NYC Budget Restores Only $1.5 Million
to Libraries; Queens Cuts Hours
The budget approved by the New York City council November 25 restores only $1.5 million of the cuts in library funding proposed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, which amounted to $24 million across three boroughs.
According to information provided by the city council, the 9.5% cut to libraries proposed by the administration amounted to a $1.75 million reduction to the New York Public Research Libraries, $9.1 million to the New York Public branch libraries, $6.67 million to the Brooklyn Public Library, and $6.37 million to the Queens Borough Public Library.
Hoping to maintain five-day-a-week service, the council restored $1.5 million of Bloomberg’s proposed cuts. Based on a longstanding formula, 7% of the restoration (or $105,000) was apportioned to the research libraries, 40% of the remaining restoration ($558,000) was allocated to NYPL branches, and 30% (or $418,500 each) to QBPL and BPL.
Despite the council’s intentions, QBPL announced December 3 that it would revert to weekday-only service at 14 of its 63 locations as of January 6. The Monday-through-Friday hours have been adjusted so that each affected branch is open at least one morning and one evening. Director Gary Strong added that the budget restrictions would reduce hours at additional branches by the spring.
Note: This story corrects figures reported in the December 2 American Libraries Online story.
Posted December 16, 2002.
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