The Rose Reading Room at Bryant Park is perhaps the most picturesque study spot in New York City. While the Fifth Avenue Branch is known for its grandiose architecture, it’s part of the vast network of public libraries in New York City that are in jeopardy in light of funding cuts.
After his first year in office, the Eric Adams administration holds bold promises for the 2024 fiscal year. Yet, these priorities come in the face of stark strains on one of the city’s most important public institutions: its libraries. New York City has 220 libraries scattered across its five boroughs, offering New Yorkers access to various services and cultural programming. The city has three library branches for its five boroughs, Brooklyn Public Library System, the Queens Public Library System, and the New York Public Library System. Across the board, a reduction in funding would reduce the ability of each branch to provide services such as books, media or civil education.
The proposed budget would reduce New York City public libraries’ budget by $42 million, or 9%. Inevitably, the mayor’s proposed financial cuts would create strains in crucial support systems. Libraries would be forced to do less, and the magnitude of these cuts will prevent advancement in the city’s long-term fiscal health by creating pressure on critical public infrastructure.
A city is only as good as its public spaces. These spaces are vital to the city’s ecosystem, especially in efforts to propel post-Covid economic and social recovery. Limitations would only serve to further social inequality and reduce public support systems for New Yorkers. The plethora of services can include GED courses, free computer access, employment services, English-language classes and after-school programs. Limiting resources would reduce each borough’s ability to cater to its residents’ needs and slash essential agencies. While Adam’s administration policy pushes for economic recovery, this budget ultimately and ironically defunds a critical resource hub for New Yorkers.
Their multifunctionality across the different boroughs allows New Yorkers to provide for a “third place,” a communal spot outside of school or work to foster a sense of community and learning. Demand for this still remains high; the NYPL public Bloomingdale Branch just had the grand opening of its new Teen Center, a place designed to supplement increased social isolation after the pandemic. Budget cuts for libraries would hinder their ability to provide these services, whether by reducing personal hours or branch closures. There would be limitations to public spaces that have just regained momentum in New York’s post-covid landscape.
The Adams Administration budget should prioritize and bolster thriving city institutions, not further strain them. Reductions in library funding and access services would devastate the millions of New Yorkers who rely on them. A mayor’s fiscal budget that prioritizes the needs of New Yorkers would look like an increase in funding for public libraries that have seen a consistent demand for their services. The administration needs to reframe its contradictory 2024 approach.
