Phased Reopening of Libraries with Click & Collect

[Hereford Voice]

‘Click and Collect’ service for books and green garden waste bags will be available from today at Hereford, Leominster, Ledbury and Ross-on-Wye libraries

As part of phased reopening plans, Hereford, Leominster, Ledbury and Ross-on-Wye libraries have launched a 'Click and Collect' service for pre-ordered books and green garden waste bags.

Although the library buildings will remain closed for the time being, the entrance foyers to the libraries will be available as Click and Collect pick-up points for the pre-ordered books and bags and for customers to return library items.

The Click and Collect points will be open:

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 2pm – 4pm

Thursday, Friday and Saturday 11am – 1pm

To use the Click and Collect service for books, customers will need to complete an online form and the library staff will put together a selection of books.  Customers will be contacted when their order is ready to collect. For assistance or further information please contact libraries@herefordshire.gov.uk or telephone 01432 261556.

Green sacks for garden waste that have been pre-ordered online may also be collected from the Click and Collect libraries. Customers must order and pay for the sacks online and allow at least two working days before their visit as there will be no financial transactions at the sites at this phase of the re-opening process. Details of how to order and collect sacks from the library sites, along with information on any other outlets selling sacks can be found at www.herefordshire.gov.uk/gardenwaste

The council is following national guidance for libraries by taking a phased approach to reopening to ensure the safety of customers and staff. Risk assessments have been completed and safety measures put in place, including the quarantine of all returned items for 72 hours before being returned to stock in line with Public Health England guidelines.

The online library services remain as popular as ever and includes resources like Ancestry family history, which library members can now use free from home. The BorrowBox eBook and eAudiobook app has thousands of free titles available, including the latest bestsellers and children’s books, and the brand new PressReader service provides access to a wide range of popular newspapers and magazines.

Councillor Gemma Davies, Cabinet Member for Commissioning, Procurement and Assets, said:

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“Our library Click and Collect service is the first step in reopening our cultural services in a ‘COVID-19 secure’ way. Cultural services continue to play an essential part of our health, wellbeing and prevention of social isolation. With this in mind, we are working hard to get all of our library, museum and archive services open to the public as soon as it is safe to do so. All the safety measures we put in place now will be reviewed as we continue to open the rest of our cultural services in the near future.  Thank you to everyone for your continued support to this critical sector.”

To find out more about library services, and how to join if you are not already a member, please see the library section of the Herefordshire Council website at www.herefordshire.gov.uk/libraries