It’s decision time for City leaders.
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They’ll soon decide whether our libraries will receive enough funding to meet the increasing demand for books, programs, and classes — or whether New Yorkers should make do with a budget stretched too thin.
No other public institution provides more opportunities than the library: opportunities to learn, gain skills, find employment, or pursue a love of reading.
But instead of making those opportunities a priority, the library budget has been cut 11 separate times in the last six years.
In the short time we have before the City budget is finalized, tell Mayor de Blasio,
Speaker Mark-Viverito, and the City Council and the City Council that you want more funding for libraries next year.
Tell them that libraries are creating much-needed opportunities for working families. Please take a few seconds to send a letter — tell them New Yorkers deserve more funding for libraries!
We only have a brief window of time before City leaders decide whether to increase funding. In that time, our goal is ambitious: send 100,000 letters to City Hall, so they truly won’t be able to ignore our voices.
The last time the library budget was increased was seven years ago. How much has demand increased? A stunning 78% more people are attending programs than in 2008 — and demand for books, DVDs, and other materials has been surging for years.
We’ve worked hard to serve our City with a reduced budget, but it’s not enough. Right now we don’t have the funding to provide all the books, open hours, and classes that our patrons need.
Thank you for taking a moment to advocate for a stronger, smarter New York City.
Sincerely,
Anne L. Coriston
Vice President, Branch Libraries
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W CALVIN ANDERSON, M.Ed 