There is much we know and still don’t know about COVID-19. Most public libraries closed in response to the pandemic, with many of them still not reopened. Among the diverse questions librarians had to consider in their reopening plans perhaps the biggest one is how long COVID-19 survives on library material. Most libraries like mine in Palm Beach County choose to quarantine items for three days out of caution. This was based on general studies of the lifespan of the virus on similar types of material.

Now we have a study conducted that specifically looked at the virus and library material. The REALM Project is a partnership between the Columbus Metropolitan Library, OCLC, and the Battelle research labs. In the first round of testing five types of library items were studied to determine how long the virus lasts on these surfaces. The results came in last week.

According to the study, “Results show that the SARS-CoV-2 virus was not detectable on the materials after three days of quarantine.” In fact for many items the virus was undetectable after only one day. This shows that libraries which practice the three day quarantine method are providing safe materials for the public.

See the full results of the initial study on the REALM web site.