With innovations like the iPad and Kindle making it that much easier to surreptitiously read Fifty Shades of Grey on the F train, it's no surprise that the city's print-leaning public libraries are struggling to survive. The Queens, New York and Brooklyn Public libraries are collectively facing nearly $100 million in budget cuts; if the fiscal slashes come into fruition, a third of the Queens libraries alone would be forced to close. In order to protest a potential devastating future blow to the Dewey Decimal System, the Save NYC Libraries campaign has been hosting a series of 24 Hour Read Ins.
During those Read Ins, bookworms and card-catalog enthusiasts come together to camp out on the steps of an embattled public library and listen to volunteers read some of their favorite print-friendly selections. The third 24 Hour Read In begins today at 4 p.m. on the steps of the Brooklyn Public Library in Grand Army Plaza, and runs through 4 p.m. tomorrow. Volunteers have fifteen minutes each to read whatever they choose (but no speeches!); they also note that family story time will be taking place from 8 a.m. to noon on Sunday, and bodice-ripping story time is reserved for 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. tonight.
Participating authors include NYTimes Magazine contributor Maud Newton, You Had Me at Woof author Julie Klam, and noted children's books author and illustrator Paul Zelinsky; email [email protected] if you're interested in signing up.
