King County libraries will reopen in some cities for in-person services

Six libraries around King county will partially reopen for in-person services beginning on March 3, in accordance with Washington state guidance.

These libraries include the Fall City, Kent, Muckleshoot, Skykomish, Tukwila and Woodmont branches. The libraries will either be open at 25% capacity or operate a hybrid model. Residents will be able to access services such as computers, copiers and printers as well as browsing collections.

Kent, Tukwila and Woodmont will resume in-library services and book drop returns. Curbside to Go pickup and other contactless services will not be available there.

Fall City, Muckleshoot and Skykomish will be open for in-library services, contactless services and book drop returns.

A press release from the King County Library System states a variety of factors were considered when determining which libraries to reopen first, including service area size and individual community needs.

“Both large and small service areas are included in the first round, as well as libraries that serve remote communities, where the need for public computer access is especially high,” the release states.

Masks will be required for entry, and libraries will be open for an hour at a time, followed by an hour for cleaning.

Contactless curbside services are also available at most libraries. Services include curbside pickup and printing, outdoor library lockers, external Wi-Fi hotspots and surprise bags of books.

Libraries across King County were shuttered last spring as the COVID-19 pandemic exploded in the region. Contactless services like book drops and curbside pickup were resumed last July. The closure was unprecedented for the library system, which was started during World War II.