Leaders of New York City’s Public Libraries Discuss E-Book Usage During the Pandemic, Recovery Efforts, and More at City Council Hearing

From the Gotham Gazette:

On Monday, the City Council’s Committee on Cultural Affairs and Libraries convened to hear updates from the city’s three library systems regarding their programming and COVID-19 recovery.

[Clip]

New York Public Library’s Brian Bannon was quoted in the committee report saying “public libraries during times of crisis are the first to raise their hands and find ways to help, so the closing of our physical doors caused us to be more creative and open our doors virtually.” The Presidents and CEOs of the three systems — Linda Johnson of Brooklyn, Anthony Marx of New York Public Library, and Dennis Walcott of Queens Library — testified about exactly how they’ve done that and detailed the work that remains to be done. The hearing was chaired by Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer, a Queens Democrat.

[Clip]

Marx of NYPL reported that his system lent 10 million ebooks. Walcott of Queens said 1.4 million ebooks were loaned out in that borough between July 2020 and June 2021, a 68% increase compared to that timeframe one year prior. Johnson said that since BPL reopened, her system welcomed 900,000 in-person visitors to date.

[Clip]

Marx of NYPL reported that his system lent 10 million ebooks. Walcott of Queens said 1.4 million ebooks were loaned out in that borough between July 2020 and June 2021, a 68% increase compared to that timeframe one year prior. Johnson said that since BPL reopened, her system welcomed 900,000 in-person visitors to date.

Marx particularly wanted to celebrate NYPL’s performance on the digital front. “We are also running a digital library,” Marx said. “In many ways not just for New York but for the world. Because New York is the leader of the world, we should, we must.”

Learn More, Read the Complete Article (944 words)

See Also: Full Text of Committee on Cultural Affairs and Libraries Report
9 pages; PDF.

Filed under: Digital Collections, Interactive Tools, Libraries, News, Public Libraries