JUNE 26, 2014 – The New York Public Library will receive a $4.4 million increase in city operating funds for Fiscal Year 2015, according to the new city budget, unveiled today by Mayor Bill de Blasio, City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, and the New York City Council.

The increase – the first for the system since Fiscal Year 2008 – brings NYPL’s total city operating budget to about $144 million. It is part of a $10 million increase in funding to all three of the city’s Library systems, including the Brooklyn Public Library and Queens Library.

“It is extremely satisfying that the Mayor and City Council see the value in the city’s libraries, and understand that New Yorkers desperately need the services that we provide, from internet access to technology training to job search resources to English language classes,” said New York Public Library President Tony Marx. “The funding increase will certainly help us continue to provide free education, knowledge and opportunity to all New Yorkers. We are thankful to city officials for their dedication to and investment in libraries, a critical and irreplaceable city resource, and hope that this is a first step towards restoring our funding to Fiscal Year 2008 levels.”

The increase in funding comes after several years of cuts – since Fiscal Year 2008, The New York Public Library’s city operating budget has been cut $24 million. This year, the Library launched a grassroots advocacy campaign – including public letter-writing – to advocate for the restoration of at least some of that money. The public wrote about 130,000 letters at branches and online to support The New York Public Library.

The new city budget will go into effect on July 1, 2014, the start of Fiscal Year 2015.

Contact:

Angela Montefinise | 212.592.7506 | angelamontefinise@nypl.org

About The New York Public Library

The New York Public Library is a free provider of education and information for the people of New York and beyond. With 92 locations—including research and branch libraries—throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, the Library offers free materials, computer access, classes, exhibitions, programming and more to everyone from toddlers to scholars, and has seen record numbers of attendance and circulation in recent years. The New York Public Library serves more than 18 million patrons who come through its doors annually and millions more around the globe who use its resources at www.nypl.org. To offer this wide array of free programming, The New York Public Library relies on both public and private funding. Learn more about how to support the Library at nypl.org/support.

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