Branches to Recovery - Tapping the power of New York’s public libraries to ensure an inclusive recovery and rebuild a more equitable city

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Mia

Branches to Recovery outlines how New York City’s 217 public branch libraries can drive an inclusive recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic. The report frames libraries as trusted local hubs for immigrants, teens, older adults, and residents affected by the digital divide, including areas with limited career services, small-business support, and free homework help. It also documents strong library usage and highlights budget constraints and program bottlenecks, then presents policy challenges and recommendations to rebuild equity through targeted library capacity.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages54

Reading Time2 h 16 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Realizing the Potential: Tapping Public Libraries to Tackle 10 Major Policy Challenges

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Branches to Recovery

Introduction

NOV EMB ER 2021 Branches to Recovery TAPPING THE POWER OF NEW YORK’S PUBLIC LIBRARIES TO ENSURE AN INCLUSIVE RECOVERY AND REBUILD A MORE Branches to Recovery is a publication of the Center for an Urban Future. Researched and written by John Surico, Eli Dvorkin, and Jonathan Bowles. Edited by Eli Dvorkin and Laird Gallagher. Additional research by Sara Bellan, Michelle Chen Hsia, Charles Shaviro, Guy Mika, Mengyue Sun, Borge Feliz, Mitul Arora, Mingqi Song, Marco Antonio Torres, Isaac Landman, Justin Helmkamp, Devin Borg, Erin Garrett, Julia Farley, and Alyssa Cortez Peralta. Designed by Stislow Design. Center for an Urban Future (CUF) is a leading New York City-based think tank that generates smart and sustainable public policies to reduce inequality, increase economic mobility, and grow the economy. This study was made possible by the Charles H. Revson Foundation. General operating support for the Center for an Urban Future has been provided by The Clark Foundation, the Bernard F. and Alva B. Gimbel Foundation, and the Altman Foundation. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Jonathan Bowles EDITORIAL & POLICY DIRECTOR Eli Dvorkin EVENTS AND OPERATIONS MANAGER Stephanie Arevalo ASSOCIATE EDITOR Laird Gallagher RESEARCHER AND MULTIMEDIA SPECIALIST Melissa Lent DATA RESEARCHER Charles Shaviro BOARD OF DIRECTORS Gifford Miller (Chairman) Margaret Anadu Jonathan Bowles Michael Connor Russell Dubner Lisa Gomez Jalak Jobanputra Kyle Kimball David Lebenstein Eric S. Lee Monisha Nariani Max Neukirchen Andrew Reicher John Siegal Thomas Vecchione Table of Contents Branches to Recovery INTRODUCTION Realizing the Potential: Tapping Public Libraries to Tackle 10 Major Policy Challenges 1 1. Ensuring Children and Teens Overcome COVID Learning Loss 14 2. Strengthening Minority-and Immigrant-Owned Businesses 16 3. Expanding Access to Tablets, Laptops, and High-Speed Internet 19 4. Helping New Yorkers Get Back to Work 21 5. Fostering Economic and Civic Inclusion in Immigrant Communities 24 6. Closing Academic Achievement Gaps Through Early Education 27 7. Renewing the College and Career Dreams of New York’s Teensand Young Adults 30 8. Supporting NYC’s Fast-Growing and Increasingly Diverse Older Adult Population 32 9. Building Pathways to the Well-Paying Tech Jobs of the Future 34 10. Empowering NYC’s Growing Independent Workforce and Preparing At-Risk Workers for a More Automated Economy 37 RECOMMENDATIONS Equipping NYC’s Branch Libraries to Rebuild a More Equitable City 41 BRANCHES TO RECOVERY Introduction Branches to Recovery IN THE MONTHS AND YEARS AHEAD, NEW YORK CITY’S LEADERS WILL BE TASKED WITH HELPING HARD-HIT communities across all five boroughs recover fully from the social and economic devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic—and chart a course toward a more equitable future. Fortunately, elected officials and policymakers have an incomparable asset and ally in nearly every New York neighborhood: the city’s 217 public branch libraries. Although many other entities will be pivotal to creating a fairer city—including hundreds of community-based nonprofit organizations—no institution is better equipped than the public libraries to make progress toward amore equitable city in so many critical areas, from expanding access to early education and closing the digital divide to strengthening minority-owned businesses and bolstering the language, literacy, and technology skills needed to access the good jobs of tomorrow. Libraries aren’t just on the ground in nearly every community across the city. In many of the neighborhoods hit hardest by the pandemic, libraries are among the only trusted resources for immigrants, teens, older adults, and those on the wrong side of the digital divide. For example, in 64 percent of the city’s neighborhoods, branch libraries are the sole public hub for career services and support for jobseekers.1 Libraries are the only local, public resource for sm

FAQs

Why does the report focus on New York’s public branch libraries for COVID recovery?

The report argues libraries are an unmatched local asset available in nearly every neighborhood, especially in communities hit hardest by COVID-19, where libraries help residents access education, technology, and support services needed for recovery.

What major policy challenges does the report address?

It highlights 10 challenges, including overcoming COVID learning loss for children and teens, strengthening minority- and immigrant-owned businesses, expanding access to devices and high-speed internet, helping New Yorkers return to work, and closing academic gaps through early education.

What does the report say about library funding and its impact on services?

It notes libraries do substantial work with limited resources, and describes underinvestment that leads to long waiting lists, restricted rollout across branch locations, and constrained capacity for high-demand programs like technology and coding training.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Mia