Several Libraries Across New York City to Open on Sundays Again

Many people are rejoicing in New York City after several libraries across the city will be open on Sundays again.

As a New Yorker, I am very happy with this decision and would like to see even more libraries return to being open on Sundays again. In late 2023, Mayor Eric Adams slashed the budget for New York Libraries by over $22 million. That forced all the libraries to cut back on open hours and led to being closed on Sundays.

Now, seven libraries across the city will be open on Sundays again as Mayor Adams and the City Council camee to an agreement and will restore $58.3 million funding to the New York, Brooklyn, and Queens public library systems for the 2025 fiscal year.

We will find out in 2025 what that actually means but I am hoping it leads to all libraries being opened on Sundays. Libraries are important and should be kept open every day as they provide a place for young adults as well as the elderly to read and do other activities. There are already few places like these in New York City and make a big difference in many people’s lives.

The restored fundings will also reverse reductions, resume paused programs, open renovated branches and increase physical and digital collections. If you check out books, then you will know that the New York libraries reduced the limit of holds a person can have to 5. That should go back to ten when the changes kick back in, at least I hope it does go back.

We are glad that this mistake was fixed and while we should celebrate some libraries being opened on Sundays again, this should never have happened. The City Council negotiated $43 million in baseline funding for libraries in future budget years. Let’s hope it stays this way and that the budget for libraries aren’t slashed again in the future.

We will be following this news and seeing if more libraries are also going to be open on Sundays. Seven libraries is a good start but that should be the start and most if not all libraries should be reopened on Sundays.

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