STUDENTS WELCOME
Libraries offer study space
Starting Tuesday, Montreal's Grande Bibliothèque will offer study spaces with internet access for up to 75 students of all ages — from elementary school to university.
And other public libraries across Quebec will soon follow by opening up similar spaces over the next two weeks.
Premier François Legault announced last week that libraries would start providing study spaces for students. The measure would “allow students to have access to high-speed internet and spaces to work in,” he said at a news conference last Wednesday to unveil the month-long curfew that started Saturday.
It might seem counterintuitive that the government is authorizing libraries to welcome more users during a stringent lockdown, but a spokesperson for public libraries said the plan to offer study spaces to students had been in the works for a few months.
“We made the request for this permission last October because we received a lot of requests from citizens,” said Ève Lagacé, director general of the Association of Public Libraries of Quebec.
Many students either don't have access to the internet at home or must share a computer with other family members, she said. Many families live in small dwellings, which has become more of a problem during the pandemic because everyone is spending more time at home.
Martin Dubois, general director of the Grande Bibliothèque, said the 75 workspaces will be set up on the library's third-floor reading room. They will be available with no reservation, on a first-come, first-served basis, he said.
“It is a nice sign of recognition from the government of the essential role that public libraries play,” he said.
The Grande Bibliothèque will be open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The earlier closing times are to give students enough time to get home before the 8 p.m. curfew.
Students must show their student ID card and wear a mask at all times.
While the library is offering workspaces and internet access, users won't have access to its collection. As before, the only way to borrow books and other documents from the Grande Bibliothèque or other public libraries is by reserving them in advance and waiting until you are notified that the item is ready before picking it up.
Lagacé said other public libraries are working as quickly as they can to set up workspaces for students. While libraries are not obliged to offer them, a large number intend to do so, she said. It will take a week or two for libraries to reorganize their spaces and work schedules so they can offer the study spaces.
Gabrielle Fontaine- Giroux, a spokesperson for the city of Montreal, did not respond Monday to a query from the Montreal Gazette on whether the city's public libraries will offer the study spaces, and if so, when they will open.