New York City’s libraries are open fewer hours than almost anywhere else in the state, a new report found.
The Center for an Urban Future report found that city libraries are open an average of 45 hours a week – less than any other major county except one.
They lag Nassau and Suffolk, where libraries are open 64 hours a week; Rockland, where it’s 60, and Westchester, where it’s 54. Only upstate Erie County fares worse, with 43 library hours a week.
New York also lagged most big cities across the country – including Los Angeles, where libraries are open 53 hours a week, and Chicago, where they are open 49 hours.
Only 3% of city libraries are open seven days a week – compared to 90% in Suffolk County and 88% in Rockland County.
“When libraries have to close early in the evening and on the weekends, fewer working families are able to take advantage of their resources,” David Giles, the center’s research director, wrote.
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