Palo Alto’s library system will expand its hours of operation to provide more consistency across its five branches starting Tuesday, Sept. 8, according to a City of Palo Alto announcement.
Branches that are currently open on Monday and Thursday will open at 10 a.m. instead of noon. Both Mitchell Park and Rinconada libraries will open at the earlier time of 10 a.m. and stay open until 9 p.m. Libraries will also be open longer on Sundays with Mitchell Park and Rinconada opening at 10 a.m. and closing at 6 p.m. (For complete schedule, see below.)
The change was made possible by the council-approved fiscal year 2015-16 budget, which added full- and part-time positions to the library staff.
Libraries will also be open more days out of the year. Branches will end the practice of closing most Sundays that precede Monday holidays.
“The community supported the Library with the bond to build and renovate buildings; more open hours are in demand, and we appreciate the Council approving additional funding to make that happen,” said Library Director Monique le Conge Ziesenhenne.
“Contrary to sentiments that libraries would vanish as customers gravitated to e-services, we are experiencing just the opposite. People are finding more and more ways to use their library.”
New hours
Rinconada and Mitchell Park libraries
Monday: 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
Tuesday: 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
Wednesday: 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
Thursday: 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
Friday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Sunday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
—
Children’s
Monday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Tuesday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Wednesday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Thursday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Friday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Sunday: 1-5 p.m.
—
College Terrace
Monday: Closed
Tuesday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Wednesday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Thursday: Closed
Friday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Sunday: Closed
—
Downtown
Monday: Closed
Tuesday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Wednesday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Thursday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Friday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Sunday: Closed
Thank you librarians! My family and I really appreciate this. You are indispensable in our lives, and we love the longer hours, especially the fact that you will open at 10 am throughout the city. Extended weekend hours are a boon.
I look forward to many lovely hours in your welcoming surroundings.
Wow, so much easier to remember now. And great that it allows one more hour of study time for my children. Too bad they close at 6:00 on Fridays though.
Great news!
Yippee. No more getting there at the wrong time on the wrong day and having to hang around until they open or come back tomorrow because they have already closed.
Now, if they could just get their parking problem sorted at Mitchell Park and their book drop back, they might get in my good books.
This is welcome news as the prior schedule had different hours at each location so only someone with a photographic memory could remember them.
Bringing back the book drop would be nice since parking is so limited at both Mitchell and Rinconada.
Great news. Now just expand the SF and fiction collections at Rinconada and we’re set.
I love walking to Mitchell Park Library! More reading time!
Yipee! We’re catching up to Mountain View’s Library hours.