Health & Safety Guidelines

This policy will guide in person interactions given the COVID pandemic.

Why have guidelines?

When we are in community with others, in order to maintain a safe, respectful, and considerate environment, there must be an agreement. This agreement provides everyone present the opportunity to bring forward their best selves and enjoy our time together as professionals, colleagues, and peers. Given the hardships we have all endured due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other contact illnesses, we must acknowledge that we need to have different guidelines from the last summit in order for us to have this in person counterspace. We must also acknowledge that the safety of everyone is important to building and sustaining true community, especially those who are immunocompromised and disabled. These guidelines intend to address some of the concerns we have about meeting in person at the summit and help us better navigate the space together. While we won’t have it all worked out ahead of time because, life happens, we intend to do our very best to support you and our fellow attendees and provide a counterspace for learning and joy.

As organizers, we are continuously monitoring the local and international guidelines and regulations relating to COVID-19. These guidelines will be updated regularly to reflect the unknowable nature of the pandemic. We will inform participants of any substantial changes after registration has been confirmed.

Community Agreement

By attending the POC in LIS Summit, you are acknowledging that you will agree to future guidelines to the best of your ability. Similarly to our code of conduct, these guidelines will help us respect the others in the space and provide guidance for behaviors and expectations. Folks who choose not to adhere to the community agreement and code of conduct may be subject to actions as outlined in the conflict resolution section of the code of conduct including but not limited to removal from the event.

Conditions of Attendance

Any attendee who is feeling unwell or is concerned about recent COVID-19 exposure with the last 14 days can cancel their registration by contacting the POCinLIS Summit organizers at pocinlis@gmail.com.

Masks

Review LMU's mask recommendations.

Air Filtration and Building Circulation

UHALL’s HVAC system was recently retrofitted with new filters that allows for excellent air flow. The building achieves a MERV rating of 13, which is equivalent to that of an N95. Loyola Marymount University maintains a section about air filtration and campus wide HVAC filtration levels around campus on Together: Need-to-Know A-Z Index, a resource guide addressing LMU COVID responses.

Moving Online

In the event of a safety emergency or concerns related to COVID-19 or any other exposures, the POCinLIS Summit will be moved online at a date to be determined. Organizers will contact attendees promptly with detailed instructions regarding next steps.

This policy was informed by:

2022 ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition. "COVID 19 Health & Safety Measures." Last updated May 26, 2022. https://2022.alaannual.org/general-information/covid-19-health-safety-measures.

EMBL. "COVID-19 Safety Policy for on-Site Events at EMBL Heidelberg." Accessed August 8, 2022. https://www.embl.org/about/info/course-and-conference-office/covid-19-safety-policy/.

University of California San Francisco. “Masking Policies on Campus and Health Facilities.” Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources. Accessed August 8, 2022. https://coronavirus.ucsf.edu/masking-policies.

Mitchell, Christine. “Disabled People Are Tired: Public Health and Ableism.” Disability Visibility Project. March, 7 2022. https://disabilityvisibilityproject.com/2022/03/07/disabled-people-are-tired-public-health-and-ableism/.

Loyola Marymount University. LMU Together: A Path Forward. https://www.lmu.edu/together/.