DOHA: Qatar National Library (QNL) on Sunday announced extended timings for visitors as part of the gradual lifting of Covid-19 restrictions in the country.
Three time slots will be provided per day, Sunday through Thursday, accommodating 250 people daily based on appointments only. The slots are from 8 am to 10 am, 10.30 am to 2.30 pm and 3.30 pm to 7.30 pm.
“Only 100 people will be allowed in the building during the 8 am to 10 am time slot and 150 people during the other two time slots,” QNL said. The library will be closed on weekends.
Visitors will be allowed into the building only if they have a confirmation of their slot booking through the form available at https://registration.qnl.qa/booking-service#no-back; are aged between 13 and 60 years; have the ‘green’ status on the Ehteraz app have a temperature of no more than 37.8 degrees Celsius and have a face mask or shield.
The library’s restaurant and Safahat café are now open with a dine-in of capacity 50 per cent. Vending machines in the Quiet Study Area are also available. Prayer rooms would open without the ablution facility and with limited capacity.
Restrictions and guidelines
Social gatherings of more than 10 people are strictly restricted in the library and would be monitored by QNL’s security personnel. Seating areas and workstations would be limited.
Reading carrels may be used on a first-come, first-use basis, with only one user per carrel. “To borrow books, you need to request them in advance at least two working days before the time slot you’ve booked for your library visit. You will need your library ID to self-checkout these books,” QNL said.
The Heritage Library is reopening and the Heritage Reading Room available to users for selected heritage and reference materials. Heritage Library materials are accessible by requesting for a digital copy via heritagelibrary@qnl.qa. “If the requested item has not yet been digitised, we will let you know when it is available,” QNL said.
Tours
No public group tours will be conducted in the library, including the Heritage Library Exhibition Area, until further notice. Individual visits are permitted by appointment only through the booking form (https://registration.qnl.qa/booking-service#no-back) and all health precautions must be followed.
The Children’s Library and the Young Adults’ Area would remain closed until further notice. Pregnant women are not allowed into the library during this phase of reopening. Only books can be borrowed for the time being. No borrowing of DVDs, CDs, iPads, headphones and chargers would be permitted.
Book return stations inside the library building will be closed, with bins provided at the main entrance for returning books. Patrons can also use the drive-through book return station outside the library 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Research and information
Research and information services will continue online until further notice and available from 9 am to 8 pm from Sunday to Thursday, The Main Plaza, computer stations and individual study carrels will be open.
All access to shelving tiers will be closed. No access will be provided to patrons to any bookshelves and all entrances to the tiers will be closed.
Those wanting to use the Innovation Stations need to send a booking request by email to innovationstation@qnl.qa. A member of the QNL staff will get back to the person concerned on his/her request and the date and time when they need to book the visit to the library.
The time slots available for booking the Innovation Stations (Sunday to Thursday) are: 8 am to 10 am, 10.30 am to 12.30 pm, 1 pm to 2.30 pm, 3.30 pm to 5.30 pm and 6 pm to 7.30 pm.
Both the public parking lot by the Heritage Library entrance and the staff parking lot by the main entrance will be open to the public. After each slot, the library will be evacuated through a PA announcement and essential service cleaning of the areas open to the public will be carried out before opening for the next slot.
Membership registration will continue online only. Users should also book a visit through the QNL website to pick up their membership card from the User Services Desk at the library.