Public Employee Press


Push for restoring money for services
Libraries press City Council on budget

By GREGORY N HEIRES

Library advocates are pressing the City Council and Mayor Bill de Blasio to restore $65 million in funding to maintain and improve services at the city's three public library systems.

They have renewed their demand from last year for the city to commit to fund the library systems at the level before the financial crisis of 2008. The resulting economic downturn led to years of downsizing, budget cuts and reduced services.

DC 37 leaders and activists joined community supporters and the heads of the city's three library systems for a news conference on March 23 in front of City Hall and later laid out their case at a budget hearing.

Speakers noted that in last year's campaign, the group convinced the City Council to add $43 million of the $65 million to the library budget. This year, they want the City Council to make the $43 million increase in fiscal year 2015 permanent, and add $22 million.

"We want to expand our services," said Dennis Walcott, the new president and CEO of Queens Library.

The infusion of new funds this year allowed the three library systems to expand their staffs and provide six-day services at neighborhood libraries.

Information on placards placed near the speakers pointed to a need for expanded services:

• 27 percent of New York City households do not have Internet access;
• 30 percent of students do not finish high school in four years;
• one in four New Yorkers need help to learn English; and
• 70 percent of third-graders do not Libraries press City Council on budget read at their grade level.