Library reopens its reading rooms under limited operating regime
Starting from 25 May 2020, as part of normalising its activity in line with the phased easing of the measures to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and based on the decision of the Civil Protection Headquarters of the Republic of Croatia reached on 18 May 2020, the National and University Library in Zagreb is reopening its reading rooms, under a limited operating regime.
Until further notice, the Library will not be providing extended hours services and will close every day from 13.30 to 14.30 for the purpose of the disinfection of its premises. Also, the Library is discontinuing its emergency return service, which it introduced on 27 April 2020 to minimise the number of users entering the Library’s building during the previous, stricter set of anti-COVID-19 measures.
The reading rooms on Floors 1, 3 and 4 and those operating as part of the Library’s Special Collections will be available for study, while the user area on the Ground and Mezzanine Floors will remain closed for the time being, as will the restaurant on Floor 5, while the adjoining café will reopen, with opening hours from Monday to Friday between 8 and 15.30.
Abiding by the latest anti-pandemic measures, users will have their body temperature taken with non-contact IR thermometers and only users with a temperature of not higher than 37.1 °C (98.78 °F) will be allowed to enter the Library. In order to be able to subsequently make possible the tracking down of contacts and supply other vital data under the circumstances of the epidemic, the Library will be keeping records of everyone using its reading room services which will include their contact information and a precise indication of the period spent in the reading room.
In order to ensure the effective implementation of the social distancing measures, the Library will limit the number of users to 200 at a time, in relation to which it will be possible to track the number of available reading room seats in real time via a specially designed application or check the number of available seats by contacting the Library’s Information Centre on (0)1 6164 002. Work in the reading rooms will be organised based on a safe seating arrangement indicated by special labels that will be placed on desks and that users will be expected to adhere to. Before entering a reading room, users will be assigned a specific labelled seat, which they will be expected to use exclusively during their time in the reading room.
Users will also have to comply with all the recommendations issued by the Croatian Institute of Public Health and accordingly use protective masks and frequently sanitise their hands, for which purpose a disinfectant will be made available at the entrance to and other parts of all user areas. In relation to the same measures, lifts are to be used by not more than two persons at the same time.
In order to minimise the number of users entering the Library, users should check in advance whether the items that they are interested in borrowing are available by emailing the Library’s Information Centre or contacting the Centre on (0)1 6164 002.
The Library is inviting its users to closely follow the Library’s official website and its profiles on social networks for all notifications regarding changes in the terms of use of the Library’s services occasioned by the measures to combat the spread of COVID-19.
