By Julia Hawthorne

MEANDER VALLEY book lovers looking forward to the re-opening of the their libraries after the Covid-19 lockdown will be pleased to hear this is happening NOW. Westbury Library opens on 5 June and Deloraine Library on 9 June. Initially this will be a click & collect service where readers order books online, collect them, then return the books. Just now Libraries Tasmania doesn’t know when normal library service will resume – so don’t just rock up expecting to browse the shelves!

Library members can browse the online catalogue, place holds and pick up books during specified hours. Members are emailed or telephoned when orders are available for pickup. In Stage Two of the State Government’s Roadmap to Recovery, libraries reopened from the top down, beginning with a click & collect service at Launceston and Devonport libraries. Libraries Tasmania executive director Liz Jack said library staff are working on a safe operation for the public, so book browsing won’t be available until a later date. ‘But Libraries Tasmania continues to offer an expanded range of online services accessing an increasing range of online resources including eBooks, eMagazines, eFilms and eNewspapers,’ she said.