July 20: REALM Project Announces New Test Results
The REALM Project has published the results of the second round of Battelle’s laboratory testing for COVID-19 on five commonly handled materials: braille paper pages, glossy paper pages, magazine pages, children’s board books, and archival folders. Results and comparison to Test 1 results

July 14: AASL School Librarian Role in Pandemic Learning Conditions Chart & Resources | Chart Only
School librarians fulfill five important roles: instructional partner, teacher, leader, information specialist, and program administrator, all of which highlight the profession’s skill at building relationships and creating an inclusive school culture. During the COVID-19 pandemic, schools need this librarian skill set more than ever as they adapt to meet the current needs of learners in a constantly changing learning environment.

July 17: TEA Announces Additional Reopening Guidance, Including Local Option for Online-Only Start to 2020-21 School Year
In response to the varying public health realities of each Texas community, these changes give the needed flexibility for schools to effectively provide a smooth transition for students, teachers, and staff so that they will experience the safest and least disruptive mode of learning during the beginning of the school year. News Release | TEA COVID-19 Support & Guidance Resources

Reopening Archives, Libraries and Museums (REALM) project
OCLC, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and Battelle are conducting research on how long the COVID-19 virus survives on materials that are prevalent in libraries, archives, and museums. The project will draw upon the research to produce authoritative, science-based information on how—or if— materials can be handled to mitigate exposure to staff and visitors.

Texas State Library & Archives Commission Reopening Libraries Resource Guide
Includes sample reopening plans, questions and issues to discuss with your governing authority, materials and resource list, and general resources for reopening

Sample Service Level – Phased Reopening Plan

CDC Reopening Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfecting Public Spaces, Workplaces, Businesses, Schools, and Homes

Higher Education COVID-19 Recovery Guide, University of Nebraska Medical Center

Northeast Document Conservation Center – Disinfecting Books & Other Collections

AASL Pandemic Resources for School Librarians

ALA Planning for Reopening Resources

Academic Libraries

ACRL Pandemic Resources

People Counters – Sensource

ACRL Podcasts

Other Resources

Texas State Library & Archives Commission Communications During COVID-19 Crisis Plan

Texas State Library & Archives Commission
Information on accessing resources online and how to reach their team of specialists by phone or email for assistance and continued service.

Texas Public Libraries Closures/Modifications in Response to COVID-19
Spreadsheet tracking of closures and other modifications at libraries throughout Texas; information provided by individual libraries. Add your library’s information to the spreadsheet.

Pandemic Resources for Academic Libraries (ACRL)

Distance Learning Resources & Ideas for K-12 School Closures
Tools for virtual and distance learning, free subscriptions from educational companies, picture-book read-alouds and more; resources collected by Texas Association of School Librarians (TASL) leadership.

American Libraries Association pandemic preparedness resources

Disinfecting Circulating Books
Recommendations from the Northeast Document Conservation Center

Texas Agencies

Governor’s Report to Open Texas
Specific information for libraries on page 35 – 38.

Texas Department of State Health Services
Community information: what to do at work, in schools, and community mitigation strategies

Update on confirmed cases by Texas region provided by TSDHS

Texas Education Agency
COVID-19 support and guidance for Texas schools; includes a link to a document listing all of the (many) current school closures in Texas.

Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
Dedicated webpage for COVID-19 information relevant to higher education stakeholders; includes resources for transitioning to online learning.

International & Federal Agencies

World Health Organization
The best international authority on the global crisis of COVID-19.

Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
Information for businesses and employers, keeping commercial establishments safe, travel resources and the latest updates on COVID-19 nationally

CDC Database of research articles on COVID-19 developed by the CDC Library.

The CDC offers the following tools and guidance for free:

Communication Tools: Multimedia tools (including video), social media toolkit, printable educational materials:
CDC Guidance for Childcare and K-12 Schools : Best practices for child care centers and K-12 schools:
CDC Considerations for School Closure: Why closing schools is an important part of the fight:
CDC Guidance for Institutes of Higher Education: For colleges and universities
CDC Guidance for Community & Faith Leaders : Information for community organizations and leaders
CDC Community Mitigation Strategies : Devising a solid community mitigation strategy and stopping community spread

National Library of Medicine self-paced course on setting up a Continuity of Operations Plan

U.S. Department of Education COVID-10 Resource Page for school administrators and school personnel

Additional Crowdsourced Resources

U.S. public library closings
Libraries around the country that have closed temporarily due to COVID-19 (March 2020), created by Michael Sauers (Do Space) and Julie Erickson (Technology & Innovation in Education

U.S. college and university closings or shifts to online classes
Colleges and universities across the country that have closed or switched to online classes; created March 2020 by Brian Alexander (Brian Alexander Consulting, LLC)

Academic library LibGuides related to COVID-19 (March 2020), created by Emily Ford (Portland State University)

Have a resource to share? Add it to the Google spreadsheet or email TLA.

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2025 TAYSHAS Reading List Announced

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We’re delighted to announce the 2025 TAYSHAS Reading List! TAYSHAS takes its name from the Caddo Indian word meaning “friends or allies.” Written as texas, texios, tejas, teyas or tayshas, […]