Reopening
As restrictions on social distancing lift, museums and cultural institutions begin to reopen to the public. This is an unprecedented process. Fortunately, museum and public history professionals across the globe have contributed to an outpouring of resources meant to guide institutions through this uncertain time. This resource guide includes select links to guidelines, webinars, articles, policies, and other materials to assist sites big and small with reopening during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Government Guidelines and Resources
Information on the Outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), Massachusetts Department of Public Health
Coronavirus (COVID-19), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Reopening Massachusetts, Office of Governor Charlie Baker and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito
Safety Standards and Checklist: Museums and Cultural and Historical Facilities and Guided Tours, Massachusetts Department of Public Health
General Resources
Preparing to reopen, American Alliance of Museums (AAM)
This comprehensive guide by AAM contains resources for museums preparing to reopen. This guide features sample reopening plans, a list of resources, and general reopening guidelines.
COVID-19/Coronavirus resource page, American Association for State and Local History (AASLH)
This page links to blog posts and webinars on reopening, such as AASLH Conversations: Planning for Reopening, which features museum professionals who have dealt with reopening after natural disasters. You have to register with AASLH in order to view the webinar and transcript, but AASLH provides a code to waive the registration fee. It also includes several reopening plans and external links.
Preparing to Reopen: Strategy, Planning and Process on the Road to Reopening Museums (webinar) and Tips & Strategies for Reopening Museums After COVID-19 Closures (blog post), Cuseum
These resources discuss reopening strategies around contingency plans. Topics include strategic planning, welcoming back visitors, design thinking, and continuing digital content. The webinar links to a crowdsourced Coronavirus Preparedness Community Document.
Reopen Resources for Museums, Ohio Museum Association
This webpage links to the document “Responsible RestartOhio Museum Sector Reopen Guidelines,” which lists reopening considerations specific to the museum sector and includes additional resource links.
The Restart, McKinsey & Company
This guide to reopening is intended for businesses, but it contains information that is also useful to nonprofits. It includes broad recommendations around public trust, employees, and finances.
SARS-CoV-2 on Surfaces
REopening Archives, Libraries, and Museums (REALM project)
REALM is research project conducted by OCLC, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), and Battelle to produce science-based information about how archival, library, and museum materials can be handled to mitigate COVID-19 exposure to staff and visitors of archives, libraries, and museums.
Collections Guidance during Public Health Emergencies, Coordinated Statewide Emergency Preparedness (COSTEP MA)
This detailed resource is regularly updated with information for museums, libraries, archives, and other stewards of unique historical materials.
COVID-19 Basics: Disinfecting Cultural Resources, National Parks Service & National Center for Preservation Technology and Training
This video features conservation scientist Dr. Mary Striegel, explains best practices for safely and effectively disinfecting surfaces of cultural resource materials.
Preservation Leaflet – Disinfecting Books and Other Collections, Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) *updated November 19, 2020*
NEDCC has created this leaflet, which summarizes best practices for disinfecting materials and is regularly updated.
SARS-CoV-2 in Spaces
Sneeze Guards from Displays2go and Sneeze Guard & Protective Panels for Point-of-Purchase Locations, Offices, and Medical Centers from Interstate Plastic
Displays2go and Interstate Plastic are two vendors selling clear plastic panels, called “sneeze guards,” which enable person-to-person interaction while limiting exposure to the novel coronavirus.
COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus: Guidance for Gardens (Interim v.4: March 18, 2020), American Public Gardens Association
This document includes links to external resources for public parks and gardens, as well as a Public Reopening Plan Summary Template.
Museums and Zoos – Outdoor Only, Reopen Connecticut Small Business Implementation Task Force
This guide by the features guidelines for outdoor museums. It is useful for outdoor or partially outdoor institutions as a preview for possible guidelines for Massachusetts.
COVID-19 and Visitor Experience
COVID-19 Updates, Know Your Own Bone
Visitor engagement specialist Colleen Dilenschneider shares and analyses data on COVID-19’s effect on visitor intentions and perceptions on her website, Know Your Own Bone.
2020 Data Stories – COVID Audience Research, Wilkening Consulting
Susie Wilkening, principal of Wilkening Consulting, shares infographics about museum audiences during COVID-19.
Toolkit: Facilitated Dialogue and Controversial Issues, National Park Service
This resource provides training materials for public-facing staff, who may be faced with difficult questions from visitors about new protocol.
Further Afield
NEMO map of Museums reopening plan in Europe
This interactive google map shows different museums in Europe and their plans for reopening. This may be useful to see what strategies that museums are using as restrictions in Europe lift.
Europe’s Museums Begin Reopening, Cautiously, With New Rules, New York Times
This article looks at the precautions museums in European countries have taken after reopening.
Precautions for Museums during Covid-19 Pandemic, International Committee for Museums and Collections of Modern Art
This list of precautions is based on polices and procedures implemented at Asian museums. This guide has useful information on staff and visitor safety precautions.
Museums and end of lockdown: Ensuring the safety of the public and staff, International Council of Museums (ICOM)
This list of recommendations on reopening focuses on logistics such as numbers, public access, and sanitation.
Want to know more? Check out the related Conversation on the Commons: When We Open, recorded June 5, 2020.
This Resource Guide was created in part by Ken Turino, Historic New England and Tufts University Museum Studies.