We can hardly believe it ourselves, but this June, for the fifth consecutive year, we’re hosting our 24-hour Read-In on the steps of the Central Brooklyn Public Library. From year to year, we’ve gotten the whole shebang a little more finely tuned, but our goal remains the same: bring library supporters together to call attention to the necessary, beloved, yet sorely underfunded libraries of New York City.
We achieved a big win last year when, for the first time since 2008, the budgets of the three City library systems–New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library and Queens Library–were preserved without any cuts. The 24-hour Read-In is just one of many ways that we advocates have kept the spotlight on the poor financial health of our City’s libraries. This year, we’re reading to demand a $65 million budget increase to bring six-day-a-week service back to all library branches across the city
The 2014 Read-In will take place from 4 p.m to 4 p.m., June 7th and 8th, in front of the Central Library in Grand Army Plaza. You’re welcome to wander by and listen, but wouldn’t you like to grab 15 minutes of microphone for yourself? Sign up here to claim your time spot and read whatever you like for a quarter of an hour.
- Join us as we read around the clock to show how much New Yorkers love books, reading and literacy … and demand six-week service at all our libraries citywide
- Join us to hear librarians, authors, illustrators and city council members share their favorite words
- Join us as we honor our friend, the late Ned Vizzini (7 p.m – 8 p.m.)
- Join us during the darkest hours, when the erotica comes out and we lovingly heckle each other (12 a.m – 2 a.m.)
- Join us for an hour of spooky ghost stories (2 a.m – 3 a.m.)
- Join us for a four hours of family story time (9 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Sunday)
- OR … join us just to come together and enjoy the simple pleasure of reading