The Somerville Public Library has started closing its main branch for a couple of hours after school as concerns rose around the safety of staff and visitors, a development the city says “reflects broader systemic issues.”

Starting next week, the closures will be from 2 to 4 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesdays, when school lets out early. Temporary hours went into place this week when the new year started in the city just north of Boston.

“While we are not disclosing the specific details of these incidents, we can say that there have been repeated situations that raised concerns about the safety of library staff and visitors,” a city spokesperson told the Herald in a statement on Thursday.

“These challenges prompted us to take precautionary measures and temporarily adjust hours to ensure a safe environment for everyone,” the spokesperson added. “The focus remains on creating positive solutions and interventions.”

The Somerville Public Library brought the modified afternoon schedule to light on Tuesday, in a release on the city’s website and via social media posts. It stated the city is “actively working to implement alternative after-school programming for teens.”

Hours at the library’s East and West branches will not be affected, and the Somerville High School library will remain open until 4 p.m. on school days. Previously planned teen-centered programming, including the Somerville Teen Center, will be available in the coming weeks.

“We are temporarily modifying the Central Library hours to better understand the needs of our community,” the Somerville Public Library said in its announcement earlier this week, “and to work towards enhancing the City’s resources and programming to create spaces that provide local teens a place where they feel safe, welcome, and have the opportunity to engage in programming that feels meaningful and exciting for them.”

The Somerville Public Library is not the only entity being impacted by misbehaving teenagers.

In Brockton, a local Starbucks close to the high school has decided to close its dining room after school to prevent hordes of teens from congregating, while the serving counter will remain open, according to reports. A McDonald’s in the city is also locking its doors after school, letting customers come in one at a time, WBZ-TV reported last week.

Somerville community members took exception to the library’s announcement as they said, on social media, that it didn’t provide enough of a reason for the modified hours especially when students often go to the main branch for after-school services.

“At least be bold enough to admit the hours are to prevent teens from going to the library,” one person said on Facebook. “What do you think those kids are gonna do now? Not like Somerville gives them a ton of other options.”

City Council President Ben Ewen-Campen, in a statement on Wednesday, called on the city to “work as fast as humanly possible to come up with the resources, youth support, and programming that is needed to re-open the libraries.”

“My understanding,” Ewen-Campen said, “is that these closures (were) driven by an ongoing pattern of serious, disruptive, and sometimes dangerous occurrences during mid-day hours. Some of these events have really shaken staff and members of the public.”

For longer-lasting solutions, city and library leadership are installing cameras and hiring a social worker at the Central branch “to help de-escalate issues and connect patrons of all ages with supportive services as needed,” the city spokesperson said.

“We recognize that the behaviors we’ve encountered reflect broader systemic issues affecting community public safety, and we are actively working to address the underlying causes,” the spokesperson added.

Officials declined to answer a Herald inquiry on how often police have responded to incidents at the library.

Somerville Police responded to a call on July 19 around 1:10 p.m. for a reported assault. On arrival, officers spoke with a victim who stated a group of juveniles attacked him outside the library, according to records.

“During the past school year, when the high school got let out,” a person posted on Reddit, “there was a group of about 30-50 teens that consistently caused major disruptions in the library, they threw things at librarians and other people, got into fights in the entrance, been menacing to people walking in.”

“Librarians are trained to make the library a welcoming and inclusive space for everyone,” the person added, “but how is that possible when there’s this group of teens scaring everyone from patrons to staff? This was the only move they could pull with the lack of resources they had.”

The Somerville Public Library has closed its main branch after school due to behavioral issues. (Lance Reynolds/Boston Herald)