NEW YORK—Sporting a blue blazer, glasses, and standing at a mini-podium, third-grader Preston Ferraiuolo from Brooklyn called out confidently to the crowd of 300 adults: “Hello New York City!”
Preston was one of about two dozen children who joined a press conference and rally on the steps of City Hall to protest $106.7 million in budget cuts to public libraries.
“They give us a library card no matter what our age is,” he enthusiastically told the crowd. “Libraries cannot be taken for granted!”
Led by Council member Jimmy Van Bramer, chair of the City Council’s Cultural Affairs, Libraries and International Group Relations Committee, the rally was packed with the heads of the New York, Queens, and Brooklyn libraries, and numerous City Council members.
Immediately after the rally, Van Bramer introduced a bill to the City Council to get the money reinstated. His promise to stop the impending cuts was echoed by others.
Tony Marx, president and CEO of New York Public Libraries said that they will get the money restored. “Then we are going to build from there.”
