The biggest library in Montreal is now open to students.
Montreal’s Grande Bibliothèque, or the BAnQ (Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec), offers study spaces and internet access to up to 75 students a day.
Elementary, high school, and university students are allowed access to the library, needing only a piece of student ID to enter.
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Across Quebec, it is each municipality’s discretion to determine whether it is able to provide library access in accordance with current public health regulations.
Last week, Quebec Premier François Legault announced that public libraries across the province are allowed to open at their discretion over the next two weeks.
He says the initiative will allow students to “have access to high-speed Internet and spaces to work in.” Legault says the government had been receiving “a lot of requests” from parents who deem libraries as essential services for students.
The Grande Bibliothèque says the 75 workspaces are available on the facility’s third-floor reading room. No reservations are required and spaces are filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
The library will be open Tuesday to Friday, from 10 am to 7 pm and on weekends from 10 am to 5 pm. Earlier closing times have been set up to allow students enough time to get home before curfew.
Students are asked to wear face masks during the entirety they’re inside the library and won’t have access to its collection of books.
If students need to borrow books or other documents, they have to reserve them in advance either by phone or through the facility’s website.
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