Mayor Bill de Blasio was so intent on keeping city libraries open during the coronavirus outbreak that he went as far as making veiled threats about cutting their funding if they closed, according to multiple people familiar with the conversations.

De Blasio and his top aides were “furious” to learn Thursday about plans to close public libraries across the city, after officials expressed concern that keeping the 216 facilities open would endanger children and librarians, according to accounts of the interactions.

 

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The mayor — who was grappling with the decision to shut public schools as the novel coronavirus tears through the city — phoned the heads of the city’s three distinct library systems on Friday to urge them to stay open. During some of those calls, he reminded library officials of his enormous power over their annual budgets, in what was interpreted as a threat to cut funding if they did not abide by his wishes, several people said.

Undeterred, some library heads decided to move forward with plans to shut their doors Saturday. By Sunday evening the mayor announced he was closing schools as well, prompting the closure of the remaining branches.

One person familiar with the matter said budget cut threats were “definitely alluded to.”

“It’s the reason Queens and Brooklyn Public Library initially stayed open,” the person said. “Mayor’s office clearly didn’t want them to close and pushed on them hard. Was mad at New York Public Library for doing it anyway.”

Source: De Blasio was ‘furious’ as library heads planned to close for coronavirus