieve removal of dust but nothing concerning COVID. Based on NHS COVID workplace guidance, it may be impossible, I suspect, to disinfect porous paper that is not laminated so if a book is opened and touched inside the cover, isolation may be necessary (of the book for 3? days, not the child).

I'm unfamiliar with English DfE guidance for getting back to normal and am sceptical of the rigour given the notion of secondary year groups of up to 250 having much effect so the above is based on infection control, not education guidance.

Good luck.