City Announces Limited Boston Public Library Reopening

The main branch of the Boston Public Library is reopening to the public on a limited basis for the first time since March to allow city residents to use the computers, officials say.

The program will allow people to search for jobs, attend online classes, download ebooks and do other online tasks in a socially distant setting, library officials and Mayor Marty Walsh said in a statement Tuesday.

In addition, the library is providing free, 24-hour, outdoor Wi-Fi access at nine branch locations across the city.

“By providing computer and Wi-Fi access, we will provide a digital lifeline to many Bostonians, helping our libraries fulfill their mission to provide educational and cultural resources, free to all,” Walsh said in a statement.

Residents can sign up for a two-hour window to use computers at the main branch in Copley Square.

The library has been closed to the general public since March because of the coronavirus pandemic, although residents can go to a library to pick up reserved books.