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How Long Should You Quarantine Library Books (vis a vis Covid-19)?

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Our Oregon public librarians, statewide, have a plan for this! Here is what they have shared with our library community so far (as of June 22, 2020):

Bottom line: “Results show that the SARS-CoV-2 virus was not detectable on the materials after three days of quarantine.”

See more about the REALM Project, Phase 1:

Many in the library community have been waiting for the first results of this research. There is a detailed report of the testing, but here is the summary:

As part of the REALM Project’s Phase 1 research, Battelle has conducted a natural attenuation study to provide information on how long some commonly circulated library materials would need to be quarantined prior to being returned to public circulation. Testing was conducted by applying the virulent SARS-CoV-2 virus (the virus that causes COVID-19) on five materials held at standard room temperature and humidity conditions. The materials tested included the following items, which were provided by Columbus Metropolitan Library:

(1) Hardback book cover (buckram cloth)
(2) Softback book cover
(3) Plain paper pages inside a closed book
(4) Plastic book covering (biaxially oriented polyester film)
(5) DVD case.

Results show that the SARS-CoV-2 virus was not detectable on the materials after three days of quarantine.

Notes:

REALM link above is to: https://www.webjunction.org/news/webjunction/test1-results.html

Archived here: https://web.archive.org/web/20200623150316/https://www.webjunction.org/news/webjunction/test1-results.html

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