By Jorge Casuso
January 7, 2025 -- For the first time since the coronavirus shutdown five years ago, the Fairview and Ocean Park Branch Libraries will reopen for full service this month, City officials announced Tuesday.
Starting January 20, the two branches -- which have been operating on a self-service model -- will offer in-person, full-service operations three days a week, officials said.
The full-service offerings include "librarian staffing, technical assistance, library services, programs, and events available to both the general public and library cardholders."
The expanded services are part of a two-year Realignment Plan approved by the City Council in October that invests $60 million to restore services, improve streets, boost public safety and support businesses.
The plan calls for increasing full-service hours at the Fairview, Ocean Park and Montana Branch Libraries to four days per week beginning in July 2026, City officials said.
“Fully restoring service at the Fairview and Ocean Park Branch Libraries is about getting back to what residents expect and deserve,” said Mayor Caroline Torosis.
“Through the Realignment Plan, we are making deliberate investments in everyday services that strengthen neighborhoods, support learning and make Santa Monica a better place to live.
"Reopening our libraries with full hours is a concrete step in rebuilding trust, restoring access and delivering the quality of life people count on,” Torosis said.
Santa Monica closed its libraries on March 16, 2020, two days after then City Manager Rick Cole proclaimed a local emergency in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
The shutdown triggered a fiscal crisis that led to drastic cuts in the City's budget that reduced the number of library employees from 112 to 47.
While the Main Library Downtown and the Pico and Montana branches would reopen that summer with library staff screened for COVID-19 and outfitted with protective equipment, the Fairview and Ocean Park libraries remained closed.
The deep budget cuts would keep the two branches that serve the 28,000 residents of Ocean Park and Sunset Park shuttered until library staff secured a grant to re-open them with self-service in late 2022.
Last March, when the City Council searched for ways to balance a budget kept afloat by tapping rapidly dwindling reserves, Councilmember Jesse Zwick suggested shutting down the Fairview Branch and selling the land.
The Library Board denounced the extraordinary move, noting that staff had "activated limited in-person programs, such as story times, small business workshops, and the increasingly popular Children’s Holiday Book Fair."
A month later, Zwick took back his suggestion after dozens of library supporters rallied outside City Hall before packing into the Council chambers to testify against the possible closure of the 69-year-old branch.
To celebrate the expansion of the two libraries, the City will host reopening celebration events at the Fairview Branch on Tuesday, January 20 and the Ocean Park Branch on Wednesday, January 21, from noon to 2 p.m.
The Fairview Library will provide full service on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from noon to 8 p.m. and on Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Meanwhile, the Ocean Park Library will provide full service on Wednesdays and Thursdays from noon to 8 p.m. and on Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“The unanimous approval of the Santa Monica Realignment Plan reflects a renewed sense of optimism and momentum for our city and the services we provide,” said Erica Cuyugan, the City's Director of Library Services.
“I am proud that the Library is part of this revitalization and grateful for our team’s dedication and strong connection to the community," Cuyugan said.
"While there is still more work ahead, this milestone represents a meaningful step toward restoring the services our residents rely on.”
For more information about the Santa Monica Public Library, click here.