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It's official: the city will reverse the $58.3 million in funding cuts to libraries that were announced back in November of last year, a move that will likely restore seven-day service across the institutions, including Sundays.
The news was first broken by Gothamist, followed by an official statement by Mayor Eric Adams and Council Speaker Adrienne Adams.
In addition to the libraries' budget, the city will also restore funding to cultural institutions around town.
"Since day one, our administration has been laser focused on delivering for working-class New Yorkers and by working side-by-side with our partners across the hall, we are proud to announce a full restoration of funds to both our libraries and cultural institutions in the upcoming budget," the Mayor said in an official statement. "These institutions are a critical part of New York City’s social fabric, which New Yorkers depend on for their children’s growth and the vibrancy of our city. The budget will ensure these essential institutions will have what they need to serve New Yorkers and attract visitors every day of the week."
I In a joint statement, the public libraries noted that Sunday service will likely be restored in the "coming weeks," offering the same hours of operation prior to the November cuts.
"The funding also allows us to continue universal six-day service, which New Yorkers have enjoyed for nearly a decade," reads the statement.
The news has been met with lots of excitement all around: both the City Council and regular New Yorkers have been complaining about the cuts for months, mounting pressure campaigns that Mayor Adams couldn't ignore.
A couple of weeks ago, while New Yorkers were facing a 90-degree heat wave, critics also pointed out that forcing libraries to close on Sundays negatively impacted the health of locals as the institutions serve as much-needed cooling centers.
Clearly, there is more than one reason to keep libraries open throughout the weekends.