Libraries Open More Study Areas & Allow Longer Stays
The end of the year is nigh, which means that students taking their major exams will be in for a rather stressful period.
A conducive study environment will help ease their anxieties, and libraries no doubt offer that, with quiet seating areas and endless resources.
Come Tuesday (20 Oct), more services will resume at libraries, allowing visitors to sit and browse for longer periods of time.
Public programmes there will also resume gradually, while the National Library Board (NLB) continues to enforce safety measures by managing crowds.
Libraries open seating & studying areas
NLB shared on Facebook today (15 Oct) that the public will be able to access more services at all 25 public libraries and the National Library Building on Tuesday (20 Oct).
Good news for avid bookworms, seating and studying areas in public libraries will be opened again.
Visitors will be able to spend more time in various library premises reading, studying, and working.
The eNewspaper and multimedia stations will also be available for use then.
Public programmes held at libraries will gradually return, and the public can find out more about them on NLB’s GoLibrary website.
Public allowed to stay for at least 2 hours
Safe management measures will be enforced with the resumption of more services.
To manage crowds, the public will still need to make online bookings for their preferred time slots, just as they have been doing since libraries reopened.
However, instead of a 30-minute maximum stay, they can now stay for at least 2 hours.
For regional libraries at Jurong, Tampines and Woodlands, the length of stay is capped up to 3 hours.
Tampines Regional Library study area
Source
At the National Library Building, the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library will also allow people to stay for 3 hours. The same goes for the study area at level 5.
For all other public libraries, the public is allowed to stay for 2 hours.
Increased capacity for Oldham Theatre
According to ST, the Oldham Theatre at The Asian Film Archive will also have an increased capacity of 50 people at film screenings, for both the theatre and atrium.
Safe distancing within the theatres will continue to prevent intermingling between various groups.
Continue to do our part to stay safe
In addition to safe distancing and capacity controls, NLB assures additional cleaning and frequent disinfections will be carried out.
However, due to these restrictions, the public might have to wait to enter libraries. To prevent queues, check the real-time crowd capacity at libraries on NLB’s website or app.
A small price to pay for greater freedoms.
As Covid-19 restrictions ease, let’s continue to do our part to ensure everyone stays safe and healthy during this period.
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Featured image adapted from Google Maps and Facebook.
