NYC Mayor Mamdani: Instead of Pouring Their Energy into Funding Fights Libraries Can Now Use This Time and Funding to Actually Hire Staff, Expand Hours

TRANSCRIPT:

MAMDANI: "Instead of pouring their energy into funding fights, libraries can now use this time and funding to actually hire staff, expand hours and grow programming. They can start a plan on more than simply an annual basis, but beyond that. They can use it to stock in-demand titles, like 'Fourth Wing,' 'Zodiac Academy,' or the new Ben Lerner, if you’re more of that type of guy, because our libraries and the New Yorkers they serve deserve better than politics as usual. And I want to acknowledge the partners that I have alongside me, who have been a critical part of us getting to this point, who have been advocating for this kind of funding, and who alongside we make this commitment,  because no longer will we abide a budgeting process that degrades and demeans the institutions that make New York City what it is. When we speak of the work of building a more affordable, more dignified New York City, we often focus on the basics like the cost of rent, the cost of groceries, yet our libraries nourish us in ways that are hard to quantify, yet no less essential. Let us no longer expend valuable energy debating whether a resume building class or the weekend hours parents rely on to get through rainy days are worthy of our support. There’s nothing like the shared solitude found in our New York public libraries. Let us continue to support these spaces that bring us together, that build a city we can all enjoy, and that foster our solidarity as New Yorkers."