Bleak times for the New York Public Library: it’s facing a $37 million budget cut, the worst in its history. In a plea to the public, NYPL president and CEO Paul LeClerc writes:
If this cut becomes reality when the final City budget is adopted next month, we will be forced to drastically reduce programming, service hours, and staffing. Libraries would be open on average just four days a week; more than one in four library jobs would be eliminated. Almost six million fewer items would be circulated. Most impacting to New Yorkers would be the need to close ten libraries.
The proposed budget will be finalized in June. In the meantime, NYPL plans to launch a “Don’t Close the Book on Libraries” campaign on its website starting Monday.
