Advice relating to novel coronavirus

Advice relating to novel coronavirus and Libraries ACT

All branches reopening with regular hours from Tuesday 2 June

From Tuesday 2 June, all our libraries, including the ACT Heritage Library, will be open and operating regular hours. Some services are limited or changed so we can meet mandated restrictions.

We’re pleased to be able to take this next step in reopening the library, but still need to take precautions to protect the community and our staff and ask library users to follow important conditions.

Please keep your visit short (under 30 minutes). Physical distancing measures and building capacity limits will apply. If the library reaches its capacity, you will need to wait for someone to leave before you can enter. You must practise good hygiene and use hand sanitiser when entering.

Library staff will provide help, but only within physical distancing requirements.

You will be able to:

• Use computers. You must make a pre-arranged booking (phone 6205 9000). Due to the limited number of computers and time available, each booking is a maximum of 30 minutes.
• Visit the library to browse the shelves and borrow items.
• Collect reserves when notified they are allocated to you and ready to be picked up.
• Return items.
• Contact the ACT Heritage Library by web form or phone for heritage library enquiries.

You will not be able to:

• Sit or study in the library. Seating will only be available for pre-arranged computer bookings.
• Make cash payments. A maximum of 20 pages printing/photocopying per person per day for free will be provided.
• Ask library staff to help you at computers, because this doesn’t meet physical distancing requirements.

Please do not visit the library if you are feeling unwell, or have been in close contact with someone confirmed to have been infected with COVID-19, and was contagious at that time.

Services that remain suspended for now include:

• Library programs – we will continue to provide online programs
• Room hire
• Volunteering
• Home Library Service
• Seniors cards
• The Access Canberra shopfront remains closed at the Civic library branch – Please visit www.act.gov.au/AccessCBR.

Library members can continue to access eBooks, eAudio, digital magazines, Story Box Library and other Digital Resources on our website using their username/membership number and passphrase. If you need help using digital resources, or to join the library online, phone our digital helpline on 6207 7265.

Go to our Questions & Answers about Libraries ACT and COVID-19 page for answers to the most common questions we have been asked about being closed and reopening.

The ACT Government is making important information about COVID-19 available to Canberrans in twelve community languages here:

To access these translated information resources, as well as links to other language resources (including information from the Australian Government) please visit www.covid19.act.gov.au/community/translated-resources.

The ACT Government continues to update the information available in these languages as new community messages about COVID-19 become available.