The Seattle Public Library will significantly expand the open hours of its reopened locations this month and open others. The Montlake branch opened Sept. 1. The Madrona-Sally Goldmark Branch will open Sept. 15.
When the NewHolly Branch reopens later this fall, SPL will have successfully reopened all 27 of its locations. A precise date is not yet determined for the branch.
“We have worked very hard to reach this point, and we are so glad to now be offering a neighborhood library schedule that more closely resembles what we were offering pre-pandemic,” interim Chief Librarian Tom Fay said in a press release. “We know patrons of all ages are eager for more access to their home branches to browse collections, use computers, get help from library staff, and more.”
Starting this month, most reopened branches will be open every day.
According to a press release from Seattle Public Library, this expansion of hours marks a major step toward full restoration of pre-pandemic library open hours and is the result of funding provided by the Seattle Rescue Plan to restore staffing levels, which were reduced in 2020 and 2021 as part of citywide general fund budget cuts. The September hours expansion and building reopenings will increase total weekly open hours from 588 to 1,192.
All reopened libraries adopted their new schedules Sept. 1, except for the Central Library, which will expand hours starting Sept. 15 when it will add Sundays and Mondays to its current schedule. It will also be open later on Wednesdays, closing at 8 p.m. instead of 6 p.m. Currently, levels 1, 3 and 5 of the Central Library are available to the public. Library staff plan to open more floors to the public in coming weeks, but no dates have been set.
The Montlake branch, 2401 24th Ave. E., is open for the first time since March 2020. It is open from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays; from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays; and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays.
Administrators will restore hours of operation to branches as staffing levels permit and seek to return to full, pre-pandemic, seven-day service, including evening hours, by the end of October.
Expanded schedules and reopening dates may change in response to future developments related to the pandemic.
MASKS REQUIRED
To comply with Washington state public health regulations and to protect all patrons and staff, especially those who have not yet been vaccinated and/or are at greater risk from COVID-19, everyone must wear masks while in SPL buildings, regardless of vaccination status. All reopened locations are open at 100 percent capacity and currently do not require physical distancing of patrons.
ABBREVIATED LIST OF REOPENED LOCATIONS AND HOURS
Reopened libraries will operate according to the schedules listed below. Visit the library’s Hours and Locations page, www.spl.org/Hours, for a complete list of locations and services currently available.
Broadview Branch
Operating hours as of Sept. 1 are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays; noon to 8 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays; and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays.
Capitol Hill Branch
Operating hours as of Sept. 1: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays; noon to 8 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays; and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays.
Central Library (Levels 1, 3 & 5)
Operating hours as of Sept. 15: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesdays; and noon to 6 p.m. Sundays.
Madrona-Sally Goldmark
Operating hours as of Sept. 15: 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Montlake
Operating hours as of Sept. 1: 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays; and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays.
University Branch
Operating hours as of Sept. 1: 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays; and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays.