It was a joyous day at Central Library – for the first time in seven months, it opened their doors to the public on a Sunday.
"I was really excited to see that because I love libraries, I adore them, I have since I was little," said Nasimeh, a Park Slope resident.
The Central Library is one of two libraries in Brooklyn returning to seven-day service this weekend after budget cuts forced the city's public libraries to suspend Sunday service. Since November, Brooklyn residents and library officials have been fighting to restore it.
“We thought what better way than to ask the people that use our services to advocate on our behalf,” said Linda Johnson, president and CEO of Brooklyn Library. "In Brooklyn alone, there were 30,000 letters that went to elected officials, making it known just how important this was.”
Last month, Mayor Eric Adams and the City Council came to an agreement to
restore $58.3 million in funding to the libraries.
To show the community their appreciation, Brooklyn public libraries hosted celebrations at their Central and Kings Highway branches. Starting August 4, five more branches in the borough will also resume service.