A year after closing along with everything else because of COVID-19, the Salt Lake City Library system will reopen its doors — though still in a limited way.
The City Library will open the buildings of seven of its eight locations to Express Services, starting next Monday, March 15, the library announced Monday.
Those services will include 60-minute computer sessions, access to fax and copy machines, picking up holds, returning items, and reference assistance. Each location also will have designated browsing areas. The Main Library, at 201 E. 400 South, will have passport services available.
Hours for the Main Building and six branches — Anderson-Foothill, Chapman, Day-Riverside, Glendale, Marmalade and Sweet — will be Mondays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Main Building will be open Sundays from noon to 6 p.m.
Curbside services will continue at those locations, during the same hours. The temporary Sprague Firehouse Express also will continue curbside service.
The renovated Sprague branch will open for tours and Express Services in May, if COVID-19 case counts don’t spike again, library officials said.
It’s not a full reopening, though library staff said in a statement that they are “cautiously optimistic” that will happen — though no timetable has been announced.
Under this phase of reopening, public areas and materials will be thoroughly sanitized, social distancing will be enforced, and face masks — properly worn to cover the mouth and nose — will be required at all times inside the building. The libraries have removed lounge seating.
While the buildings have been closed for a year, except for a brief partial reopening last fall, the library system has kept more than 50,000 curbside appointments since June. Those include fulfilling online hold orders and giving personalized recommendations through its “Browsing To-Go” program.
