UPDATE: On September 8, the City Council voted to approve Mayor Garcia’s recommendation to restore the funds cut from the Library’s proposed budget and to maintain a 5-days-a-week schedule for all 12 libraries in FY21. The City Council also approved a recommendation to look at opportunities to expand hours at some libraries in the future.
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO ADVOCATED FOR THE LIBRARY AND HELPED MAKE THIS HAPPEN!
The Long Beach Public Library Foundation urges the City Council to fulfill Mayor Robert Garcia’s recommendation by rejecting any reduction in Library hours and voting to maintain the Library’s current budget without any additional cuts. While we understand the City faces a number of challenges, reducing access to Library services only exacerbates the digital, educational, and economic divides that plague Long Beach.
The City’s proposed FY21 budget drastically cuts the hours of 9 public libraries to a 3-days-a-week schedule. Families dealing with the challenges of homeschooling and those affected by record unemployment need the Library now more than ever. This is not the time to limit the Library’s capacity to serve Long Beach and leave valuable educational resources behind closed doors.
You can help prevent this by telling the City Council that ALL 12 Long Beach Public Libraries should receive funding to be open at least 5 days per week and no additional cuts should be made to the Library’s already lean budget. The City Council will have their first opportunity to adopt the budget on September 1 so your actions are needed as soon as possible.
