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<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:black">The following message is sent on behalf of State Librarian Beverly Cain</span></i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif">.<span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<div class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:black">
<hr size="2" width="100%" align="center">
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:black">Dear Colleagues,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:black"><br>
Over the past couple of days, library staff across Ohio have expressed concerns about handling library materials being returned by patrons who might possibly have been exposed to the coronavirus. Late this afternoon, John Stewart, Director of Operations and
Technology at the SEO Service Center, contacted the Ohio Department of Health for guidance. He almost immediately received the following response from the Deputy Director at ODH:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:black">A study was released yesterday by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) reporting that this novel coronavirus is detectable in aerosols for up to
three hours, up to four hours on copper, up to 24 hours on cardboard and up to two to three days on plastic and stainless steel. An Ohio Department of Health epidemiologist I consulted with said </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:black">that
the highest risk would be close proximity to a contagious individual as well as exposure to shared surfaces such as tables, doorknobs, </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:black">touchscreens and
faucets/sinks. </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:black">The risk of contracting the virus from books is likely low. However,
it might be worth considering a recommendation to patrons and staff to wipe off a book before handling it. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:black">CDC offers general recommendations for routine cleaning and disinfection of households, which would be applicable to libraries, too: Practice routine
cleaning of frequently touched surfaces (for example: tables, doorknobs, light switches, handles, desks, toilets, faucets, sinks) with household cleaners and EPA-registered disinfectants that are appropriate for the surface, following label instructions. CDC
also offers environmental cleaning and disinfection recommendations for community facilities with suspected/confirmed COVID-19 cases at <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/organizations/cleaning-disinfection.html#Cleaning" target="_blank">https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/organizations/cleaning-disinfection.html#Cleaning</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:black">You can go to the Ohio Department of Health's <a href="http://www.coronavirus.ohio.gov/" target="_blank">www.coronavirus.ohio.gov</a> website for
more information and resources.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:black">I hope this information is helpful to you as you continue to make difficult decisions regarding protecting the staff of your library as well as your
patrons.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:black"><br>
Thank you,<br>
Beverly<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#323130"> </span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#002E62"><img border="0" width="96" height="101" style="width:1.0in;height:1.052in" id="Picture_x0020_11" src="cid:image002.jpg@01D5FDC7.90BF19E0"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#002E62">Beverly L. Cain<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#002E62">State Librarian<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#002E62">274 E. 1<sup>st</sup> Avenue<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#002E62">Columbus, OH 43201<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://library.ohio.gov"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif">library.ohio.gov</span></a><u><span style="color:blue"><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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