State officials today announced that all Hawaii State Public Library branches will be closed to the public on Wednesdays, starting this week, due to high COVID-19 infection rates.

The closures are temporary as the state works through the high infection rates of the Delta variant, according to a Hawaii State Public Library System news release.

The measures are a reflection of efforts to minimize gathering during the surge as well as to address staffing shortages, according to State Librarian Stacey Aldrich.

“While it is difficult for us not to be open to our communities, the high level of cases due to the contagious Delta variant requires us to gather less right now to minimize exposure,” said Aldrich in an email. “This temporary change to the schedule is designed to support the health and safety of our patrons and staff. Through the pandemic, our library system has provided services with fewer staff and budgetary constraints. Staff will be able to use this time to do required inventory maintenance and prepare thousands of new and returned items that are processed daily for use. We will continue to monitor the environmental situation and thank everyone for their patience and support.”

HSPLS reminds the public that its digital doors are always open at librarieshawaii.org.