ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — Readers and bookworms will be able to peruse the shelves of the St. Louis County Library buildings in-person for the first time in eight months. Starting March 23, St. Louis County Library will open all 20 of its branches for in-person visits.
Those interested in going to the library must make an appointment and each visit will be limited to 45 minutes. Anyone 5 years of age and older will be required to wear a mask to enter the library.
Library patrons may make an appointment by calling 314-994-3300 or visiting www.slcl.org/library-visits. Appointment times will open March 16 at 9 a.m.
"We are so happy to welcome patrons inside our library buildings," Library Director Kristen Sorth said in a press release. "We have stayed connected in so many creative ways during the last year but seeing people inside the branches will be amazing."
Curbside service will still be available Monday through Thursday from 1 p.m.-6 p.m. and on Friday and Saturday from 1pm -5 p.m. For information about curbside services visit www.slcl.org/curbside.
St. Louis County Library branches have been closed to the public since July 2020. During that time, staff provided more 332,000 curbside service transactions for patrons to pick-up library materials, print-outs and curbside bundles, according to the release.
The branches also served as a place to distribute more than 1 million meals through a partnership with Operation Food Search. It also worked with the St. Louis Area Diaper Bank to coordinate the distribution of diapers and period supplies. And it worked to distribute Chromebooks and Wi-Fi hotspots to area students through the Digital Equity Initiative, the release said.
Drive-thru meals, emergency diapers and period products will still be available at select branches, the release said. Visit www.slcl.org/drive-thru-distribution for more information.