How clean is the library? Mitigating disease transmission

As campus hubs, academic libraries have the potential to spread disease through contaminated surfaces and fomites. Fomites are objects or materials such as fabrics, books, and furniture that are likely to carry infection. What is the library’s role in mitigating the transmission of disease? Historically, assessment of environmental safety has not been the responsibility of librarians. But should it be? What can librarians do to ensure a safe and healthy environment for its students, faculty, and staff?<br><br>This poster session highlights the results obtained from a pilot study conducted at a mid-size university library. The purpose of the pilot study was to measure the level of contamination on environmental surfaces throughout the library and provide recommendations for effective cleaning methods. More specifically, the pilot study examined three research questions: (a) Does environmental surface contamination occur in the library? (b) Which environmental surfaces have the highest levels of contamination?, and (c) What is the efficacy of current cleaning methods?