KEY WEST, Fla. — The Key West Branch of the Monroe County Public Library, including the Florida Keys History Center, will close to the public beginning Monday, Sept. 21, for a complete roof replacement expected to keep the Fleming Street facility closed for about four weeks.
The library’s public calendar lists the closure through Oct. 17, although the schedule could change depending on construction progress.
The project addresses a roof Monroe County says has reached the end of its useful life. The county’s five-year capital plan programs $2 million for the replacement, funded through the county’s one-cent infrastructure sales tax, with $960,000 budgeted in fiscal 2026 and another $1.04 million programmed for fiscal 2027.
“Closing a public facility is never a decision we take lightly, especially one as important to the community as the Key West library,” Monroe County Administrator Christine Hurley said. “At the same time, we have a responsibility to protect and preserve the public facilities and resources entrusted to Monroe County.”
Library Services Will Continue During Closure
Although the building will be inaccessible, library employees will continue offering offsite programs and community outreach while construction is underway.
Patrons will also be able to pick up and borrow materials through the pickup locker and lending machine at Bernstein Park on Stock Island.
The county library system’s digital collection will remain available, including eBooks, audiobooks, streaming video and music and other online resources. Library employees, including Florida Keys History Center staff, will continue answering questions remotely.
Updates on the roof project and information about offsite programs will be posted through the Monroe County Public Library website and the Key West branch’s Facebook and Instagram accounts. General questions can be submitted through the library’s online contact page. Contact the Monroe County Public Library. Florida Keys History Center staff can also be reached at history@monroecounty-fl.gov.
Protecting More Than Books
The closure affects more than the branch’s circulating collection.
The Key West library also houses the Florida Keys History Center, whose collections include irreplaceable photographs, documents and other historical materials documenting Key West and the island chain.
The current library at 700 Fleming St. was dedicated Nov. 14, 1959. Former Monroe County Sheriff Karl Thompson donated the property and participated in the ribbon-cutting with library administrator May Hill Russell. The building was later renamed the Monroe County May Hill Russell Library.
Key West’s library history stretches much further back. The first public library in the Florida Keys opened in Key West in 1853, according to the Monroe County Public Library. Today, the county system operates five branches in Key West, Big Pine Key, Marathon, Islamorada and Key Largo and serves more than 35,000 adults and children.
The roof project is part of the county’s capital improvement program and is expected to be completed during fiscal 2027.
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