KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Two Kansas City Public Library branches will close temporarily amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
KCPL announced Friday that the Irene H. Ruiz Biblioteca de las Americas, 2017 W. Pennway St. in KCMO, and Sugar Creek Branch, 102 S. Sterling Ave. in Sugar Creek, are shutting down as the library system consolidates staff and services at larger locations.
Service at the two locations will be paused beginning Monday, Nov. 16, but the KCPL stressed that the branches will reopen when community transmission of the virus abates.
“If conditions start to improve, we will resume services at these locations,” KCPL Deputy Director for Library Services Joel Jones said. “And, of course, we look forward to the day that we can fully reopen all of our libraries, including Ruiz and Sugar Creek.”
KCPL said there are no documented COVID-19 cases that “have arisen at any of the Library’s 10 locations,” but staffing has been a challenge with some workers in quarantine due to outside exposure, personal decisions, and to maintain recommended health and safety protocols.
The nearest location to the Sugar Creek Branch is the Trails West Branch, 11401 E. 23rd St. in Independence, while the nearest location to the Ruiz Branch would be either the Central Library, 14 W. 10th St. in KCMO, or the Plaza Branch, 4801 Main St. in KCMO.
