Statement on COVID-19

The situation with the Coronavirus (COVID-19) is evolving daily. Currently, Governor DeWine has closed all public and private schools in the State of Ohio starting at the close of business on Monday March 16^th, 2020 through Friday May 1^st, 2020.

OELMA Board, committee meetings, and events that were scheduled to be in person during this timeframe have been cancelled or rescheduled as digital meetings.  The Midwinter meeting is tentatively being rescheduled for sometime this summer. Details will be provided as they become available.

OELMA encourages all librarians to work with their local health departments to have the most up-to-date information for their local communities as well as continuing to check the State of Ohios Department of Health COVID-19 website.  The Ohio Department of Health website also has a FAQ fact sheet and infographic available to share on social media or posting in your libraries and schools.  OELMA has also been sharing digital resources through our Facebook page to aid you and your schools throughout the virtual learning experience.  

https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/

School libraries can help prevent panic by providing staff, students, and parents with accurate information and links to trusted resources about the virus including the Ohio Department of Health, the World Health Organization, and the Centers for Disease Control.

The ODH recommends the following precautions in public settings and for personal health:

• Provide supplies such as soap, hand sanitizer, tissues, wipes, and trash cans within your buildings.

• Clean high-touch surfaces and objects often. This includes counters, tabletops, doorknobs, keyboards, etc.

• Wash your hands for 20 seconds or more with soapy water. If unavailable, use hand sanitizer.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.

• Avoid contact with people who are sick.

• Stay home while you are sick (except to visit a health care professional) and to avoid contact with others.

• Cover your mouth/nose with a tissue or sleeve when coughing or sneezing.

• Get adequate sleep and eat well-balanced meals to ensure a healthy immune system.

Inquiries about COVID-19 should be directed to the ODH COVID-19 hotline at 1-833-4-ASK-ODH (1-833-427-5634) or the ODH website at coronavirus.ohio.gov. The public hotline is available from 9:00 a.m. 8:00 p.m. Monday-Sunday.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Ohio Educational Library Media Association (OELMA) is to be the responsive and forward-thinking hub of Ohio's school library profession, providing value to school librarians as they support the instructional needs and personal learning of all students and teachers.