Ten public libraries in New York City will resume Sunday service this weekend after a hiatus that began last fall.
Library branches across the five boroughs were forced to close their doors on Sundays last year due to mid-year budget cuts initiated by Mayor Eric Adams.
What You Need To Know
- Ten public libraries in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Manhattan will resume Sunday service this weekend
- Sunday service will also be offered at the new Far Rockaway Library, which officially opened on Tuesday
- Other Queens branches, including Bay Terrace Library in Bay Terrace, Broadway Library in Astoria, and Hillcrest Library in Flushing, will reopen “in the coming months”
The decision was met with significant public outcry, prompting some City Council members to prioritize restoring full seven-day service during budget negotiations.
The budget agreement Adams and the City Council reached at the end of June then allocated $58.3 million to the city’s three library systems — the New York Public Library, the Brooklyn Public Library and the Queens Public Library — allowing Sunday service to resume in stages.
In mid-July, seven public libraries throughout the five boroughs saw Sunday service restored, with hours varying across the facilities.
Beginning Aug. 4, the following libraries will reopen on Sundays:
- Bronx Library Center in the Bronx (12 p.m. to 6 p.m.)
- Grand Concourse Library in the Bronx (1 p.m. to 5 p.m.)
- Washington Heights Library in Manhattan (1 p.m. to 5 p.m.)
- Jefferson Market Library in Manhattan (1 p.m. to 5 p.m.)
- Stephen A. Schwarzman Building in Manhattan (1 p.m. to 5 p.m.)
- Brooklyn Heights Library in Brooklyn (1 p.m. to 5 p.m.)
- Greenpoint Library in Brooklyn (1 p.m. to 5 p.m.)
- Macon Library in Brooklyn (1 p.m. to 5 p.m.)
- Midwood Library in Brooklyn (1 p.m. to 5 p.m.)
- New Lots Library in Brooklyn (1 p.m. to 5 p.m.)
The Queens Public Library said Sunday service will also be offered at the new Far Rockaway Library, which officially opened on Tuesday.
Other branches, including Bay Terrace Library in Bay Terrace, Broadway Library in Astoria, and Hillcrest Library in Flushing, will reopen “in the coming months” following renovations, it added.