2 Santa Monica Libraries To Offer Full Service For First Time Since 2020

SANTA MONICA, CA — Two Santa Monica library branches will soon offer full-service operations three days a week for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, city officials announced Tuesday.

The expanded services at Fairview and Ocean Park Branch libraries will begin Tuesday, Jan. 20, and will include “librarian staffing, technical assistance, library services, programs, and events available to both the general public and library cardholders,” city officials said.

“Fully restoring service at the Fairview and Ocean Park Branch Libraries is about getting back to what residents expect and deserve,” Mayor Caroline Torosis said in a written statement.

The return to in-person services is part of the city’s “two-year Realignment Plan renewal effort, approved by the Santa Monica City Council in October 2025,” the city said.

“Through the Realignment Plan, we are making deliberate investments in everyday services that strengthen neighborhoods, support learning and make Santa Monica a better place to live,” Torosis said. “Reopening our libraries with full hours is a concrete step in rebuilding trust, restoring access and delivering the quality of life people count on.”

Libraries Temporarily Closed In 2020

In 2020, as part of a $200 million budget cut, the library system lost $4.5 million, 65 staff members lost their jobs and the Fairview and Ocean Park branches were temporarily closed, the Santa Monica Mirror reported.

The branches reopened a year later under a self-service model thanks to a state grant, the news outlet reported.

Last year, as the city council looked for ways to balance the budget, “Councilmember Jesse Zwick suggested shutting down the Fairview Branch and selling the land,” Santa Monica Lookout reported.

However, the Library Board denounced the suggestion, the outlet reported.

“A month later, Zwick took back his suggestion after dozens of library supporters rallied outside City Hall before packing into the Council chambers to testify against the possible closure of the 69-year-old branch,” Santa Monica Lookout reported.

Looking Forward

In addition to the expanded services, the Realignment Plan also includes plans for “further restoration of library services, including increasing full-service hours at the Fairview, Ocean Park and Montana Branch Libraries to four days per week beginning in July 2026,” the city said.

“I am proud that the Library is part of this revitalization and grateful for our team’s dedication and strong connection to the community,” Director of Library Services Erica Cuyugan said in a written statement. “While there is still more work ahead, this milestone represents a meaningful step toward restoring the services our residents rely on.”

The new full-service hours for Fairview and Ocean Park Branch libraries are below:

Fairview Branch Library
2101 Ocean Park Blvd.

• Tuesday: 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.
• Wednesday: 12 p.m. – 8 p.m.
• Friday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Ocean Park Branch Library
2601 Main St.

• Wednesday: 12 p.m. – 8 p.m.
• Thursday: 12 p.m. – 8 p.m.
• Friday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

In honor of the expansion of services, city officials said there will be reopening celebration events at the Fairview Branch on Tuesday, Jan. 20, and the Ocean Park Branch on Wednesday, Jan. 21, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.