Booksellers want to be acknowledged as an essential business and are calling on the government to give permission for them to be “open, albeit on a limited schedule, similar to the measures applied to hardwares”. The call comes from the Book Industry of Trinidad and Tobago (BIOTT) which says its members have fully complied with the lockdown and other restrictions put in place on March 16^th. “The latest communication from the Ministry of Education  suggests schools will remain closed with the third term scheduled to commence in September 2020. BIOTT can confirm its valued members have been inundated with calls. With parents wanting to purchase schoolbooks so their children can get a head start. Or from valued teachers, seeking further resources and literary tools for their students.,” Vivek Charran said on behalf of the BIOTT in an open letter to Education Minister Anthony Garcia. “During a time when persons and families are forced to remain at home, parents are further seeking extra-curricular activities to entertain their children. Our nation’s children are being deprived of novels, religious books, inspirational books, business books, storybooks to read. BIOTT can also confirm customers want colouring and activity books, writing practice books, and crayons as this is a critical time for these children to develop fine and gross motor skills< Charran said. “BIOTT further seeks to advise the Honourable Minister despite best laid plans for distance learning, not all students have the capacity to go online and fulfill their education requirements and at this time, would like to put forward the point the continued education and growth of our twin island nation are just as essential. And we call on the authorities to treat with them as such,” Charran noted.