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Published: Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2013 / Updated: Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2013 11:13 AM

Steele Creek library to expand hours

STEELE CREEK -- 

Steele Creek’s public library won’t be up to its past peak open hours, but it’ll be closer.

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library last week announced the Steele Creek branch is one of a dozen community libraries that will see its hours expand, including resumed service on Mondays, effective April 1. This brings the library system’s overall operating hours to 62 percent of what they were at their high point in early 2010.

“The most consistent feedback we hear from customers is that they want more library hours, and that our current library hours are confusing,” read a statement from David Singleton, director of libraries. “The new hours will help improve access and normalize our schedule.”

The Steele Creek Branch currently is closed Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays with hours 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

The new schedule adds Monday hours and extends hours Monday through Wednesday to 8 p.m.

“We’ll be really happy adding an extra day,” said Rhonda Pinkney, site manager at Steele Creek.

Pinkney said she’s not sure if more hours will mean more staff. County library officials said any new open positions would be posted soon.

The Steele Creek branch opened at 13620 Steele Creek Road, beside Southwest Middle School, in 2004. In 2010, library officials talked about closing some branches before settling on a plan to reduce days and hours at all of the community libraries.

The library includes everything from tax forms to puppets, genealogy research tools to programs for children, teens and adults. Foreign language and resume prep classes are taught, too.

On Friday, Carol Scherrbaum read to preschooler Micah Vanfossen, who she watches during the day.

“I take care of him on Mondays, too, and we can’t come on Mondays,” Scherrbaum. “If we can come on Mondays, too, that would be great.”

The move also aligns the Steele Creek library’s hours closer to those of Lake Wylie’s public library on Blucher Circle. That library is open 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday.