Libraries will be giving residents a warm welcome back when they re-open their doors on Monday.

Oxfordshire County Council is planning a phased approach to the re-opening of libraries and will be maintaining safety measures including track and trace, use of face coverings and social distancing.

Since the November lockdown, all loans have been extended on a rolling basis and this will end on May 10, at which point all loans will be due for return or renewal.

Items can be returned in the returns boxes at the doors of any library during opening hours. No library customers will be penalised as a result of having to self-isolate or being unable to travel to return library loans.

Lesli Good, assistant director for Cultural Services, said: "Our libraries and registration staff have missed serving the Oxfordshire public in person and being the heartbeat of their communities. It’s a moment we have been anticipating hugely for many weeks and now it is very close.

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"Our excitement is being blended with a safety-first approach. Each building is different and they are all being fully assessed to make sure they are as safe as they can be.

"We will keep everyone up to date on our website and through social media whenever a new re-opening is due and also on the safety arrangements that have been put in place."

The following libraries will reopen on the week beginning 12 April:

• Oxfordshire County Library

• Abingdon

• Banbury

• Berinsfield

• Bicester

• Blackbird Leys

• Botley

• Carterton

• Charlbury

• Chinnor

• Chipping Norton

• Cowley

• Didcot

• Eynsham

• Faringdon

• Goring

• Headington

• Henley

• Kennington

• Kidlington

• Sonning Common

• Summertown

• Thame

• Wallingford

• Wantage

• Watlington

• Wheatley

• Witney

• Woodcote

• Wychwood

The following libraries will reopen on the week beginning 19 April:

• Adderbury

• Benson

• Deddington

• Grove

• Littlemore

• North Leigh

• Stonesfield

• Burford