"Welcome to Chico Branch Library! The books missed you."
The words were scrawled in purple and green marker across a table inside the library's temporary location, where patrons visited Monday for the first time since a deadly shooting in June closed the main Chico branch more than a month ago.
Judging by the steady stream of people walking through the doors, the feeling seemed mutual.
Adults and children browsed shelves, picked up holds and asked about signing up for library cards.
County Librarian Misty Wright said 37 people stopped by within the first hour.
"There's been a lot of hugs, and it's just been really nice,” Wright said. “A smile has been on my face since 10 a.m.”
The temporary location is much smaller than the main branch and offers a more limited collection at the site, but it still includes a children's area, public computers, a self-checkout station and staff to help visitors.
Library patron Connie LaCroix said the reopening of the library feels like progress, even if it's only a first step.
“It was really good to see a sort of the library back in a different way,” LaCroix said.
But the reopening also came with visible reminders of what had changed.
“Seeing the security guard on the outside was something different. I mean, it makes sense now,” LaCroix said.
Standing security guards have been stationed at all Butte County library branches since the shooting.
Still, LaCroix said she hopes the library remains what it has always been: a place where people gather, learn and connect.
She said she hopes the smaller space won't limit programs for children, English learners and older adults.
Wright said those programs will return gradually over the coming months as staff determine what works best in the new location.
The temporary site is located at 196 Memorial Way, near Chico Junior High School.
It will operate during the Chico library's regular hours while the main building is renovated.
County officials expect the main library to reopen in 2027.
