Algarve libraries adopt a take-away regime and will reopen "in a phased manner"

“Libraries favor direct contact with their users and progressively resume their usual services. For the definition of procedures to be followed in libraries, the Directorate-General for Books, Archives and Libraries (DGLAB) produced a document with recommendations, based on the legislation in force, the directives of the Directorate-General for Health and on specialized bibliography» , explains BIBAL in a note sent to the newsrooms.

The Intermunicipal Library Network recalls that «during the state of emergency, some libraries in the Algarve created the take-away service for loaning documents, which has now gradually been adopted by others».

Now, "with the beginning dependent on local constraints, this service will be resumed in all libraries, but always conditioned to the use of masks and hygiene measures".

Subsequently, continues BIBAL, «and always considering the conditions of evolution of the pandemic, the services of the Libraries will be, in stages, expanded, always respecting all the security measures that guarantee the health of those who work and those who use this equipment» .

BIBAL was formalized, in December 2018, through the signing of a Cooperation Agreement by the municipalities represented in the Algarve Intermunicipal Community, in partnership with the University of Algarve Library and the General Directorate of Books, Archives and Libraries.

The network, which includes 25 municipal libraries, 3 itinerant libraries and 3 university libraries, aims at cooperation between different entities, aiming at the development of network services, in a logic of sharing and optimizing resources, aiming at the provision of common services for the inter-municipal community and the provision of a quality public service.