New York City’s public library system is set to expand access as eleven additional branches prepare to open on Sundays. According to NBC New York, this update will bring the total number of branches offering Sunday service to more than 30 citywide, beginning September 7.
Here are the library branches set to add Sunday hours. The locations include Bay Ridge and Bedford in Brooklyn; Mott Haven, Baychester, and Kingsbridge in the Bronx; Harlem and St. George; and in Queens, Glen Oaks, Hunters Point, Jackson Heights, and Rochdale Village, this expansion was reported by NY1.
The expansion is supported by a $2 million investment intended to increase weekend access to library services. This funding follows a $15 million increase in operating support for New York City’s three library systems—Brooklyn Public Library, New York Public Library, and Queens Public Library—as part of the Fiscal Year 2026 budget.
"Libraries are critical infrastructure providing essential services for New Yorkers," said Council Member Carlina Rivera, Chair of the Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries, and International Intergroup Relations. She has actively worked to secure funding for this expansion. Additionally, the Queens Public Library plans to begin offering Saturday services at the Kew Gardens Hills Library starting September 13, complementing the branch’s existing Sunday hours, as per report by NBC New York.
Lastly, New York City Speaker Adrienne Adams emphasized the importance of libraries, stating, "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," in a statement obtained by NY1. Following mayoral and council support, the budget cuts from 2023 that had reduced Sunday service were reversed, allowing the services to resume at various branches since July 2024.
