TESTIMONY
Linda Johnson, President and CEO of Brooklyn Public Library, on Severe Proposed Budget Cuts to Library Funding and Services
0:12:00
·
10 min
Linda Johnson, President and CEO of the Brooklyn Public Library, testifies about the devastating impacts of proposed $58.3 million in operating budget cuts and $125 million slash to capital funding for NYC libraries in FY 2025.
- The cuts would force over half of Brooklyn library branches to reduce to 5-day service weeks
- Major reductions in literacy programs, classes, community outreach, and library materials/resources
- Increased strain on staff with hiring freezes and cutting part-time worker hours
- Loss of $2 million in additional state funding due to maintenance of effort requirements
- Hampers libraries' ability to serve communities effectively when demand is high post-pandemic
Linda Johnson
0:12:00
There we go.
0:12:00
Good morning.
0:12:01
Day 11.
0:12:03
Thank you all so much for hanging in there with us and for your support.
0:12:07
I'm Linda Johnson, President and CEO of Brooklyn Public Library.
0:12:11
Thank you, Speaker Adams, Finance Chair Brennan, Chair Rivera, members of the committees, our Brooklyn delegation, and the entire city council for the opportunity to testify.
0:12:24
We are grateful for your leadership and unwavering support of libraries and our mission.
0:12:30
New York City's libraries are facing the most significant cuts we have seen in years.
0:12:36
It pains me to repeat these numbers to you, but together, our systems stand to lose $58,300,000 in fiscal year 2025.
0:12:46
And for the first time in 16 years, the library's capital plans have been slashed by a staggering $125,000,000.
0:12:57
Tragically, these cuts come at a time when library usage is high and the costs of running the systems are higher.
0:13:07
For Brooklyn, this amounts to a drastic $16,200,000 cut, equivalent to 13% of our operating budget.
0:13:16
This will force us to severely limit library service, a devastating and avoidable consequence.
0:13:24
We must protect library service for the millions of patrons who rely on us.
0:13:30
Libraries have not faced cuts of this severity since the years following the 2008 financial crisis.
0:13:38
If the executive budget passes as proposed, the city will be turning back a decade of diligent progress.
0:13:46
In 6 weeks, Brooklyn Public Library will be forced to drop down to a 5 day a week service in more than half of our locations.
0:13:56
We will further reduce our operating hours We will drastically diminish the collections and programming, and we will severe severely curtail hiring and cut part time staff hours in half.
0:14:11
It is unjustifiable to put libraries in this position.
0:14:15
As we continue to rebound from the pandemic, demand for service is soaring.
0:14:21
Visits, program sessions, program attendance, and new card applications are all up by more than 40%.
0:14:31
Instead of rising to meet this increased demand, we are forced to reduce programming If these cuts are enacted, teen programming will diminish by a third.
0:14:43
We will offer half as many young adult literacy classes.
0:14:48
Citizenship classes will be cut by more than half.
0:14:53
50% fewer visits to senior centers and nursing homes.
0:14:58
30% fewer visits to children and families in hospitals and rehabilitation facilities.
0:15:05
14% fewer creative aging classes for older adults.
0:15:11
It is heartbreaking to think of the people who will be deprived of our services.
0:15:17
Just last week, a patron wrote to tell us the Sunset Park library was a refuge for him while living at a local shelter.
0:15:25
He said, I found housing and work by coming to this library every day.
0:15:31
That it has been open because there's no WiFi at the shelter.
0:15:36
It's also a place for peace, quiet, free books, and activities.
0:15:43
Our staff formed genuine connections with patrons helping answer questions from early childhood literacy to career development and everything in between.
0:15:54
But our library workers are struggling to provide excellent service to their communities as they contend with staff shortages in the branches.
0:16:03
A cut of this magnitude will only increase the burdens on our staff, requiring us to severely curtail hiring operate with half of our part time staff and permanently eliminate 146 public facing vacant positions, coveted city jobs.
0:16:24
Our patrons are experiencing the impact of a smaller collection after the $6,500,000 that we absorbed in November.
0:16:33
There are 40,000 fewer books on the shelves.
0:16:37
10% of these titles are in languages other than English, We have had to suspend purchasing more expensive materials such as test prep and passport study guides, large print books and reference resources.
0:16:54
15% of our database subscriptions have been canceled and we have had to restrict the number of books patrons can check out and place on hold.
0:17:05
Fewer books mean longer wait times.
0:17:08
The average weight for ebooks and audiobooks has increased by 30% since the November cut.
0:17:16
Instead of encouraging young readers to explore their passions, we are holding them back.
0:17:22
It's harder for patrons to check out novels in their native language, harder to take home a GED prep book, and harder to find your child's favorite story on the shelves.
0:17:35
To make matters worse, if these cuts are not reversed, libraries will lose 25% of our state funding.
0:17:42
The maintenance of effort clause in the state's library aid statute requires local aid to remain at or above 90% of the prior 2 year average.
0:17:54
If this MOE is triggered in this year's city budget, Brooklyn Public Library stands to lose an additional $2,000,000 in state funding next year.
0:18:08
These cuts are being proposed while the library is confronting more than $5,000,000 in increased costs.
0:18:15
In fiscal year 25, we must cover the cost of union salary and minimum wage increases.
0:18:22
The library share of staff healthcare premiums, as well as the operating costs of 2 new locations.
0:18:30
The Center for Brooklyn history and the library for arts and culture.
0:18:34
And this does not include the increased cost of doing business.
0:18:39
We are running a library system today on a pre pandemic funding level that has not kept pace with inflation.
0:18:47
Restoration alone will not solve our operating budget needs.
0:18:53
While preventing the further loss of library service is my highest priority, addressing the library's capital crisis keeps me up at night.
0:19:01
Not that little baby, but Brooklyn Public Library's unfunded capital needs have grown to over $380,000,000.
0:19:11
Including emergency infrastructure such as roofs, heating, and cooling systems, and accessibility upgrades.
0:19:20
This year, the city cut $47,000,000 from our capital plan, forcing us to eliminate 4 long awaited renovations.
0:19:29
Remove funding for several construction projects, and cancel critical infrastructure upgrades.
0:19:37
In 2023, BPO branches lost more than 22100 hours to unplanned closures stemming from outdated building systems and failing infrastructure.
0:19:49
Just last month, Macon and Decau libraries closed unexpectedly when their heating systems failed during a cold spell.
0:19:58
In fact, every year, we end up spending nearly a $1,000,000 in fence funding, addressing emergencies that cannot wait for a full capital project.
0:20:10
Without a restoration of the 47,000,000 in capital funding and dedicated funding in the city's capital plan, these unplanned closures will undoubtedly increase.
0:20:23
We depend on city support for the maintenance of our physical plant, and of course, without the backing of our council members who have generously funded local projects in their districts and supported us with delegation level funding, we would not have come this far in in revitalizing our local libraries, but our progress is at risk.
0:20:45
We are not dismissing the city's financial difficulties, but the life changing opportunities libraries provide to all New Yorkers even our newest neighbors are an essential part of the city's safety net.
0:20:59
We offer so much more than books and reference materials we provide support and security.
0:21:06
And if libraries are not adequately funded, the city's safety net starts to fray.
0:21:12
We must protect our city and our neighbors by by protecting our libraries.
0:21:18
I'm not alone in making this urgent plea I'm proud to work alongside you at the council, my colleagues at GC37, and all of our staff as well as a strong coalition of library supporters, many of whom are in this room today.
0:21:35
Over 22 1000 letters from Brooklynites have already made their way to elected officials imploring the city to protect library funding.
0:21:45
Today, I will also be submitting over 400 statements from New Yorkers who asked that their words of port for libraries be on the record.
0:21:56
These are not one sentence emails that have been sent to us these are paragraphs and paragraphs of people explaining how important their libraries are to them and why library funding should be restored.
0:22:09
Chair Brennan, Cherovera, members of the committee.
0:22:14
The future of our libraries depend on your continued leadership and support.
0:22:20
We are confident that working together, all of our city leaders will rise to this occasion.
0:22:25
Thank you very much.
