Goleta and Santa Ynez Valley Libraries to Reopen in Limited Capacity June 2nd

GOLETA, CA, May 12, 2021 – The City of Goleta is pleased to announce that after over 15 months, the Goleta, Solvang and Buellton library branches will be reopening to the public in limited capacity beginning Wednesday, June 2, 2021. Library staff is looking forward to being able to serve patrons again in-person following COVID-19 safety guidelines.

Library Director Allison Gray said, “We are so excited to be reopening the library for what we are calling Express Service. Opening in a limited capacity is the first step toward a full reopening. We can’t wait to see our wonderful library users and catch up with them after this long year.”

Express Service Library Hours are Wednesday – Saturday, 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. The hours are the same as Sidewalk Service which will remain open. Patrons will be allowed in on a first-come first-served basis and will have 15 minutes to spend inside picking out material and checking it out on a self-checkout machine, using an Express computer, and/or browsing the Friends of the Library Book Sale. The entire library will be open at all three branches except for the restrooms.

Patrons who choose to come inside the library must wear a mask (ages 2 and over) and maintain at least six feet of distance from others. There will also be gloves and hand sanitizer available at the entrance.

Sidewalk Service has been a huge hit with patrons while the library has been closed. We have loved seeing all of our patrons and knowing that they are still reading! Sidewalk Service will remain open Wednesdays – Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. for those who want to quickly grab their holds without entering the building.

For now, the material available to check out, whether in-person or through Sidewalk Service, will continue to only be from the Goleta, Solvang or Buellton branches. We have received a lot of questions about when patrons can begin receiving material from other Black Gold Libraries, but there is not yet a date set for it to resume. Black Gold receives funding from the Federal Government that is funneled through the California State Library which pays for the shipments between the seven Black Gold jurisdictions. The funding was severely slashed for this 2020/21 Fiscal Year and we do not yet know what will happen for FY 21/22 which begins July 1, 2021. 

We have missed you and can’t wait to see you back in the library beginning June 2!