The New York Public Library is reopening three Staten Island branches that were temporarily closed late last year. The Huguenot Park, New Dorp, and Richmondtown libraries will reopen for limited, grab-and-go service beginning Monday, January 25. This brings the total number of Staten Island branches open for grab-and-go service to six.
The three branches were temporarily closed last November out of an abundance of caution following a trend of increasing COVID-19 cases in Staten Island. The decision to close was carefully discussed with the Library’s safety experts, and while there was confidence that the branches could operate safely with limited, grab-and-go service, the Library determined it was best for patrons and staff to be extra cautious.
At this point, considering updated State guidance and further discussions with Library safety experts, the Library has decided to reopen the locations. They will join the following Staten Island branches open for grab-and-go: Stapleton, St. George, and Todt-Hill Westerleigh. For a full list of open branches visit www.nypl.org/locations.
Several safety protocols are in effect for all patrons entering a New York Public Library location. New Yorkers:
- Must wear masks (this is mandatory, as per State guidelines)
- Will be subject to a temperature scan
- Must physically distance from staff and other patrons
- Must respect capacity limits inside the open locations
- Must leave the libraries as soon as their pickups or returns are complete; at this stage, to keep patrons and staff safe, there will be no browsing, in-person reference, or computer use.
To accommodate New Yorkers during this limited service phase, fines will not accrue on checked out items until at least June 2021. Additionally, while browsing is not currently allowed, the Library offers Shelf Help, a service that provides patrons with personalized packages of recommended books that can be picked up from their local grab-and-go branch. Patrons share their interests via phone, email, or in-branch paper form, and librarians curate a collection of five books. For full details on our grab-and-go service, reopening policies, current initiatives, and digital resources please visit our website.
While the Library currently has approximately 50 locations open for on-site grab-and-go service, it continues to offer a wide range of free, virtual programs and services for all New Yorkers, including e-books via the Library’s e-reader SimplyE, daily virtual storytimes, at-home access to research databases, educational resources for families, and more. Patrons can also manage their NYPL accounts, reserve materials, and use “self checkout” via the Library’s new mobile app.
For updates about open branches and continued plans for reopening, visit www.nypl.org/reopening.
About The New York Public Library
For 125 years, The New York Public Library has been a free provider of education and information for the people of New York and beyond. With 92 locations—including research and branch libraries—throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, the Library offers free materials, computer access, classes, exhibitions, programming and more to everyone from toddlers to scholars, and has seen record numbers of attendance and circulation in recent years. The New York Public Library receives approximately 16 million visits through its doors annually and millions more around the globe who use its resources at www.nypl.org. To offer this wide array of free programming, The New York Public Library relies on both public and private funding. Learn more about how to support the Library at nypl.org/support.
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