The St. Louis County Library has new hours this year.

As of Jan. 2, all branches of the county library will close at 8 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Previously, branches closed at 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday. All other library hours remain the same.

The library Board of Trustees voted in November to adjust the library hours starting this year, based on patron visit data. Since returning to normal service post-pandemic, data collected by the library shows that patron visits from 8 to 9 p.m. only account for 1% of library traffic, compared to other hourly periods, where traffic ranges from 8-11%. According to the library, phone calls and computer usage were also at their lowest during this time.

The library said that the change in hours is not budget-related, and will better enable employees to provide service and support during busier times of day.

To see a list of branch locations, hours and holiday closures, visit www.slcl.org/branches.