THURROCK Council has announced the start of the reopening of its libraries and community hub service.

On Monday (6 July) Belhus Library, which is part of the South Ockendon Centre in Derry Avenue, will be the first to reopen in Thurrock. There will be a limited service available to begin with and customers will have a maximum of 30 minutes to browse the bookshelves.

Public computers, printing, Wi-Fi and additional services including reservations, audiobooks, events, studying and toilet facilities will be temporarily unavailable but will be reviewed frequently and offered again when it is safe to do so following Government guidelines.

New safety measures in place at Belhus Library include:

· five members of the public allowed inside the library at any one time

· two metre social distancing inside and outside the library

· hand sanitiser available at the entrance

· one-way system around bookcases

· all items being quarantined for 72 hours on their return

Cllr Deb Huelin, Cabinet Member for Communities, said: "We're delighted to begin reopening our libraries and our colleagues look forward to seeing their customers again. We are starting by opening Belhus Library only and plan a phased approach to reopen further library and hub sites as and when it is safe to do so.

"The safety of our staff and customers is vital. If possible, please visit the library alone, although we understand that some customers may need assistance or have children with them, and follow any changes to ensure that everyone can enjoy the library service. There are still many free online library resources available and I encourage residents to explore these great options."

A new addition to the Thurrock and Essex library service is the free Iguana Library mobile app for smartphones or tablets. A unique feature is the app's ISBN barcode scanner which will enable customers to scan an item's barcode and either add it to their reading list or place a reservation (when this service is available and subject to availability).

For more details about Belhus Library reopening and to use online library resources including more information on the Iguana app, click here.