Looks like West Michigan is starting off the New Year on the wrong foot as the Kalamazoo Public Library has now closed all five of its branches to in-person services. As of Wednesday January 5, the Central, Oshtemo, Alma Powell, Eastwood, and Washington Square branches of the KPL have all closed their doors to the public and now offer curbside services only. Not surprisingly, this move is in response to the rapidly rising numbers of Covid-19 cases in West Michigan and throughout the U.S.

According to the KPL website, the services affected include faxing, copying, printing, and notarization. However, all five branches will continue to offer library holds to be picked up through their curbside services which means you can still access Chromebooks/Hotspots, tax forms and divorce packets, the KPL Library of Things, in addition to reading materials. For those that are unable to make it to the library to take advantage of curbside service, the KPL offers mail service to qualifying individuals.

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Online Services

Thankfully, you can still access many of your favorite library features through the Kalamazoo Public Library's 24-hour online branch which includes their digital collections, KPL TV, and the "Ask a Librarian" chat feature. KPL will also continue to offer their online programs for all-ages as planned, so you won't have to miss your favorite storytime!

What's Next?

The Kalamazoo Public Library will continue to monitor the number of Covid-19 cases in West Michigan and will reassess the situation in two weeks to determine  if it is safe to resume in-person services. In the meantime, you can find the KPL curbside hours here.

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