Issue details
Re-opening of Hereford, Leominster, Ross and Ledbury libraries
The above sites delivering a library service
on behalf of Herefordshire Council have been closed since March
20th 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak. In recent months they have
been offering a click and collect service in line with national
regulations. In line with government guidance, libraries are
allowed to open to the public again from 12th April. A link to the
guidance is below
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/covid-19-coronavirus-restrictions-what-you-can-and-cannot-do
The national professional body, Libraries Connected, has worked
with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport as well
as Public Health England, to produce a library recovery toolkit.
This has been adopted as best practice across England and
recommends a phased reintroduction of library services.
At this stage, national guidance recommends library use is time
limited and restricted to returning, browsing and borrowing items
and for pre-booked sessions using the public access
computers.
In addition, the libraries will be a collection point for green
garden waste sacks that have been pre-ordered and paid for via the
Herefordshire Council website.
At this stage the opening hours for the four sites will be as
follows :
Hereford : Tuesday – Friday 10.00 – 12.00 and 14.00
– 16.00, Saturday 10.00 – 12.00
Leominster, Ledbury and Ross : Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday
10.00-12.00 and 14.00-16.00, Saturday 10.00 – 12.00
Hereford, Leominster and Ross will re-open the week beginning 12th
April 2021. Ledbury library will re-open the week beginning 19
April 2021. This is because it is being used as a Lateral Flow
Testing venue until Friday 9 April. The following week will be
required to remove the infrastructure of the testing venue and
prepare the library for re-opening.
The reintroduction of the service at these four sites will be
extended as regulations allow and other library sites will be
opened as soon as is safely possible.
Herefordshire Library Service has worked with the relevant other
Council Departments to ensure due process is followed to provide
the service in a manner that is safe for staff and customers.
Decision type: Non-key
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Notice of proposed decision first published: 13/04/2021
Decision due: 12 April 2021 by Director of Economy and Place (Historic)
Contact: Jon Chedgzoy, Museum, Libraries and Archives Manager Email: jchedgzoy@herefordshire.gov.uk.
Decisions