Home » News » Coronavirus: Madrid public libraries already attend in person | Madrid

Coronavirus: Madrid public libraries already attend in person | Madrid

Public libraries begin to open in Madrid. This Wednesday the vast majority of the centers of the Community have done it and the same will happen with the municipal libraries from this Monday, June 8. For this, the centers have been conditioned with all the appropriate measures to respect the sanitary safety standards of the de-escalation.

That is why the attention to the user will be made in principle only by prior appointment to control the capacity, and only for loan and return. More ahead, announces the regional government, the centers will facilitate the management of cards and the use of the reading room, also with limited capacity.

12 of the 15 libraries in the Community of Madrid have already opened their facilities: José Luis Sampedro Library (Chamberí), Luis Rosales Library (Carabanchel), Pedro Salinas Library (Center), Rafael Alberti Library (Fuencarral-El Pardo) , Antonio Mingote Library (Latina), Moratalaz Library, Elena Fortún Library (Retiro), Ruiz Egea Library, José Hierro Library (Usera), Miguel Hernández Library (Vallecas), Luis Martín-Santos Library (Villa de Vallecas) and María Moliner Library (Villaverde). The opening hours to the public are from Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The remaining three centers will open later as they are currently under construction, they explain from the regional government.

Although the “new normal” of phase 0.5 already allowed Madrid public libraries to open at the end of May, the City Council and the Community decided to delay it for at least two weeks, as the health protocols with which to serve the public were not prepared.

The delay was due to the waiting list for the supplier of partitions that must be filed between the reader and the workers, as the book’s deputy director general, Isabel Moyano, explained to this newspaper on May 20. At that time there were no masks for the workers, because the ones they had set aside were donated to public health at the beginning of the health crisis, Moyano said, although these measures had been approved and published by the Ministry of Health and Culture since the past. May 9.

The digital service of public libraries eBiblio has served as an alternative for public lending in Madrid during these months of confinement. It has loaned 124,000 books in April, in a period in which 7,500 new users were registered, reaching the best figures since this service was implemented in 2014.

How the new loan service works

Previous appointment can be requested through the library portal from the Community of Madrid or by phone, calling the selected library. This service allows the user, up to a week in advance, to reserve the day and time to collect or return copies. To request it, you only have to fill out a form with the data, both personal and of the works of interest and the date you prefer.

48 hours before, a reminder will be received on the mobile phone that will include a receipt. The time allocated for each appointment is five minutes, expanding to 10 for people over 60 years of age.

In the option of loan, the data of the work or works that the citizen wants to provide and whose availability can be consulted in the Catalogue Network. Up to six books, four audiovisuals and three magazines can be borrowed simultaneously.

The loan period for all materials will be 30 days. For all loans made before confinement, the repayment period has been extended to July 6. A maximum of 6 books, 6 audiovisual and / or multimedia and 3 magazines may be requested.

After formally returning the material, books, films and any other material on physical support, they will go through a quarantine of 14 days. before going back into circulation. Currently, the libraries of the Community of Madrid have between 90,000 and 100,000 copies on loan waiting to be returned, reports the regional government.

The Bibliometer service has already started operating since last Monday, June 1, and it is expected that the Telelibrary service will be available in the coming days.

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.