UPDATE July 28, 2020

Starting on Monday, August 3rd, 2020, we will be rolling back to “curbside only” service at the library.

Our hours will change as well to reflect the patterns of use that we have seen over the last few weeks.

Monday-Friday 12 p.m.-6 p.m.

Saturday 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

UPDATE July 6, 2020

Starting on July 6th we will offer limited access to the library building primarily for public internet access.

Library hours:

Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Saturday 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

5 people in the building at a time for 30 minutes max.

3 computers will be available for same day reservations. Call us at 314-963-8630 or text us during office hours at 314-252-0616 to schedule a 30 minute session. Printing will be free. Mobile printing is available too. Ask us about it!

Browse from a selection of new materials and selected items.

Masks must be worn. We will provide one to you if you do not have one.

Curbside pickup of holds will still be available and is our preferred method of delivery. Returns will still go in the book return in the parking lot.

Need a curated selection of items? Email us at circulation@bplmo.org or call 314-963-8630.

UPDATE June 26, 2020

Curb service is now available Monday-Friday between 2-6 p.m.

We will have limited staff on site, so please understand that you might have to wait to be served.

You may place items on reserve through our catalog page. We will not be able to do searches for you when you arrive. Please email or call in your requests ahead of time at circulation@bplmo.org or 314-963-8630.

Park. Text. Pop. is the name of our new game.

Park your car in a parking space.

Text us at 314-252-0616. Or call us at 314-963-8630.

We do not need your library card. We will ask for your name and vehicle description when you arrive. We will place them in a paper bag and carry them to your car.

Pop your trunk or roll down a window in the back seat.

If you are walking to the library, please call us from outside. If there are others in front of you, you will need to form a queue with 6 feet between each person. We will have a table at the side door for walk up customers to retrieve their items.

All returns must go in the book return box. We will be quarantining returns for 3 days upon receipt. This means that any items that you receive will have not been touched for 72 hours. (Except by our clean, loving hands.) This also means that items you return in the book drop will not be checked in for 72 hours. Please don’t worry. We will not be charging overdue fines.

Also, we would love to catch up with you because you are like family to us. But please understand, that though we will have to keep conversations to a minimum, we love you and can’t wait to talk again when this is all over. Or email us and we will chat safely! Circulation@bplmo.org

UPDATE: May 6, 2020

We continue to remain closed under the guidance of the St. Louis County Executive and the St. Louis County Department of Health. We are making preparations for the eventual re-opening of the library and want to communicate that it will be different from our normal operations. While this is a work in progress, it is likely that when we re-open it will be for curbside service only.

Thank you for your patience. We want to serve you again. We want to do this in the way that is best for everyone’s safety and health.

We have looked to other libraries around our city and around our country and have decided that the best way to serve you now is to close the library to the public. We cannot guarantee anyone’s safety from the virus and seek to err on the side of caution. We hope this will also help the community maintain the necessary social distancing that we are being asked to practice. We will not open until we have assurance that it is safe to do so.


During this time, we ask that you hold onto your library items. The book drop will be unavailable. This will be the same at area libraries across the city and county. We will not fine you for holding onto library materials during this time. If you have an item being held at the library, it will be held until we open to the public again.

We have several excellent electronic media options if you need something to read, watch, or listen to during these days of uncertainty. Try out the Libby or Hoopla apps in your app store or the Overdrive or Hoopla websites on your PC/Mac.

If you need information on the virus, we recommend the CDC website for national information. For local information, we recommend the St. Louis County Department of Health and the City of St. Louis Department of Health.

If you have any questions, I will be answering emails and voicemails messages. Contact me at ggibbons@bplmo.org or 314-963-8636.

Gina Gibbons