#brooklyn public library

[thebrainofmae]

My last post on this didn’t get a ton of traction so I’m trying again. The latest budget proposal for NYC includes a $58.3 million cut to public libraries.

Previous cuts forced NYC public libraries to close on Sundays, and this further round of cuts would likely force libraries to end weekend service entirely. Additionally, it would mean further cuts to programming and the indefinite delay of reopening libraries that have been closed for renovation, which would leave entire neighborhoods without a library.

There is a preliminary budget hearing on May 21, and until then libraries are asking people to sign a letter here to urge the mayor’s office and city council to reverse the cuts.

I know things are terrible in a lot of ways right now and people probably feel overwhelmed and burnt out, but signing this letter (or reblogging this post) is a small, quick, concrete way to make a difference.

[archivlibrarianist]

Remember when the Brooklyn Public Library offered a free library card to any American aged 13-26, so that they could access banned books via the Books Unbanned program?

We have some data on those who applied, thanks to a report by University of Washington MLIS students.

From a press release from the Brooklyn Public Library:

"More than 14,000 young people had signed up for Books Unbanned programs at the two libraries through February 2024, collectively checking out over 340,000 books. Books Unbanned cardholders have signed up from every state in the nation, as well as D.C., Guam, and Puerto Rico."

Young people need these stories.

Keep circulating the link.

[libraryjournal]

Since launching Books Unbanned in April 2022, the Brooklyn Public Library has given 8,200 teens and young adults aged 13 to 21, from all 50 U.S. states, full access to its extensive catalog of ebooks, e-audiobooks, and online learning database collections. These cardholders, all of whom have written personal emails explaining their need for access to the library’s collection, have checked out over 270,000 books.

[memesmith]

[garadinervi]

Pierre Joris (1946-2025)

♥

(photograph: © Nicole Peyrafitte; source: Brooklyn Public Library)

[allthedesiredusernamesaretaken]

... open me ...

The entrance to the Brooklyn Public Library

[voodoo-tofu]

My novella published on Halloween and I've already gotten multiple sales on it including several to the Brooklyn Public Library and other libraries in Brooklyn apparently which I think is insane and I feel like I'm dreaming and my mind is racing with nerves and anxiety but I'm so happy

[theworldisyonces]

Beyoncé at the Brooklyn Public Library’s "The Book of HOV” exhibition, the day before it opened to the public. The exhibition is a celebration of JAY-Z’s unparalleled body of work. (7/13/23)

[geezerwench]

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Brooklyn Public Library, 1958

* * * *

“Goethe wisely wrote, however, that ‘we are, and ought to be, obscure to ourselves, turned outwards, and working upon the world which surrounds us.’ We see ourselves, and therefore come to know ourselves, only indirectly, through our engagement with the world at large.” ― Iain McGilchrist, The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World

[thebrainofmae]

Please help save NYC’s public libraries!

If you haven’t heard, the latest (as of May 9, 2024) budget proposal for NYC includes a $58.3 million cut to NYC’s public library budget, which has already faced major cuts over the last few years. The last round of cuts caused libraries to end Sunday service and if this new one passes, it would mean even further reduced hours and programming.

There is a budget hearing on May 21 and in advance of it the libraries are asking people to sign letters to the Mayor’s office and the city council telling them not to cut funding. This is a new round of budget cuts and a new letter writing campaign, so even if you’ve previously signed one of these (thank you!) please sign again.

As we’re nearing summer, remember that public libraries will be, for many people, the only place to take refuge from the record breaking heat we’ve been having for the last few years. Remember that a public library is a roof that shelters you from the baking sun and the rain. Remember that a public library means a free public bathroom. Remember that this city is in the middle of a housing crisis, and that unhoused people make up a large percentage of library users. Remember that libraries offer services in multiple languages and programs for people who have newly arrived in this country. Remember that in a world that increasingly demands our use of technology, libraries have wifi and computers and outlets and tech help.

I do not mean to downplay the necessity of the library materials themselves—providing free access to books and DVDs and other materials is hugely important, but I do want to emphasize that in the world we live in now public libraries are essential for the basic functioning of this city.

I’m gonna tag @neil-gaiman because you’ve posted in support of public libraries before!

[tomorrowusa]

It's banned book week, an annual event to examine which books are being challenged by anti-freedom Nazis in the US.

Banned Books Week celebrates the freedom to read and spotlights current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools. For more than 40 years, the annual event has brought together the entire book community — librarians, teachers, booksellers, publishers, writers, journalists, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular. The books featured during Banned Books Week have all been targeted for removal or restriction in libraries and schools. By focusing on efforts across the country to remove or restrict access to books, Banned Books Week draws national attention to the harms of censorship. In a time of intense political polarization, library staff in every state are facing an unprecedented number of attempts to ban books. ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom ALA documented 1,269 demands to censor library books and resources in 2022, the highest number of attempted book bans since ALA began compiling data about censorship in libraries more than 20 years ago. The unparalleled number of reported book challenges in 2022 nearly doubles the 729 book challenges reported in 2021. Of the record 2,571 unique titles targeted for censorship, most were by or about LGBTQIA+ persons and Black, Indigenous, and people of color. The theme for Banned Books Week 2023 is "Let Freedom Read." When we ban books, we're closing off readers to people, places, and perspectives. But when we stand up for stories, we unleash the power that lies inside every book. We liberate the array of voices that need to be heard and the scenes that need to be seen. Let freedom read!

One bright spot this year is Illinois – the first state to ban book bannings.

Illinois becomes the first state in the U.S. to ban book bans

But some states, Texas and Florida in particular, have ramped up book bannings and censorship.

A reminder that people aged 13 to 21 anywhere in the US can obtain access to the Brooklyn Public Library's Books Unbanned program.

Books Unbanned | Brooklyn Public Library

Read books that Ron DeSantis, Greg Abbott, and local MAGA bigots don't want you to see.

[bruce-morrow]

The Book of HOV, Brooklyn Public Library, 2023

GIF: Bruce Morrow

[tatianasy]

[isqueedmyself]

I found this on FuzzBeak AKA Social Media for Old People, and thought it might be more useful here. Send it viral, please. Or there's actually a link.

[coolboy12345]

just took a massive dump at the public library, taking it as a good omen