COVID-19 Update -- February 4, 2021
February 4, 2021
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We are continuing to monitor library workers' eligibility for vaccination by county; see Vaccine Eligibility for Libraries in Illinois Counties. Please also let us know at ila@ila.org if you have reached out and/or learned about status in a county not yet indicated here. ILA's template letter for libraries to use, and our letter to IDPH, may be found in the IDPH Resources section of the COVID-19 Resources page. We thank the libraries that have reached out so far! Your advocacy really is working.
We do not yet have a formal response from IDPH, but we have learned verbally that the Department likely will follow CDC guidelines, which include "libraries and archives" in Phase 1c. Note that the right column on the CDC chart, which lists "not explicitly included" for "libraries and archives," refers to a broader workforce category, NOT to vaccine eligibility. Libraries and archives ARE included in Phase 1c; we just aren't assigned to any particular broader workforce category. Please keep in mind that CDC and IDPH's guidelines are just that; the actual implementation is happening on the county level.
In the meantime, the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA) has filed public comment requesting the CDC move library staff into Phase 1b.
Finally, the REALM project to explore virus viability on library materials has made available a recording of its January 29 webinar "Project Updates and Community Reflections" as well as a toolkit synthesizing information from the CDC on cleaning and disinfecting considerations.
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