Dec. 17 was the last chance for book lovers to go to a public library in the city on a Sunday. Queens and Manhattan public libraries ended their Sunday service in earlier weeks.

Eliza Gray said she’s a regular at Central Library in Brooklyn and loves to discover books. She said Mayor Eric Adams decision to slash Sunday service, as part of his budget cuts, is unsettling.

“It’s wild, and it’s insane,” Gray said. “Because there are very few things that are free, fun, educational and enriching, especially in many different neighborhoods.”

Mayor Adams claimed he was forced to make the decision, which would save the city around $23 million dollars, because the influx of migrants has become a financial strain on the city.

Brooklyn resident Lenworth Tavares has been living here for more than four decades. He said it’s a big loss for his community.

“They should never cut the library, we can’t do without this,” Tavares said.

Lorena Marin said she can’t do without the library on Sundays. She said she loves to read there.

“I use all the system libraries in New York, but my favorite thing is that it’s a place for community, where we just gather together, and we have no differences, and you feel safe,” Marin said.

Lauren Comito has been a librarian for nearly two decades, currently working at one of the city libraries. Comito said she’s disappointed by the budget cuts, and believes they are shortsighted.

“People think that libraries are just places where you can go get books, and ask some questions,” Comito said. “But really a library is a community space, it’s one of the last free places in our neighborhoods, where people can get together, and be with people who are different from them, whether it’s age, or socioeconomic status, and really build community.”

Comito said her job is fulfilling. She wants to continue what she sees as an essential resource for families and working-class community members.

“It’s kids learning to read, learning to sit in a circle and watch an adult read and then participate, go back and forth and have that social aspect,” Comito said. “It’s older adults having a place to go to not be lonely during the day, a place to read the paper and have someone remember their name, when maybe they don’t have family nearby. It’s a place for asylum seekers to print out their paperwork,” said Comito, who is the executive director of Urban Librarians Unite.

The organization held a candlelight vigil Sunday at Greenpoint Library to honor the loss of Sunday service.

Comito is also concerned the Sunday closings may have a negative impact on librarians’ paychecks.

“Sunday is voluntary overtime, and for a lot of people, in this fiscal climate, it’s the difference between being able to pay copays, and choosing between what to buy and what to pay for,” Comito said.

The next round of budget cuts is in January, and the city’s three library systems may lose another day of service next year.