Several branches of the Brooklyn Public Library have closed amid widespread staffing shortages, leaving the borough’s bookworms with fewer options to check out their favorite literary titles.
Due to COVID-related staff shortages, some BPL locations may not open or have altered hours of service. Please check the location map for current hours and status before visiting our branches. https://t.co/T8cQS2BAcK
— BKLYN Library (@BKLYNlibrary) January 10, 2022
Of the library system’s 58 branches around Kings County, 10 are completely shuttered for a lack of present employees, and one has seen significant reductions in services.
The 10 book emporiums closed due to staff shortages are:
- The Bay Ridge Library
- The Canarsie Library
- The Clarendon Library
- The Cortelyou Library
- The Fort Hamilton Library
- The Homecrest Library
- The Leonard Library
- The Midwood Library
- The Red Hook Library
- The Sheepshead Bay Library
An additional handful of branches are closed as well for other reasons, such as renovations.
The closures come as the Omicron variant of COVID-19 continues to rage across the city, causing significant staffing problems for businesses and government entities to find enough workers.
The Five Boroughs have seen an average of 30,449 new COVID cases each day for the past seven days, including 8,956 per day in Brooklyn, according to city data — setting a new record, since testing became widely available.
Hospitalizations, however, are lower than previous pre-vaccine numbers, as 514 people are being hospitalized each day in New York City, including 152 in Brooklyn.
Those looking to check out a book, or utilize one of the library’s many other services can head to a nearby, still-open branch, or check here to find more information about potential re-openings.
Correction: This article has been updated to reflect the number of libraries closed due to staff shortages. That number is 10. Several others are closed for unrelated reasons.
