New York Public Library. De Blasio was 'furious' as library heads planned to close for coronavirus

Mayor Bill de Blasio was so intent on keeping city libraries open during the coronavirus outbreak that he went as far as making veiled threats about cutting their funding if they closed, according to multiple people familiar with the conversations.

De Blasio and his top aides were “furious” to learn Thursday about plans to close public libraries across the city, after officials expressed concern that keeping the 216 facilities open would endanger children and librarians, according to accounts of the interactions.


The mayor — who was grappling with the decision to shut public schools as the novel coronavirus tears through the city — phoned the heads of the city’s three distinct library systems on Friday to urge them to stay open. During some of those calls, he reminded library officials of his enormous power over their annual budgets, in what was interpreted as a threat to cut funding if they did not abide by his wishes, several people said.

Undeterred, some library heads decided to move forward with plans to shut their doors Saturday. By Sunday evening the mayor announced he was closing schools as well, prompting the closure of the remaining branches.

One person familiar with the matter said budget cut threats were “definitely alluded to.”

“It’s the reason Queens and Brooklyn Public Library initially stayed open,” the person said. “Mayor’s office clearly didn’t want them to close and pushed on them hard. Was mad at New York Public Library for doing it anyway.”

The sources said the mayor argued closing libraries would create pressure for him to shut schools — a difficult decision he was reportedly agonizing over. Both schools and libraries provide essential social services to many lower-income New Yorkers.

A New York Public Library spokesperson declined to answer questions about the phone call between de Blasio and library president Tony Marx.

"We are in uncharted territory, and everyone has tough decisions to make. As an institution dedicated to serving the public, the decision to close was difficult, but in the end, we know it was the best way to support the health and wellness of our communities,” Angela Montefinise said in a prepared statement. “We will continue to work together with our partners in government to maneuver through this unprecedented time and do what's best for New Yorkers."

Mayoral spokesperson Freddi Goldstein denied the mayor threatened to cut funding.

"We’re in the middle of a crisis and we need a safe space for our children. It would be irresponsible to look the other way while doors closed on those who need them most," she said in an email "Anyone suggesting that funding was threatened either wasn’t on the call or isn’t telling the truth.”

Only one library leader, former schools chancellor Dennis Walcott, disputed the notion that the mayor’s phone calls were angry or threatening.

“I got a call ... from the mayor, I think Friday night, around 9 p.m. saying, ‘I heard you’re keeping libraries open, I really appreciate it,’” said Walcott, the president and CEO of the Queens Public Library.

Meanwhile librarians took to Twitter to openly complain they were expected to work last week, as the city was intensifying its warnings about avoiding crowded places as local cases of the virus multiplied.

“Mayor DeBlasio TELLING PEOPLE TO GO TO THE LIBRARY is straight up reckless, holyshit,” Brooklyn librarian Rita Meade tweeted Saturday afternoon.

She encouraged people to tweet at him directly and call 311 with complaints.

“Never thought in a million years I'd be encouraging people to contact the mayor to CLOSE libraries, but here we are,” she wrote in another post.

And a few hours later, she wrote, “So hypothetically speaking, is there a word for when a city mayor threatens to pull a public library's funding if they don't open during a global pandemic? Hypothetically speaking.”

Reached by phone Tuesday, Meade pointed out she tweets from a personal account that does not reflect the library’s official position.

The Brooklyn Public Library did not respond to requests for comment.