As a City Council member, Brad provided expense and capital funding for every one of the six library branches in the 39th District (Carroll Gardens, Pacific Street, Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Borough Park, and even Kensington, which was not technically quite in his district). He helped bring participatory budgeting to New York City, an initiative that offered voting sites in every one of those libraries, and also led to many resident-proposed projects in our neighborhood library branches. As part of the Gowanus Rezoning, Brad secured significant capital resources for the comprehensive renovation of the Pacific Street Branch. Through these efforts, he funded:

• The creation of a vibrant community room at the Kensington Public Library, providing space for rehearsals and dance performances

• New technology at the Carroll Gardens and Windsor Terrace branches, enhancing access to digital resources for residents

• The amazing reading garden (complete with Knuffle Bunny statue), as well as new workspaces and meeting spaces at the Park Slope branch

• A plan for the comprehensive renovation of the Pacific Street branch

• Culturally relevant books at the Borough Park branch   

As Comptroller, Brad has consistently advocated for the restoration of cuts to the public library systems, and analyzed the consequences. A budget report released recently by the Office of the Comptroller analyzed the impact of Mayor Adams’ budget cuts to crucial services like library access. The library system’s budget accounts for just 0.4% of the City’s total expense budget (totaling over $115 billion), yet cuts of 5% to the library budget have saved a mere $24 million—at the cost of eliminating seven-day service in branches where it previously existed. 

Brad is proud to be a longstanding champion of the idea that libraries are critical civic resources for democracy, and must be open and welcoming to all New Yorkers. Here are a few examples:

• He helped bring participatory budgeting to New York City, with brainstorming town halls, project development meetings, project fairs, and voting sites all taking place in public libraries—bringing thousands of people into the branches to engage in democratic action together—and often resulting in projects to fund the library branches.

• He has attended and advertised BPL’s “Night at the Library,” which brings an extraordinarily diverse set of New Yorkers together in the Brooklyn Central Branch for book talks that explore issues of identity and community.