Library Hours in New York City Show Huge Improvements

"New York City’s public libraries are now open nearly four hours more per week on average than this time last year, and are no longer next to last in average hours of operation among the state’s largest counties," according to a post by Jonathan Bowles.

Bowles provides the details of that good news, but adds a sprinkle of cold water by way of a reminder that there is work left to be done:

But while virtually all library branches in the five boroughs are now open six days a week—thanks to the $43 million increase in operating funds for libraries that was agreed to by Mayor de Blasio and the City Council last June—New York City’s libraries are still open fewer hours than most of the largest library systems in the state and the nation.

According to Bowles, New York City's public libraries are open an average of 48.8 hours a week. Last year, that number was 44.7 hours per week. The largest improvements have occurred in Queens and Brooklyn. "Last year at this time, just 29 percent of library branches in Queens and 64 percent of branches in Brooklyn were open at least six days a week; today, 98 percent of branches in both Queens and Brooklyn are open six days a week," reports Bowles.

Bowles is sharing the results of a second annual study by the Center for an Urban Future, with funding from the Charles H. Revson Foundation.