COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus Metropolitan Library will close all 23 of its locations on Sundays for at least the next two months because of staffing shortages related to the coronavirus pandemic, library officials announced this week.

The closures on Sundays are effective Nov. 14 through at least Jan. 9, 2022.

"Fully staffed, CML employs approximately 870 full- and part-time staff members. CML’s current staffing count is 711, meaning there are nearly 160 unfilled positions, stretching the capacity of current staff," said library spokesperson Ben Zenitsky in a press release.

The system furloughed more than 600 workers last year following stay-at-home orders that shuttered businesses across the state.

The library will close its downtown facility and 23 neighborhood and suburban branches on Sundays beginning next week at least through the first week of January when officials will assess the employment situation.

Columbus isn’t alone in facing staffing problems, said Michelle Francis, executive director of the Ohio Library Council.

The council’s internal job posting service is averaging 100 open library jobs statewide each day compared to 30 before the pandemic, and the overall need is likely much higher, Francis said.

All employers are experiencing trouble hiring workers, “and we are no different,” she said.

Zenitsky said CML leaders, along with its Board of Trustees, will reassess staffing levels in the coming weeks and months to determine whether to continue to close its locations on Sunday beyond Jan. 9.