State-owned, government-aided and government-sponsored libraries in Bengal will all resume public services on Monday.

Although limited numbers of readers will be permitted in the light of the Covid-19 pandemic, services are set to start three times a week on alternate days.

Sources said the directorate of library services had asked employees to take “strict protective measures”, including sanitising the library premises on a daily basis, and allowing only half of already-enrolled readers according to protocols prescribed by the health department.

Bengal has a total of 2,480 libraries, which include 13 government-run libraries, 2,460 government-sponsored, and seven state-aided libraries.

In September last year, the state government had instructed libraries to open at least twice a month to clean books and remove dust apart from sanitising the premises.

The order had come in the wake of allegations that the directorate had been “negligent” with regard to the condition of items, including “century-old manuscripts” which could have suffered damage inside unventilated and shut down library buildings.

“Several state libraries house rare old books and century-old manuscripts written on toddy-palm leaves and other valuable collections,” said Sanjit Dutta, a retired librarian in Nadia.

The sources said the decision to make public libraries functional was taken during a meeting on January 15 in the presence of mass education extension and library services minister Siddiqullah Chowdhury.

“Since public services have been largely restored while fighting with the Covid-19 situation, we decided to resume library services as well. However, strict guidelines have been issued to officials so that no compromise is made with regard to health measures”, a senior official of the library services directorate said, adding that in addition to allowing only half the number of regular enrolled readers in the building, reading rooms would be limited to 50 per cent capacity as well.

“We have told our officials to wear face masks and have also told them to ensure that readers use face masks while maintaining safe distance,” said minister Chowdhury.