Belmont's youngest generation will soon have access to their school libraries again.

The Belmont-Redwood Shores Elementary School District Board of Trustees voted at its March 3 meeting to reinstate library services at Ralston Middle School and the district's six elementary schools, assistant superintendent Penny Weaver said.

The district has re-hired three library media specialists, who all came back to work today, and plans to hire a fourth as well based on seniority, Weaver said. The district previously employed six library media specialists.

While Ralston's library will remain open every school day, the other three library media specialists will alternate between two elementary schools every other week.

Sandpiper Elementary and Redwood Shores Elementary will share a library media specialist; Fox and Cipriani will share one; and Central and Nesbit will share one as well.

The libraries at Ralston, Fox, Central and Sandpiper are scheduled to reopen on March 28, and Cipriani, Nesbit and Redwood Shores's will reopen on April 4, Weaver said.

The libraries were initially slated to close for the entire 2010-2011 school year due to financial constraints, but the board opted to approve the use of funds from within the budget to reopen the libraries, and have promised they will stay open for at least the next two school years.

"On behalf of the district staff, we are just elated that an agreement was made and we can restore these services," Weaver said. "Libraries are very cherished in our district."