Santa Maria Public Library adds new Sunday hours

SANTA MARIA, Calif. - The City of Santa Maria Public Library will soon be open on Sundays thanks to funding from Measure U.

The library will be open from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays starting Jan. 5.

To celebrate this new day open, the library will be hosting a couple of events.

At 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 5, the library will have K-Pop, a Pioneer Valley High School dance club, perform in Shepard Hall. The Righetti High School's Balley Folklorico dance club will perform shortly after at 2 p.m.

The Santa Maria Public Library Foundation will provide cookies as refreshments.

In addition to the new Sunday hours, the library will open and close one hour earlier on Monday through Thursday. In other words, the library will open at 9 a.m. instead of 10 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. instead of 8 p.m. each day.

The Friday and Saturday hours will remain unchanged opening at 10 a.m. and closing at 6 p.m.

The City of Santa Maria said the change in hours was determined using current visitor data and customer feedback through a survey.

In the November 2018 election, Santa Maria voters extended and enhanced the Measure U general purpose sales tax to a one-cent rate. The City said this change is used to maintain and enhance City services such as public safety, youth services and quality of life.

The Santa Maria Public Library averages 1,000 visitors each day it is open and circulates an average of 31,000 items per month. In addition to checking out materials, library visitors can use its computers and databases, onsite WiFi, fax and copier machines, read magazines and newspapers and enjoy its art displays and exhibits.

If you have any questions about the library or its new hours, you can call their office at (805) 925-0994 extension 2321.