As towns across North Lincolnshire reopen for business, book-hungry readers are being welcomed back to Scunthorpe Central Library.
The library will reopen on 13 July, with residents able to return books and borrow new ones via a new ‘click and collect’ Ready Reads scheme.
The move is part of a carefully phased reopening plan from North Lincolnshire Council to ensure staff and customers are kept safe and to help prevent a second Covid-19 outbreak.
Other libraries will be opened after following Government guidance about when it is safe to do so.
Customers wanting to stock up on reading matter are asked to complete an online form about the kind of books they prefer.
Library staff will handpick a selection of books, which can then be issued to the customer’s library card, before being bagged up and a collection time arranged.
Book returns can also be dropped off this way, but anyone who has library books that need returning can rest assured they will not incur any fines as all items have been renewed until 1 September 2020.
The customer request and reservation system is still suspended and customers cannot request individual or specific books.
One-way systems have been put in place, social distancing must be observed and all books will go into a 72-hour quarantine once they are returned to the library.
A limited printing service has also been introduced, with customers emailing documents in advance to centralprints@northlincs.gov.uk.
When they have been printed, customers will be given a time when they can come to the library to pay – by card only – and collect their prints. Customers cannot come to the library unless they have been issued with a time slot.
Other library services will be resumed as soon as possible in line with Government guidance. In the meantime, don’t forget the library service’s massive amount of online resources, including free e-books, audio books, newspapers and magazines. If you aren’t a member of the library, email library.enquiries@northlincs.gov.uk to join immediately.
Anyone without internet access can call the Contact Centre on 01724 297000 option 3/2/1.
