Industry & Advocacy News

New York City Restores Library Budgets

Libraries & Associations

July 16, 2024

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Jonathan Blanc/NYPL

Update, July 16, 2024: Great news! Our collective efforts to protect New York City’s libraries have paid off. Thanks to the passionate advocacy of the NYC community—including many of you—the proposed budget cuts to the city’s library systems have been reversed.

The New York City Council has successfully restored $58.3 million in funding for the New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library, and Queens Public Library. This victory ensures that the city’s libraries can continue to provide essential services to New Yorkers of all backgrounds.

We’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all our members who spoke out against these cuts. Your voices were heard and made a real difference. A big thanks as well to New York City Council members, including Carlina Rivera, Justin Brannan, Sandra Ung, Linda Lee, Crystal Hudson, and Shekar Krishnan, who fought hard for this restoration, echoing our concerns.

With this reinstated budget, libraries across the city will be able to maintain their current level of service, including:

• Preserving 7-day service, which is crucial for many New Yorkers
• Continuing to offer language classes, theater and music performances, and access to technology
• Maintaining career and financial services, which are vital for workforce development
• Sustaining literacy programs and homework help for students

This victory underscores the importance of libraries as cornerstones of our communities. As Council Member Justin Brannan aptly put it, libraries are “tabernacles of freedom and democracy” that serve New Yorkers of all ages and backgrounds.

April 2, 2024: The Authors Guild has sent a letter to the New York City Council asking them to provide enhanced funding for the city’s public libraries in this year’s budget. The New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library, and Queen Public Library face unprecedented budget cuts that will have devastating impacts on its ability to serve New Yorkers effectively.

We call on the mayor and city council to give the financial needs of the city’s public libraries due consideration in their budget calculations. 

Click here to read our letter (PDF).