The Wheel Is Already Invented: Planning for the Next Crisis

Abstract

The development and implementation of pandemic response protocols for museum workers and visitors evolved over many months following the recognition of the SARS-CoV-2 virus as a major public health threat and crisis trigger. Initial response to the crisis in many museums was cessation of all activity and interaction with the public and with coworkers. Museum functions were suspended. Museums closed their doors to visitors and staff. Access to exhibits and collections was disrupted. Ensuring the safety of objects on display was difficult. The air we breathed, the objects we touched, the spaces we were in were all suspect as potential transmitters of the virus. As research was conducted on virus transmission, research results were incorporated into the development of reopening protocols for museums and museum collections allied with a university museum consortium. Case studies of the compilation, distribution, implementation, and reflection of pandemic response protocols within consortium member museums provide insight into including these crisis protocols for emergency response and collections management policies going forward.