By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY
Salina Post
ABILENE -- What's a presidential library to do when a pandemic forces its closure? Why the staff finds alternative ways to continue working and interacting with the public, of course!
When the Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum, and Boyhood Home in Abilene was closed by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) on March 14 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, staff soon began working remotely.
"Our staff started working 100-percent remotely about a week later. Even though the facility has been closed, we have continued mission-critical work on a remote basis," Dawn Hammatt, director of the Eisenhower Presidential Library, told Salina Post.
At this point, the Eisenhower Presidential Library staff does not have definitive information about when the re-opening process will begin. They are, however, hopeful that Hammatt will soon be allowed back at the facility and, with the help of a handful of staff, will begin the first phase of the re-opening process.
With the size of the facility, the re-opening will be no small task.
"We have 22 acres and five buildings with varying levels of public space," Hammatt said. "Each space will receive specialized attention which will allow staff to create reopening plans that fit each space."
The safety of all persons at its facilities is of the utmost importance to NARA.
"The National Archives and Records Administration has more than 40 facilities nationwide. Each with a unique building and staffing makeup. NARA has been working with several governmental agencies to ascertain the safest path to reopening. The agency leadership has been very thoughtful about the safety of our staff and our guests," Hammatt noted.
A statement on the Eisenhower Presidential Library website includes the following.
"The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is committed to protecting the health and safety of our visitors, customers, and employees during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. We are basing our reopening plans on guidance from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and others. Our reopening plans also consider the availability of personal protective equipment, consideration of local conditions, and the need to negotiate changes with vendors that provide security and cleaning services as well as the Union that represents our staff. We are working to reopen our facility to staff in the near future. After we have reopened to staff, we will continue our ongoing planning and implement necessary changes to allow us to safely reopen to the public."
Closed but still working
Although the Eisenhower Presidential Library has been closed for more than three months, the staff has kept busy while working remotely.
"We have created additional website content and moved our public programs to a virtual space. We've also added educational materials, several virtual tours, and online exhibits both to our website and social media channels," Hammatt explained.
Additionally, the library's archives team has created electronic versions of cross reference sheets, she noted.
"Nearly 60,000 pages have been transcribed. This new searchable electronic version of a previously analog document will allow researchers to more readily find the relevant materials in our holdings," Hammatt said.
Six sessions of library programs, such as the book club, the Lunch & Learn series, and the Evenings at Ease lectures have been offered to the public in an online format, she said.
"We were even able to produce three virtual programs with the National World War II Museum in New Orleans which are now available on our YouTube channel," Hammatt said. "The opportunity to partner with a museum in another state has been fulfilling in a way that simply wasn’t possible with our in-person programs."
The online programming has proved to be successful.
"The ability to reach a new audience and have participants from Alaska to Florida and Minnesota to Oklahoma is phenomenal. We have had participants join in from more than 20 states so far that likely would not have been able to attend an in-person program," Hammatt explained.
She continued, "Participants have been incredibly gracious and eager to be a part of the Eisenhower experience through our virtual programming. The smiles, gratitude and true appreciation shown by the participants is incredibly moving and rewarding. I am proud to be a part of the National Archives mission and honored to have a role in sharing Ike’s legacy with the world."