The following questions can assist your thinking as you prepare to re-open, and can also be considered for generative discussions with your Board over the coming months, with preparatory reading drawn from the resources provided in Section 2.
- Is your corporate strategy still relevant? To what degree are you prepared to re-invent your role?
- What policies and relationships need to be in place before you open?
- What is the state of labour relations as a result of the actions taken during the pandemic? Is corporate culture likely to be more positive or more negative?
- What do you need to be ready for rapid decision making over the next 12-18 months?
- Do you have what you need for crisis management in this area?
- Do you need to reassess your risk identification and mitigation plans?
- How can you best support stable governance?
- Is the board skills matrix still applicable? How will you include trusted advisors?
- Will your board be willing to delegate more authority to the CEO?
- What has your provincial government demonstrated in terms of their knowledge of public libraries and does that require information/intervention/advocacy?
- Is the law an obstacle to effective response and how do you mitigate its impact?
- Do your existing policies support vulnerable populations’ use of library services? (membership policy, longer loan periods, no overdue fines, use of cards or cash)
- Is your library/community prepared to move away, even temporarily, from traditional public library openness to everyone, in favour of a preferential system that may first focus on vulnerable populations, supporting school children, etc.?
- What is your policy for physical distancing given your specific situation?
- How will you develop your plan for re-opening and follow these steps as an iterative process: analysis of your situation and the needs; designing your reopening plan; validate and implement the various steps of the plan; collect data and evaluate your impact?
