Four Brooklyn Public Library branches will soon open their doors on Sundays to accommodate the flourishing Orthodox Jewish community in the borough, reported the Bensonhurst Bean on Wednesday. The news was announced by Democratic Brooklyn Councilmen Brad Lander and David G. Greenfield, who tweeted that he was “thrilled” about confirming the extended hours.
The extended Sunday hours are meant “to accommodate Brooklyn’s growing Orthodox Jewish population that can’t utilize a library on Saturday,” reported Yeshiva World News, and will be executed at the Midwood, Borough Park, Mapleton, and Ryder branches by the end of October. Greenfield and Lander labored to finance the measure, amid the increased expenses of operating on Sunday, as mandated by union rules. Brooklyn’s Kings Highway and Central branches already boast Sunday hours.
According to Yeshiva World News, the council members worked closely with Brooklyn Public Library President and CEO Linda E. Johnson. Councilman Lander hailed the change, noting that the Borough Park library is one of Brooklyn’s most active. This change comes in the wake of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s $12 million expansion in the library budget, which facilitated the extension of 6-day-a-week service to all Brooklyn libraries.
Hannah Vaitsblit is an intern at Tablet.
