Dear Members
This is just to keep you all in the picture, that we are keeping up to date with the rules and regulations.
The Library Committee held a meeting on Wednesday 15th of July to discuss “The Way Forward”. Three of our Committee members reported on a visit they made last week to the Municipal Library in Puerto de la Cruz, to meet with the librarian there, and to find out how they are implementing the government rules.
The municipal librarian made a number of points, firstly, and perhaps most importantly, that although The English Library is a private organisation, we are still bound by the current government rules. These include the following:
- No Browsing. (Their customers order the books they want, either online or when they arrive at the library, and the books are brought to them at the door). Customers are not allowed in the Library.
- Returned books are put into plastic bags, which are sealed, put in boxes and labelled with the date, and left “in quarantine” for fourteen days.
- Perspex screens have been installed on the desks of library staff, and they all wear masks. The reason for this is that students are allowed into the building (wearing masks, and socially-distanced) for the purposes of studying (not browsing books!).
- The Library is thoroughly cleaned every three hours when it is open.
After considering the government rules and regulations the committee felt that the rule most affecting our members would be ‘no browsing’ and this would greatly reduce the enjoyment of visits to the library. It would also prove to be unworkable in our situation.
The Committee’s final conclusion was that when Rule 1 is relaxed, and members can enter the Library and browsing is allowed, we will feel the time is right to re-open.
We will however be meeting again in a month or earlier to review the situation.
The other groups which use the library, the Computer club, the Art Group, the Literary Group, Film Club and the History Group will also re-commence their activities when the library re-opens.
As we have said before, in considering The Way Forward, our over-riding commitment is to the health and well-being of our members and volunteers, and that there will be no compromise on their safety.
