The library is opening its doors between 10am and 4pm, six days a week, throughout stage two of the exit from lockdown.
Head of marketing and communications Adam Bayfield said they were looking forward to welcoming people back.
‘It feels like it’s been a very long time, so we’re delighted to be able to open the doors again,’ he said.
‘Obviously it’s not going to be exactly the service people might normally expect because we do have to have special measures in place, such as maintaining social distancing.
‘We want to make sure everyone feels comfortable and confident using the library so we’ll have measures like a one-way system on the stairs, we’ve re-jigged the layout a bit just to spread things out and make sure everyone can keep that two metre distance.
‘Any books and items that come back are going to be quarantined for 72 hours before they go back on the shelf, and we’re also asking people to follow what could be called “supermarket rules”, so only one person per household visiting at any one time, and obviously face coverings as well.
‘So there’s a few things we’ve had to put in place, but yes we’re excited and we’re hoping to be able to get back somewhere closer to normality.’
The newspapers and magazines have had to be removed for the time being.
But the computers with internet access will be available, with users asked to restrict their time to 20 minutes and leave contact details.
Yesterday the staff were putting the finishing touches to stage two’s new look, with stickers on the floor and tape for the one-way system.
As a community hub, the Guille-Alles Library usually encourages people to relax and linger, but just for now things will be a bit more brisk.
‘Obviously people do come into the library for lots of different reasons, and sometimes people spend all day in the library to study or read. And that’s the kind of aspect of the service that we can’t really offer at the moment because the advice remains that it’s best not to stay in one place for too long, so we can’t have our study space open.
‘It is going to be a little bit more like a retail type environment than the library normally is, but we’re opening so that people can come in and choose their books or dvds.’
During stage one out of lockdown hundreds of homes have received bags of books, dvds and jigsaws from the library as part of the free home delivery service.
This will continue into stage two, and a new click-and-collect service has also been launched.
Mr Bayfield said that a good book can help people get through lockdown.
‘It’s escapism I suppose, there’s nothing better than a good book to transport you to different times and different places, and in the library we’re very conscious and well aware of how important reading is for people’s mental health and wellbeing, there’s lots and lots of research that demonstrates that.’
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