NYC Neighborhood Library Awards = Get $$$ to Your Favorite Local Branch. Do It.

New York City’s 206 public libraries play important roles in communities across the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. Since New York City’s neighborhoods are very diverse and each library is unique, the Charles H. Revson Foundation is asking: How does your local library help your community? What makes your local library special?

The strongest nominations will explain why a library branch should win this award, using specific examples and personal stories or anecdotes.

Five outstanding neighborhood libraries will each win a cash prize of $10,000. Nominate your neighborhood library today!

www.savenyclibraries.com

The Bloomberg Administration’s Fiscal Year 2014 budget proposes slashing funding to libraries citywide by $106.7 million. Read more here: Albor Ruiz – New York City’s public libraries need their patrons to stand up against mayoral budget cuts (Daily News).

And while you are at it PLEASE sign a petition to let your city council member know that you love your library.

Queens Library

Brooklyn Public Library

New York Public Library

 

 

The People’s Budget NYC

Click the link, register, and vote for the EXTEND LIBRARY HOURS proposal! John Liu will testify on behalf of the top three vote getters at an upcoming budget hearing (via Urban Librarians Unite)

http://peoplesbudgetnyc.com/

SOS NYC Libraries

http://magpielibrarian.wordpress.com/2013/03/11/savenyclibraries-or-youre-going-to-have-to-read-another-post-like-this-next-year/

“If you care about New York, if you care about libraries, if you care about teens and toddlers and immigrants and parents and jobseekers and seniors and schools and literacy and serving the under-served and the digital divide and books and literature and culture, then you should be really worked up about these budget cuts. You should be spitting mad. You should be emailing Mayor Mike Bloomberg right now. Seriously. Mega-Library Advocate Marilyn Johnson suggests categorizing your message under “Quality of Life”. You don’t need to be a New York resident or a librarian to tell our Mayor that libraries are essential.” –Urban Librarians Unite

Want to buy some books for Sandy Children’s Book Relief?

 

Urban Librarians Unite (ULU) has started a public wishlist on Powell’s. Feel free to buy used copies!  All books can be shipped to:

Urban Librarians Unite
45-06 Queens Blvd
Suite 120
Sunnyside, NY 11104

Queens Library Disaster Recovery Resources

Via https://www.facebook.com/queenslibrarynyc

Outreach services to devastated areas in south Queens were launched Friday with a Book Bus service in front of Queens Library at Peninsula at 92-25 Rockaway Beach Boulevard in Rockaway, offering free power access for people who needed to recharge their cell phones and electronics, as well as assistance and information for those who will be applying for emergency housing, FEMA grants and other assistance. Staff are being trained in assisting patrons in applying for FEMA grants (FEMA will not be accepting paper applications and libraries will dedicate computer terminals specifically for that purpose beginning next week.) Today, Children’s story-times were held in shelters for families displaced by the storm. Food, water, blankets, baby formula, diapers, batteries and other supplies were, and will continue to be available at all sites (while supplies last; and people should bring their own bags to carry their food and water.)

Please go to www.queenslibrary.org/hurricanesandy for the most up-to-date information.

NYC Libraries Situation Post-Sandy

Looks like Hurricane Sandy wrecked havoc on the public libraries’ websites, or else they’ve been temporarily shutdown to minimize damage from the hurricane.  Some items to note:

Per Brooklyn Public Library’s Facebook fan page, for today 11/1/12: Most Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) locations, including Central Library at Grand Army Plaza, will be open from 10 AM – 5 PM today, Thursday, November 1. The following branches will NOT be open this week: Brighton Beach, Coney Island, Flatlands, Gerritsen Beach, Gravesend, Jamaica Bay, Kensington, McKinley Park, Red Hook and Sheepshead Bay. Fines will not accrue at this time.

Most Queens Library branches will resume their normal schedules on Friday, November 2., but branches in low-lying areas (Arverne, Broad Channel, Peninsula and Seaside) will remain closed, temporarily, while extensive repairs are made. Fines and fees will be waived from October 29 through November 5, 2012.

New York Public Library remains closed today, 11/1/12. Per their website: “The New York Public Library has sustained virtually no structural damage as a result of Hurricane Sandy; any minor damage was repaired very quickly by the Library’s Facilities team. As a result, 62 branches (including six that are not open on Nov. 1) will be open on November 2, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. We are proud that we can open our doors and serve the various needs of New Yorkers, but please note, due to power outages, services will vary location to location. For example, patrons may not be able to check out items or pick up holds.” Contact ASK-NYPL for more information. 

NYC: 24 Hour Read-In, June 9th-10th

Just home from Save NYC Libraries campaign‘s third 24 hour read-in that began at 4pm yesterday and will continue until 4 pm today. It’s not too late to get thee to the front steps of the Brooklyn Public Library in Grand Army Plaza! Volunteer readers have fifteen minutes each to read whatever they choose from their favorite print-friendly selections. I hear there will be a family story time from 8 a.m. to noon today (Sunday) and a ahem adult content readings are reserved for 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. tonight (Saturday).

 

NYC: “Book Seeds” Planted Around the Boroughs to Bring Attention to Library Budget Cuts

I found a “book seed” today on the Q train. savenyclibraries.org announced that more than 1500 had been distributed throughout the city this week to raise awareness about this year’s disastrous round of budget cuts for libraries. Keep an eye out, you might find one!

Also. Sign the petition.

They’re ba-ack. 2012-2013 Budget cuts threaten libraries in NYC (and likely everywhere)

[Repost from Library Journal's article entitled "Bloomberg Proposes Cutting NYC Library Funding by Nearly $100 Million" Read original article here.]

New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg presented a $68.7 billion preliminary FY12-13 budget on February 2 that, as usual, proposes Draconian cuts for the city’s three library systems.

Bloomberg’s budget has almost no chance of passing through the City Council without significant adjustments, but it proposes a total cut of $96.4 million:

• Queens Borough Public Library, cut $26.7 million;

• Brooklyn Public Library, cut $26.9 million;

• New York Public Library, cut $36.0 million;

• NYPL’s four research libraries, cut $6.8 million.

These numbers are based on the latest forecasts that the city’s Office of Management and Budget has made for the city’s contribution for the current fiscal year (FY11-12) compared to what Bloomberg has proposed for FY12-13, plus the midyear adjustments (called Programs to Eliminate the Gap) that Bloomberg is anticipating this year.

Last year Bloomberg made a similar proposal only to agree with the council, after numerous protests, to adjust his proposal by $83 million, which resulted in relatively flat funding for the year. The City Council approved a total of $301.4 million for all the systems combined last year. City funding is the largest part of each system’s budget, except for the research libraries.