Five Multnomah County Libraries Have Reopened for Indoor Service

4352_News_Multnomah-County-Library_Daniel-Stindt_9 (Daniel Stindt)
By Shannon Gormley

After more than a year, Portlanders can go inside the library again.

Today, Capitol Hill, Gresham, Holgate, Kenton and Midland libraries restarted indoor services. The Multnomah County Library announced the five branches’ June 1 reopening back in April.

In-person browsing has resumed at those locations, though browsing time is capped at 30 minutes per person. Computers are available for one hour per visit, and restrooms are once again open to the public. Free printing, faxing and copying services have returned, too.

According to a press release, the county library chose to reopen locations in parts of the city that have been hardest hit by the pandemic. Three of the five reopened locations are east of 82nd Avenue, where residents were more than twice as likely to catch COVID last year.

The five branches that have resumed service are the first step in a piecemeal reopening that the library plans to continue throughout the year. The Multnomah County Library has not yet announced a timeline of when it will open more locations. In the meantime, curbside pickup is available at all locations.

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