1. United States
2. N.Y.
3. Letter

I urge you to restore the proposed $11 million in library funding cuts in the state budget before the April 1 deadline. Governor Hochul's executive budget would reduce library operating aid by approximately $1.6 million and slash library construction aid from $44 million to $34 million. These cuts move in the wrong direction when libraries are serving more New Yorkers than ever. The construction aid reduction is particularly concerning because more than half of New York's library buildings are over 60 years old and require essential infrastructure repairs. According to Max Prime, Director of Government Relations and Advocacy at the New York Library Association, many projects involve keeping buildings safe and accessible through HVAC installations for temperature control and ADA compliance modifications for people with disabilities. These are not luxury improvements but necessary investments in public infrastructure. Libraries increasingly serve as community safety nets, with librarians performing social worker roles as other services face cuts. As Grace Riario, Executive Director of the Ramapo Library System, explains, "Books are one thing that we do, but 80 percent of our business is people." Library systems across the state facilitate millions of exchanges between locations, connecting communities to essential resources. Libraries already face mounting pressures from the high costs of ebook licensing, which forces them to re-license digital materials at prices exceeding consumer costs, and uncertainty about federal support after President Trump's executive order targeting the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The New York Library Association requests $181.3 million in library operating aid and $175 million in library construction aid. I ask that you advocate for full library funding restoration in the final budget negotiations. Our communities depend on these essential institutions.