Posted on 21st May
Nottinghamshire County Council’s Libraries and Archive services, managed on its behalf by Inspire, is planning to resume services in line with Government guidance in July.
The county’s libraries and archives closed on 20 March due to coronavirus restrictions.
Planning is already well under way as access to library and archive premises will be part of the third step in the Government’s national recovery plan, which means some libraries may start to reopen from 6 July.
Inspire staff will return to library premises in the coming weeks to make the necessary preparations to welcome visitors within government guidelines.
A spokesman said: “The priority will be staff and customer safety, which means we will have to operate in a different way with a reduced service, limited capacity in buildings, additional cleaning measures and guidelines in place for social distancing.”
Peter Gaw, chief executive of Inspire, added: “We will be having a phased approach to resuming a face-to-face library service. A limited loan, information and ICT service will be on offer, with each library having a specific, pre-set visitor capacity which will allow people to distance themselves and be safe”.
Coun John Cottee, chairman of Nottinghamshire County Council’s Communities and Place Committee, said: “While our buildings have been closed many customers have discovered our virtual offer, Inspire Online, and our helpline service, ASK Inspire, so we have been able to provide a range of services remotely.
“However, I’m really pleased that we are now in the planning stage of opening physical sites again to help support the needs of our communities during this difficult time.”
Inspire, which delivers culture, learning and libraries on behalf of the county council, will issue more details about which libraries will be open, opening times and range of services in the coming weeks. Social media (Facebook/ Twitter), @nottslibraries and the website at inspireculture.org.uk will be updated with latest information.
The digital service, Inspire Online, will also continue to enable customers to enjoy culture, learning and libraries from home at inspireculture.org.uk/online.
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