Busier days at the Capitol Hill Library (Image: Seattle Public Library)
In the annals of pandemic history, some might trace the true reopening of Capitol Hill to July 11th.
The Capitol Hill Branch of the Seattle Public Library will reopen to visitors Sunday, according to the system’s latest “Road to Reopening” updates.
As its libraries return to in-person service, SPL requires everyone to remain masked and some resources like meeting rooms remain unavailable. Other vital resources like computers, wifi, and charging stations will be online and available along with the library’s vast collections.
First closed early in the pandemic in mid-March 2020, the Capitol Hill library’s reopening comes after more than a year of limited pick-up and drop-off service at the Harvard Ave E facility, the longest disruption in service since a 2015 overhaul of the building.
The Capitol Hill Branch at 425 Harvard Ave E will be open noon to 6 PM on Sundays, and 10 AM to 6 PM on Mondays and Thursdays. Learn more at SPL.org.
COMPLETE LIST OF REOPENED LOCATIONS AND HOURS
Reopened libraries will operate on the following schedule. Newly reopened libraries are listed in bold. Visit the Library’s Hours and Locations page (www.spl.org/Hours) for a complete list of locations and services currently available, and visit our Shelter page (www.spl.org/Shelter) for a list of libraries with air conditioning (also noted in the list below with the abbreviation A/C).
- Ballard Branch (A/C)
o Operating hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays
- Beacon Hill Branch (A/C)
o Operating hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays
- Broadview Branch (A/C)
o Operating hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays
- Central Library (Levels 1, 3 & 5) (A/C)
o Operating hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays
- Capitol Hill Branch (A/C)
o Reopening: Sunday, July 11
o Operating hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays; noon to 6 p.m. Sundays.
- Columbia Branch
o Operating hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays and Saturdays
- Delridge Branch (A/C)
o Operating hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays
- Douglass-Truth Branch (A/C)
o Operating hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays
- Green Lake Branch
o Operating hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays
- Greenwood Branch (A/C)
o Operating hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays; noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays
- High Point (A/C)
o Operating hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays; noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays
- International District/Chinatown Branch (A/C)
o Operating hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays; noon to 6 p.m. Sundays
- Lake City Branch (A/C)
o Operating hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays
- Magnolia Branch (A/C)
o Operating hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays; noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays
- Northeast Branch
o Operating hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays; noon to 6 p.m. Sundays
- Northgate Branch (A/C)
o Operating hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays
- Queen Anne Branch
o Operating hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays
- Rainier Beach Branch (A/C)
o Operating hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays; noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays
- South Park (A/C)
o Operating hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays
- Southwest Branch
o Operating hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays
- University Branch
o Operating hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursdays; noon to 6 p.m. Sundays
- West Seattle Branch
o Operating hours: 10 a.m. to 6 pm. Tuesdays; noon to 6 p.m. Sundays
Libraries without air conditioning do sometimes close due to high temperatures; find updated status alerts on the Library’s website at www.spl.org.
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Frustrating that the libraries are only now reopening. Bookstores, churches, etc have been open for ages. And I doubt a single library employee was laid off during the closure.
Actually, many employees were “temporary” pre-COVID and ended up getting laid off when there was a 10% budget cut to the library. Additionally, many library staff left due to family issues, etc. Part of the reason why it’s been so hard to reopen libraries is due to lack of staffing.
Do you want to bet that nobody has been furloughed?
Tom and Caphiller, you seem unhappy that staff hasn’t been laid off.
So which is it? You want staff laid off so even more libraries can’t open, or you want staff not to be laid off but you just want to complain about it?
As someone who had used their services over the pandemic, library employees have been back in buildings for over a year. They’ve been providing curbside since August at a lot of locations and I asked upon opening; they started prepping the change of service and large amount of returns in July. They literally didn’t work in the libraries from mid-March to the beginning of July. That’s a tiny amount of time. Their budget was trounced by the mayor. They let go staff that was temporary as Kelly mentioned but those positions were crucial for library function. They haven’t been able to open all buildings because they literally don’t have enough people back.
I get that everyone wants things back to normal. The library isn’t some random business – it takes a huge amount of work for the normal everyday to happen. It seems like magic but there’s people working around the clock to get your materials to your branch and answer your questions and find you information. In REGULAR times. Add the pandemic and all the steps that it takes to make sure staff and the public are safe…it’s understandably taking longer. I’ve been talking a lot to my local branch librarians and they’re honest about the struggle.
I for one, APPRECIATE the library staff and how much work they’ve done over the last year. I’ve called the information line more than once with questions, picked up holds at the curbside location, and these employees were working during the waves of the pandemic that were really dangerous before vaccinations were obtainable. Congrats on opening up again Capitol Hill!
No, I was responding to Caphiller’s certainty that nobody has been laid off because I am sure people have been.
Tom – thanks for clarifying. Didn’t mean to jump down your throat :)
Hurray!
We should spend less money on cops and more money getting air conditioning in all library branches because the only way a cop is going to cool you off is if they put you in the back of one of their $50k Ford Explorers.