May 12, 2020 — After being closed since March 17 due to the coronavirus pandemic, all branches of the Springfield-Greene County Library District will reopen to the public on Tuesday, May 26, except the Park Central and Fair Grove branches, which will offer curbside service.
The branches will open with adjusted hours and days, 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with no Sunday hours, through Aug. 31. Those branches include the Library Center, Library Station, Midtown Carnegie Branch, Schweitzer Brentwood Branch, and Republic, Strafford, Willard and Ash Grove branches.
Drive-up service windows will be adjusted, open 7:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Saturday, with no Sunday hours through Aug. 31. Book return boxes will be open 24 hours a day.
Returned items at all branches must be quarantined in a separate area of the buildings for 24 hours and cleaned with an EPA-approved solution before being available for checkout. The Park Central and Fair Grove branches don’t have space other than the public area to quarantine books, so patrons may call ahead for their books for curbside service.
Visitors to the reopened branches will be asked to comply with posted city and county requirements for social distancing, building occupancy and more, said Executive Director Regina Greer Cooper. Indoor checkout counters and drive-up service windows are equipped with acrylic shields and other items for staff and patron safety.
Also beginning May 26, service usually provided by the Mobile Library will be provided by the Library van on the regular schedule.
Effective Monday, May 18, the Library Express West, the 24-hour library kiosk at 3872 W. Chestnut Expressway, will reopen for service.
Also Monday, May 18, staff will be available to answer all branch telephones so the Infoline will be discontinued.
Due to health concerns, all in-person summer programs in the library branches are canceled, but are replaced with virtual programming. All meeting rooms, conference and study rooms are closed through Aug. 31.
Right now families can enjoy Storytime Live each Tuesday at 10 a.m. on the Library's Facebook page. Enjoy pre-recorded songs and stories with some of your favorite librarians on Storytime & More.
