Elected officials and bookworms celebrated the return of Sunday service at seven library branches across the city on July 14, following an agreement between Mayor Eric Adams and the City Council last month to restore $58.3 million in funding to the New York, Brooklyn, and Queens public library systems for fiscal year 2025.
In Brooklyn, Council members Justin Brannan (D-Brooklyn) and Crystal Hudson (D-Brooklyn) joined Linda Johnson, president and CEO of the Brooklyn Public Library, and visitors at Brooklyn’s Central Library branch at Grand Army Plaza to celebrate with a party.
After Mayor Adams slashed the budget for New York City’s libraries by $22.1 million in November 2023, all library branches were forced to close on Sundays. The restored funding will reverse service reductions, reinstate Sunday service at library branches, resume paused programs, open renovated branches, and increase physical and digital collections.
Hudson told Brooklyn Paper that while she was excited about the reinstatement of Sunday library services, she was also frustrated because public libraries shouldn’t have been closed on Sundays in the first place.
“That was solely due to the mayor’s budget cuts,” Hudson said. “But we’ve been through all the negotiations. And so we’re back here at the library. And I’m really, really happy to be able to open it today on Sunday for service again.”
Brannan, chair of the Committee on Finance, highlighted the $43 million in baseline funding negotiated by the City Council to protect library funding in future budget years.
“Future councils and mayors can start with that bedrock funding and then build from there and expand from there,” Brannan told Brooklyn Paper. He described libraries as community lighthouses for families, seniors, and new Americans, providing numerous services, including acting as cooling centers.
“Last week, I went online to look for cooling centers,” Brannan shared. “Southern Brooklyn was bereft of those little dots because the libraries were closed. You don’t realize [in] how many ways the library really impacts the community. So, it’s a very cool day.”
Johnson expressed her elation at the reinstatement of Sunday service after seven months.
“We hate being closed,” Johnson said. “People are emotional about this. People are flooding through the doors and saying, ‘Oh my gosh, this is a little bit emotional.’ It’s been since November that this library has been open on a Sunday. So, I think everybody’s very happy. Especially [on] a hot day like today.”
Families of all ages attended the “Party on the Plaza,” including 14-year-old Rachel Mandler, who said she wanted to be part of the celebration because she “loves” the library.
“I go to the library all the time,” Mandler told Brooklyn Paper. “Sometimes, after school, I don’t have time to go. Sunday was the day when I would go to the library and have fun.”
Urcel Williams, who lives around the corner from the library, was ecstatic that the libraries were open again on Sundays and grateful that Mayor Adams reinstated funding for the public library system.
“Sundays are like the days when you calm down a little bit, you come out to the library, you get your information, especially if you’re working and going to school. It’s hard to come at night,” Williams said.
Natasha, who attended the reopening with her daughters Sage and Chantel, said it was about time that the library reopened on Sundays.
“We would always come on Sundays with my father because that was the day he got off from Con Edison,” Natasha shared. “So Sundays always worked out for him.”
Mike, who joined the celebration alongside his friends Melanie, Jared, Angad, Patrick, and Nasimeh, characterized libraries as the secret, hidden gem of the modern world.
“You can just walk into this place that’s full of knowledge and books, and it’s completely free, and we just have access to it,” Mike said. “All this knowledge is a human right, and I think it’s amazing.”
Sunday service at other branches will return on a rolling basis over the next few weeks. For a complete list of Sunday re-openings, please visit the Brooklyn Public Library, New York Public Library or Queens Public Library websites.
