Princeton Public Library to expand operating hours next week

The Princeton Public Library will expand its hours beginning on May 17, in line with state guidelines for indoor spaces and after consultation with the Princeton Health Department, Executive Director Jennifer Podolsky said on Tuesday.

Library hours will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The library will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays.

Contactless pickup of materials ordered from the library’s online catalog will be available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, with extended hours until 7 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. Contactless pickup hours on Sundays will be 1 to 5 p.m.

Along with expanded hours, the library will add some of the furniture back to the building that had been removed previously, while still maintaining social distancing guidelines. Groups of people who enter the library together will be able to work together at tables in common seating areas.

Study rooms will remain closed and room rentals will not be available, based on advice from the municipal health department. Masks will be required for everyone while inside the building and food and drinks will not be permitted in the building.

“We are pleased to expand the operating hours of the Sands Library Building,” Podolsky said. “Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have relied on the guidance of our health department and followed the best practices of our peers statewide. We think this expansion of hours is in line with those guidelines and practices. We know not everyone is comfortable being in a public indoor space yet, so we will continue to offer our popular hold pickup service and expand our digital collections and virtual programming to fill community needs.”

The Friends of the Library will begin accepting book donations without an appointment during operating hours beginning May 17.