On Monday, Aug. 10, part of the Sebastopol Library will reopen to patrons as a part of what Sonoma County Library is calling ‘Sebastopol Library To-Go.’ The new service will operate from the Sebastopol Library’s Community Room—that little conference room on the other side of the lobby—while the main section of the library remains temporarily closed.
A press release this morning from the Sonoma County Library said, “The Community Room has been independently tested and cleared for use by a third-party environmental safety expert.”
The space will offer a convenient way for patrons to pick up holds, browse a curated collection of new and high-demand materials, return items, and access library staff for assistance.
“While the library building remains closed, our priority is ensuring the Sebastopol community continues to have reliable access to the library services they depend on,” said Erika Thibault, Library Director for Sonoma County Library.
Sebastopol Library To-Go Services
Beginning August 10, the following services will be available in the community room:
Holds pickup
BiblioBox holds service
A browsing collection of new and “Lucky Day” materials
Self-checkout station
Exterior book return
Staff assistance at the service desk
Wi-Fi access outside the library building
The library community room will be open Mondays from 2 pm to 6 pm; Tuesdays from 2 pm to 6 pm; Wednesdays from 10 am to 2 pm; Thursdays from 2 pm to 6 pm; Fridays from 10 am to 2 pm; Saturdays from 10 am to 2 pm; Sunday: closed.
Continued Library Programs
While the main part of the building remains closed, Sonoma County Library will continue serving the Sebastopol community through off-site programming at Ives Park and Sebastopol Center for the Arts.
Babytime happens on Mondays from 10:30 am to 11 am at Ives.
Baby Village—community circles supporting infant feeding and the postpartum journey—happens on Tuesdays, 11 am to 12:30 pm at Ives.
Family Story Time, Wednesdays in August, 10:30 am to 11 am, on the Sebastopol Center for the Arts Patio.
Starting in August, “15 Minutes for Moms” follows Family Storytime at SebArts with tools that address the health and well-being of mothers and caregivers.
Sonoma County Library is also continuing discussions with the Sebastopol Community Cultural Center regarding the potential use of space for additional programming as those arrangements are finalized.
The BiblioBus at the Sebastopol Community Center is scheduled to make just three more visits to Sebastopol—Wednesday, July 29, from 2 pm to 4 pm; Monday, August 3, from 10 am to noon; and Wednesday, August 5, from 2 pm to 4 pm.
Transition from Forestville
Since June, Sebastopol patrons have been picking up holds at Forestville Community Library during expanded operating hours. Those extended hours will conclude on Sunday, August 9.
Beginning at 2 p.m. on Monday, August 10, all Sebastopol holds will once again be available for pickup in the Community Room at Sebastopol Regional Library. Additionally, a new BiblioBox has been budgeted for Forestville Community Library during the 2026–2027 fiscal year, expanding convenient holds service for Forestville patrons.
Mold remediation continues in the main part of the library
The Sebastopol Regional Library has been closed since June 4, while remediation work continues.
According to a recent city of Sebastopol newsletter, the City spent $47,687.55 on the initial emergency response in June (the library reimbursed half of this). On Tuesday, July 7, the Sebastopol City Council authorized up to $175,000 for continued mold remediation and investigative demolition at the library. The City’s total share for these combined efforts is estimated at approximately $198,000.
The Sebastopol Times reached Sebastopol City Manager Mary Gourley this morning to find out how the remediation is going.
“The library has moved their books, shelves and equipment away from the walls and ServePro will proceed this week to set up containment,” Gourley said.
Gourley said once ServePro secures and protects items in the library, they’ll open more walls to assess the extent of the mold contamination.
I'm looking forward to accessing holds and some "lucky day" books but I am curious about why the community room hours are so limited. This makes no sense and is another example of poor communication on the part of library leadership. The Sebastopol Library was formerly opened regular library hours, including Sundays. My assumption is that a scaled down version of the library would need fewer librarians on site. I know I could be off base but the librarians who were assigned to Sebastopol Library? Could they not still be available to staff the forum room library? Why is the library not open for regular hours? Yes, this is an improvement over driving to Forestville but the limited hours will continue to be a hardship. I would like the library director to explain the need for limited hours.
This is great news! Looking forward to being able to visit the library again.