Several branches of the Brooklyn Public Library have closed amid widespread staffing shortages, leaving the borough’s bookworms with fewer options to check out their favorite literary titles.

Of the library system’s 58 branches around Kings County, 10 are completely shuttered for a lack of present employees, and one has seen significant reductions in services.

The 10 book emporiums closed due to staff shortages are:

  • The Bay Ridge Library
  • The Canarsie Library
  • The Clarendon Library
  • The Cortelyou Library
  • The Fort Hamilton Library
  • The Homecrest Library
  • The Leonard Library
  • The Midwood Library
  • The Red Hook Library
  • The Sheepshead Bay Library

An additional handful of branches are closed as well for other reasons, such as renovations.

map of libraries
A map shows the library branches that are open (green) and closed (grey). Image via Brooklyn Public Library

The closures come as the Omicron variant of Covid-19 continues to rage across the city, causing significant staffing problems for businesses and government entities.

The five boroughs have seen an average of 30,449 new Covid cases each day for the past seven days, including 8,956 per day in Brooklyn, according to city data — setting a new record, since testing became widely available.

Hospitalizations, however, are lower than previous pre-vaccine numbers, as 514 people are being hospitalized each day in New York City, including 152 in Brooklyn.

Those looking to check out a book, or utilize one of the library’s many other services can head to a nearby, still-open branch, or check here to find more information about potential re-openings.

Editor’s note: A version of this story originally ran in Brooklyn Paper. Click here to see the original story.

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