As many as 242 government libraries in the district, including the District Central Library, reopened with restrictions on Saturday after remaining closed for 75 days due to the COVID-19 lockdown.
District Central Librarian P. Rajendran said that the libraries were closed on May 10 following the announcement of the lockdown. As part of the safety measures, all visitors will be subjected to thermal scanning at the entrance and their contact details will be noted down. They will be provided with hand sanitisers and must wear masks on the library premises. Children below the age of 15 and senior citizens above the age of 65 will not be allowed to visit the libraries, he said.
At the District Central Library on Cowley Brown Road, R.S. Puram, the number of visitors allowed in each of the sections will be restricted to ensure personal distancing norms, he said. Only 40 persons will be allowed in the ‘Own Book’ section at a time, 30 persons in the ‘Competitive Examinations’ section and 30 persons in the ‘Periodicals’ section. Sections for children and differently abled were not reopened on Saturday, he said. “We are expecting more visitors, particularly those preparing for competitive examinations, to visit [the District Central Library] in the coming days,” Mr. Rajendran said.
