Santa Clara has returned Sunday hours at the Central Park Library.
As of Jan. 26, the library is open 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. A community survey showed residents prioritized returning library hours to their pre-pandemic levels. As a result, the city council set it as a priority, earmarking money to fund 10 additional part-time employees.
“This is an opportunity for us to really return to our continued work with the community,” said Patty Wong, the city’s library director. “It is a big deal for us to mount up again.”
While the city is not yet offering programming on Sunday, it will offer its full suite of weekday services, including study rooms, service desks and tech support. Additionally, the bookstore will also be open.
Central Park Library is the city’s most popular library, and Sunday is the most popular day, Wong said. With its public art, fireplaces as well as indoor and outdoor seating, Central Park Library’s “cozy charm” played heavily into the decision to return Sunday hours, she added.
In 2023-2024, 600,000 patrons checked out roughly 1.6 million items from the library, according to city data.
The city has gotten rid of late fees on materials, something Wong said has removed a “barrier to service.”
While Santa Clara has “lagged” a bit behind its neighbors with library hours, Wong said city employees wanted to ensure patrons’ comfort, which meant making sure services ranging from janitorial to security were available.
“Above all, we want all our patrons to have a quality experience,” Wong said.
For those with laptops, the library will also offer hookups for a second monitor.
The city has also taken the first step in returning another popular library feature. Having just put out a request for proposal, the return of the library cafe is on the horizon.
Contact David Alexander at d.todd.alexander@gmail.com
