San Francisco to Reopen Libraries After 1+ Year Closed

Mayor London N. Breed and City Librarian Michael Lambert have set up a press conference for Tuesday, April 20, 2021 at 10am to announce the timeline and plan for reopening San Francisco’s public libraries.

UPDATE: San Francisco’s Main Library will reopen its first floor on May 3, 2021 with other branches set to open in Mid-May and Late June.

This will be the first reopening of San Francisco’s libraries to the public since they closed down on March 16, 2020 in the early days of COVID. Originally the plan was for the libraries to be closed until “at least April 7, 2020,” but ended up being more than a year.

Related Stories

• Santa Clara City Libraries Open for 30-Minute Computer Use – 4/19/21
• SF Main Library Reopens Today with “Front Door Pickup” – 8/10/20
• Brand New Curbside Pickup Comes to SF Public Libraries – 8/4/20
• All SF Libraries Shut Down Until (At Least) April 7 – 3/20/20

Except for being open a few days as “air respite” centers during the fall fires, the interiors of the libraries have been closed to the public with many San Francisco Public Library employees being drafted to instead serve San Francisco’s COVID-19 response in a variety of essential roles.

In the Meantime: SF Library “To Go” Pick Up Services
As of the end of April 2021, 15 different library branches have opened up for “to go” services. See the list of SF Library to Go branches, bookmobiles plus opening hours. West Portal and Potrero branch libraries are the latest to open “to go” services, which will open on April 27, 2021.