Rooms Opening for Research

To ensure we keep everything as clean and safe as we can for all members, there are of course some ‘rules’ to be observed:

• Before entering the rooms, everyone must sanitise their hands or wash them with soap and water. Hand sanitiser will be available throughout the complex for members’ use and soap will be available in the toilets and in the kitchen for hand washing.
• To observe social distancing, numbers will be limited to 2 people in the computer room, 1 at the scanner table, 1 at the microfiche table, 1 at the round table and 1 library volunteer at the front desk, making a total of 6 at the library/computer areas.
• There will be two library volunteers each morning/afternoon shift, one in the library and the other in the Meeting Room. They are responsible for ensuring the safety of members while in the rooms, so please follow any directions they might give.
• As we do not have a QR code, all attendees will need to sign into the Red Book. A supply of clean pens will be available, with used pens going into a separate container for wiping.
• Members are free to browse and/or borrow books or journals from the library, using the normal sign-out procedure in the Loans Book.
• The scanners will be available for members’ use and ‘how-to’ instructions will be available, as well as the full manuals.
• The microfiche reader and fiche are available for members’ use.
• At the end of the session, members will be asked to wipe down all surfaces where they have worked to keep others safe – tables, chairs, computer keyboards/mice etc.
• Meetings – unfortunately, the capacity in our meeting room will not allow the required social distancing, so we will continue to hold our meetings via Zoom. This will probably be until the June general meeting but will depend on the situation with Covid-19. The committee will review the situation at the meeting on 7 May.
• Research in the Meeting Room will continue with up to 6 people plus one library volunteer for members to access our internet. Three laptops will be available for members’ use, or you can bring your own.
• Interest Groups will continue via Zoom for the time being.
• The kitchen will be open for use, including tea-making facilities, a microwave, fridge, crockery etc. Members are reminded that anything used should be washed in hot water and detergent, and items dried with a clean tea towel before being put back in the cupboards. It seems unnecessary to say this, but we are aware that some people simply rinse cups in cold water and leave them on the sink to dry or put them away wet. During these Covid- times, more than usual, hot soapy water is what we need to use!