Join PALMCOP for an Unconference on November 13, 2020!

PALMCOP will be hosting a free virtual unconference to help SC libraries, archives and museums share ideas and learn from our colleagues during COVID. We’ll be covering topics related to adapting and responding to this atypical disaster. The sessions will include topics such as how to work with collections and spaces during COVID, as well as leadership and working with the public safely. Our facilitators will lead sessions that will guide the participants discussions based on the group’s interests in each topic. Sessions will not be recorded. Visit http://www.preservationsc.org/events.html to register. Space is limited so sign up today!

SC SHRAB invites you to a focus group

If you attended SCAA’s virtual conference recently, you may have heard Jessica Hills from SCDAH and Brenda Burk from Clemson give a short presentation about South Carolina’s State Historical Records Advisory Board (SHRAB).  The National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) recently awarded the Board a small grant to conduct a survey of historical repositories across South Carolina.  As part of that survey, the Board would like to invite you to participate in a virtual focus group to assess the archiving, processing, electronic records, etc., needs of historical records repositories in South Carolina.  It is the SHRAB’s intention to use the information learned from this focus group to rewrite South Carolina’s Strategic Plan for Historical Records.  There will be two virtual focus groups scheduled; each will last approximately one hour on a date and time to be determined.  Ideally, participants will be able to have input on a time that works for their schedules.

If you were unable to attend the conference and if you are unfamiliar with SHRABs, the purpose of the Board is to serve as a central advisory body for historical records coordination in each state.  Many SHRABs implement programs to address priorities for the repositories in their state.  The South Carolina SHRAB was very active in the 1980s and 1990s, but it has been defunct for the past several years. The SC SHRAB was revived in 2019 and the Board working to bring it back to its previous levels of activity and assistance.  This survey and these focus groups are a crucial first step in that process.

If you have any questions or if you are interested in participating in one of these virtual focus groups, please contact Jessica Hills.  Her direct line is 803-896-6119 and her email address is jhills@scdah.sc.gov .

Thank you in advance for your time and input.

REALM news: Test 5 results and more

Test 5 results

The studies were conducted by applying virulent SARS-CoV-2 on five materials held at standard room temperature (68°F to 75°F) and relative humidity conditions (30 to 50 percent). The materials in Test 5 included the following items: leather book cover; synthetic leather (expanded polyvinyl chloride) and 100% polyolefin fabric, both used in upholstery; 100% cotton fabric used in upholstery, toys, and costumes; and nylon webbing used as a crowd control barrier. 

Results show that after eight days of quarantine, SARS-CoV-2 virus was still detected on leather and synthetic leather materials. For the polyolefin fabric and nylon webbing, only the amount of virus after the initial 1 hour of drying time could be measured. No data for the cotton fabric could be collected or reported.

Full results can be found at https://www.oclc.org/realm/research.html#test5.

Literature Review

Also available is a review of SARS-CoV-2 research published through mid-August 2020, which summarizes current research on how the virus spreads, its survival on materials and surfaces, and the effectiveness of various prevention and decontamination measures.

The literature review can be found here: https://www.oclc.org/realm/research/phase-2-systematic-literature-review.html.

Test 6 update

Finally, test 6 is underway. The materials being tested include marble, powder-coated steel, laminate, brass fixtures, and glass. Results are expected in mid-November.

Resources

Materials to help support the interpretation and use of REALM project resources include: REALM 101 (about COVID-19 and the project); a checklist for decision-making; and visual aids for comparing all results so far. They can be found at: https://www.oclc.org/realm/resources.html.

Archives Month Proclamation

Visit the Archives Month & Advocacy page on the SCAA website to see Governor McMaster's proclamation designating October 2020 Archives Month. There is also a link to the Society of American Archivists' Archives Month page with ideas on how to celebrate archives and archivists during the month.

Change in SCAA 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting program

Unfortunately, Session G1 "A Special Collection Few Knew Existed" has been cancelled. An updated program is now on the Events page and it will be sent to all participants later in the week.