Dear friends,
I’ve been reading a wonderful book — Anthony Doerr’s Cloud Cuckoo Land. It weaves together the stories of people joined together, across time and space, by an ancient story. Unsurprisingly, there are several libraries that are integral to the larger narrative.
In one part of the narrative, set in the future, the coming-of-age ritual for young people is called Library Day. A Book Mitzvah, if you will.
Libraries have been a big part of my life. The public library is still where I go whenever I am feeling a little off or disconnected. There’s a magic to a place where everyone is welcome and you can read and research whatever interests you and there are friendly, smart people to help you, without judgment.
photo by Sunny Yellen
There’s just one action today, directed at the Mayor and copied to your council member. The Mayor’s budget modification contains a series of severe cuts to agencies already in staffing crises, and greatly reduces budgets for public libraries and CUNY while leaving the NYPD budget nearly untouched.
Tell the Mayor that there is no right time for cutting library budgets.
with love,
L