LIBRARIES may still be closed, but vulnerable homebound readers can now get books delivered again.

Ross-on-Wye’s Cantilupe Road library shut on March 20 as the coronavirus outbreak forced the UK into lockdown, alongside home deliveries.

But now avid readers who have been shielding at home and use the home delivery service have been called by Herefordshire Libraries staff to explain the reopening of the service.

Stringent safety measures will be put in place to ensure the safety of customers and staff.

Risk assessments have been completed to ensure all government guidance is followed, and other measures put in place include no direct contact between customers and staff; all returned stock to be quarantined for 72 hours; and staff to wear gloves when delivering stock.

Customers can choose to resume their deliveries now or at a future date.

Councillor Gemma Davies, Cabinet Member for Commissioning, Procurement and Assets, said: “The library home delivery service is invaluable to our shielding readers and I am sure they will welcome its return as much as I do.

“Our library staff have worked hard behind the scenes to make sure the service can resume safely. Cultural services play an essential part of our health and wellbeing – especially those who are socially isolated – and we are working hard to get our libraries, museums and archive open to the public as soon as it is safe to do so.”

As lockdown measures are gradually eased, the council is looking to reopen as many libraries as possible as soon as it is safe to do so, said a council spokesperson.

This is likely to be a phased approach on a site-by-site basis to ensure reopening complies with national guidance.

While the library buildings are closed, the online service remains as popular as ever, they said.

The BorrowBox eBook and eAudio app has thousands of titles available for free, including the latest bestsellers.

To find out more about the resources available, see www.herefordshire.gov.uk/libraries