Tuesday 20 October 2020

Following the State Government announcement on Sunday 18 October regarding the further easing of COVID-19 restrictions, we are delighted to let you know that Geelong Regional Libraries’ branches, the Geelong Heritage Centre and mobile libraries will re-open from Monday 26 October.

We remain dedicated to protecting the health and wellbeing of our community and our staff and we are excited to welcome you back to the library next week. Here are some of the details about what you can expect when we re-open.

Libraries will open with temporarily-amended hours:

• Library branches previously open until 8pm (Geelong Library & Heritage Centre, Belmont Library, Corio, Geelong West, Leopold, Torquay and Waurn Ponds) will close at 6pm weekdays.
• Waurn Ponds Library will be open until 6pm weekdays, and from 9am-1pm on Saturdays and 2pm-5pm Sundays.
• Western Heights College Library will be open from 3pm-7pm Wednesdays, and 9am-12pm Saturdays.
• Please note Queenscliff Library is currently closed to allow for relocation to temporary premises, and will open on Wednesday 4 November at 18 Hesse Street.
• All other weekday and weekend opening hours across our libraries will be as normal.

Our mobile libraries will also resume their normal schedule, with two changes; the Bellarine and Surf Coast Mobile Library will operate every second Saturday and the Golden Plains Mobile Libraries will not be operating on Saturdays for the time being.

In most of our libraries, there will be a maximum of 10 visitors allowed inside at any time, as per government directions. Number limits will vary between branches, depending on the space available and according to government guidelines, and visits may be restricted to one hour in periods of high demand. Public access computers will be available for one-hours sessions.

We will continue to focus on the health and wellbeing of our staff and community, including adhering to strict hygiene, face covering and social distancing rules. All returned items will be quarantined for 3 days (72 hours) before being made available to loan. We are required to keep a record of visitors to our libraries; your contact details will be requested on entry.

We’re happy to be able to offer printing services via a contactless Print & Collect service at selected branches – Geelong Library & Heritage Centre, Belmont Library, Corio Library, Ocean Grove Library and Torquay Library.

We will continue to offer Click & Collect (by appointment – find out more here) and Click & Deliver will continue for eligible members (find out more here).

In-person library programming, live events and most outreach services remain suspended until further notice – however you can discover plenty of online programs and events on our website.

We will share updates and detailed information on our Coronavirus page and social media channels (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter).

We look forward to seeing you soon at the library!