St. Louis County Library Branches Hours to Change in 2024

The St. Louis County Library Board of Trustees voted at their November 20, 2023 meeting to adjust SLCL branch hours in 2024. Starting January 2, 2024 all SLCL branches will close at 8:00 p.m. Monday-Thursday. Previously, all branches were open until 9:00 p.m. Monday-Thursday. All other Library hours remain the same. 

Since returning to normal service following the COVID-19 pandemic, Library Administration has monitored the usage of branches to identify usage trends and respond to them accordingly. Data collected showed that patron visits from 8:00-9:00 p.m. accounted for only 1% of library traffic, compared to most other hourly periods of the day where traffic ranges from 8-11%. Phone calls and computer usage is also at its lowest during this time.

Adjusting SLCL branch hours is in line with many neighboring library districts in the St. Louis region, who close at 8:00 p.m. or earlier. Most peer libraries in Missouri also follow a similar approach, where branches close by 8:00 p.m.

The change in hours is not budget related; it enables Library employees to provide better service and support to patrons during the busier times of the day. 

A complete list of branch locations, hours and holiday closures is available at www.slcl.org/branches.