NYC’s Public Libraries to Expand Sunday Library Service
More than 30 branches across the city will offer seven-day service beginning September 7.
August 4, 2025—Eleven additional library branches across New York City will soon offer service on Sundays, thanks to new operational funding included in the City’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget. The expansion, which was championed by Speaker Adams and the New York City Council, is made possible by a $2 million investment specifically dedicated to growing weekend access to library service.
This funding is in addition to a broader $15 million increase in operating support for New York City’s three library systems—Brooklyn Public Library (BPL), The New York Public Library (NYPL), and Queens Public Library (QPL)—as part of the Fiscal Year 2026 budget negotiated by Mayor Eric Adams and the City Council.
The new Sunday hours will begin September 7, 2025, and bring the citywide total number of branches open on Sundays to more than 30.
“With the city undergoing an affordability crisis and third spaces rapidly declining, libraries are increasingly the answer New Yorkers need,” said Anthony W. Marx, President and CEO of The New York Public Library. “From working parents on a budget who want enriching experiences for their children to seniors looking to stay engaged with their community, libraries provide a free sanctuary for millions of New Yorkers. Expanding Sunday service to five additional NYPL branches will have a decisively positive impact on the surrounding communities.”
“Keeping libraries open on Sundays is one of the most meaningful ways we can serve New Yorkers — especially working families and those who count on us for free programs, internet access, books, and safe, welcoming spaces,” said Linda Johnson, President and CEO of Brooklyn Public Library. “We’re deeply grateful to Mayor Eric Adams, Speaker Adrienne Adams, Finance Chair Justin Brannan, Libraries Chair Carlina Rivera, and the entire City Council for making this investment in our city’s future and affirming the essential role libraries play in our communities.”
“We are thrilled to offer full weekend access to our spaces, programs, and resources for more people in more places across Queens,” said Queens Public Library President and CEO Dennis M. Walcott. “We are incredibly grateful to our city leaders who made this investment — Mayor Eric Adams, Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, who led the effort to secure funding for expanded seven-day service, Council Finance Chair Justin Brannan, Council Libraries Committee Chair Carlina Rivera, and the entire City Council — for reinforcing the importance of our great institutions and for working with us to meet the challenges of our times.”
“I proposed expanding 7-day library service across the city in my 2025 State of the City address, because libraries are among our most precious public resources, serving New Yorkers of all ages in every neighborhood,” said Speaker Adrienne Adams. “I’m proud that we have secured an additional $2 million in the city budget to deliver for more neighborhoods and ensure even more residents have access to economic and educational opportunities. The Council will continue to prioritize support for our neighborhood libraries and the vital programs they provide for New Yorkers in our communities.”
"Our city's public libraries aren’t just about books anymore," said Chair of the Committee on Finance, Council Member Justin Brannan. "They are tabernacles of freedom and democracy. They serve as a lighthouse for kids, parents, new immigrants, and seniors. An egalitarian city cannot exist without these sacred spaces that serve New Yorkers of all ages, all backgrounds, at every income level, with literacy programs, language & technology classes, homework help, career help, adult education, reading programs for kids, workforce development services, and more. 7-day library service has always been a priority of this council and we are so thrilled to expand 7-day service to 11 additional neighborhood library branches across the city."
“Libraries are critical infrastructure providing essential services for New Yorkers. I am proud to have secured $2 million in funding in this year’s budget to expand 7-day library service to 11 additional branches throughout the city. Now even more families and individuals will get to learn to love reading, access resources to bridge the digital divide, and enjoy all that libraries have to offer,” said Council Member Carlina Rivera, Chair of the Committee on Cultural Affairs and Libraries.
Expanded Sunday library service will be offered at the following branches:
- Bay Ridge
- Bedford
New York Public Library (NYPL)
- Mott Haven
- Baychester
- Kingsbridge
- Harlem
- St. George
- Glen Oaks
- Hunters Point
- Jackson Heights
- Rochdale Village
QPL will also offer a seventh day of service at Kew Gardens Hills Library, which is already open on Sundays. Starting September 13, the branch will be open on Saturdays, bringing the total number of QPL locations with seven-day service to eight. QPL’s Central, Flushing and Far Rockaway libraries are currently open every day of the week.
For full details on hours and services, patrons are encouraged to visit the websites of each library system.
About Brooklyn Public Library
Brooklyn Public Library is one of the nation’s largest library systems and among New York City’s most democratic institutions. As a leader in developing modern 21st century libraries, we provide resources to support personal advancement, foster civic literacy, and strengthen the fabric of community among the more than 2.7 million individuals who call Brooklyn home. We provide nearly 60,000 free programs a year with writers, thinkers, artists, and educators—from around the corner and around the world. And we give patrons millions of opportunities to enjoy one of life’s greatest satisfactions: the joy of a good book.
About The New York Public Library
For over 125 years, The New York Public Library has been a free provider of education and information for the people of New York and beyond. With over 90 locations—including research and branch libraries—throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, the Library offers free materials, computer access, classes, exhibitions, programming and more to everyone from toddlers to scholars. The New York Public Library receives approximately 16 million visits through its doors annually and millions more around the globe who use its resources at www.nypl.org. To offer this wide array of free programming, The New York Public Library relies on both public and private funding. Learn more about how to support the Library at nypl.org/give.
About Queens Public Library
Queens Public Library is one of the largest and busiest public library systems in the United States, dedicated to serving the most ethnically and culturally diverse area in the country. An independent, non-profit organization founded in 1896, Queens Public Library offers free access to a collection of more than 5 million books and other materials in 50 languages, technology, and digital resources. Each year, the Library hosts tens of thousands of online and in-person educational, cultural, and civic programs and welcomes millions of visitors through its doors. With a presence in nearly every neighborhood across the borough of Queens, the Library consists of 66 locations, including branch libraries, a Central Library, seven adult learning centers, a technology lab at the Queensbridge public housing complex, a community learning center at the Ravenswood public housing complex, and five teen centers. It also has four bookmobiles and two book bicycles.
Media Contacts:
BPL: Fritzi Bodenheimer, fbodenheimer@bklynlibrary.org
NYPL: Connor Goodwin, connorgoodwin@nypl.org
QPL: Elisabeth de Bourbon, edebourbon@queenslibrary.org
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