Some rural libraries are letting their users visit during unstaffed hours

For Michael Sayen, visiting the local library after hours is a great way to get work done, or seek respite from the weather, regardless of what day it is. “We just had Labor Day, the library is closed all day. But if you have extended hours, you can come in and do the work, or cool down from a hot day or whatever you need to do,” Sayen said the day after Labor Day while working on a novel at the Wyoming, Minnesota branch of the East Central Regional Library (ECRL) in Chisago County. Sayen, who lives in nearby Forest Lake north of Minneapolis, adds that he has found after-hours access useful for filing time-sensitive job applications or court documents.  Related: We’re not gonna ban 80 books like it’s something to do The Wyoming branch library is home to a new ECRL initiative called “extended access,” which allows users to access a library branch when it is unstaffed. “We hope that it allows more people to use the facility, in particular those who may not be able to get to