Critically acclaimed books were unavailable at the New York Public Library as budget problems affected purchases in June

July 9, 2024

A new book about Donald Trump’s time on “The Apprentice” has generated numerous reviews and headlines.

But visitors to the New York Public Library (NYPL) looking to borrow a hardcover copy of “Apprentice in Wonderland” by Ramin Setoodeh, an insider’s account of the reality TV show, are out of luck.

The NYPL had not purchased the book as of Monday morning, citing insufficient funds at the end of its fiscal year, which ended June 30, even though Apprentice in Wonderland went on sale June 18.

This is not the only new book that is noticeably missing from the library system’s physical shelves, according to a random review of recent releases by THE CITY.

A critically acclaimed new volume about the turbulent events of the 1990s and how some key moments of that era led in part to Trump’s rise has also not yet appeared in print.

This weekend, the New York Times awarded John Ganz’s When the Clock Broke: Con Men, Conspiracists, and How America Cracked Up in the Early 1990 its coveted Editor’s Choice award for a new publication.

As of Monday morning, however, the NYPL had not yet purchased a version of it.

When THE CITY asked about the titles, the NYPL said the books had been ordered and would be available online the same day through the internal SimpleE site or the Libby app. Both of these sites allow readers to borrow e-books or audiobooks.

There are currently 100 requests for When the Clock Broke, which is “on order,” according to the NYPL website. The book was published by Macmillan Publishers on June 18.

“Sometimes we make fewer purchases toward the end of the fiscal year because we are moving into a new budget cycle,” the NYPL said in a statement. “This is standard practice for many organizations.”

According to the Pew Research Center, the decline in physical and digital offerings is due to the fact that the use of e-books and audiobooks has steadily increased over the past decade.

According to the American Library Association, publishers charge up to $55 for two years of access to a digital copy of a book. Individual users, on the other hand, can purchase a copy of the same book for around $15 and use it for life.

Late last month, the mayor and city council leaders announced a budget that restored library funding by an estimated $58 million, which will allow most branches to remain open on Sundays.

However, it is unclear how much of this money will be used to purchase new items.

In May, the heads of the three different library systems testified before the City Council that previous budget cuts had forced them to limit the purchase of new books and other media.

“Our patrons are feeling the impact of a smaller collection following the $6.5 million cut we took in November,” said Linda Johnson, president and CEO of the Brooklyn Public Library.

“There are 40,000 fewer books on the shelves – 10% of these titles are in languages other than English,” she added, pointing out that the BPL had stopped purchasing more expensive materials such as exam preparation and passport study guides, large print books and reference works.

She noted that the smaller number of books also led to longer waiting times.

“The average wait time for e-books and audiobooks has increased by 30% since we stopped offering them in November,” she said. “Instead of encouraging young readers to pursue their passions, we are holding them back.”

NYPL President Tony Marx said his system plans to purchase 20,000 fewer e-book copies, 6,000 fewer downloadable audiobooks, 40,000 fewer English-language books and 6,000 fewer books in other languages than last year.

Even popular novels like “Sandwich” by Catherine Newman, which was published by HarperCollins on June 18, were no longer available on Monday morning. According to the NYPL website, around 247 requests for the book were posted online.

According to the library’s website, the NYPL also does not have physical copies of the popular new releases “Middle of the Night” by Riley Sager and “Red Sky Mourning” by Jack Car.

When asked by THE CITY about the three titles, the NYPL said they are available online via SimplyE or Libby.

At the Battery Park Library, some users expressed frustration with shrinking physical and digital collections.

Celestina Sierra, 43, works as an executive assistant a few blocks from the Battery Park Library. Originally from Queens Village but now living in New Jersey, Sierra often visits the Battery Park Library near her office during the week to bring home books for her daughter.

“If there is something people want to read, libraries should have it,” Celestina Sierra told THE CITY on Monday.

“It is harmful for everyone when books are not available,” she added.

Areena Akhter, 23, said she also found it difficult to find some non-fiction books.

“You don’t get what you’re looking for,” said Akhter, who moved to New York City from California last year.

This is not the first time that the city’s three library systems have reduced the number of new books purchased.

In 2011, then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed cutting library funding by $100 million. The proposed cuts, along with previous budget cuts, briefly made it impossible for the Queens system to purchase new items.

On Monday, not all guests were frustrated.

Myrna Katz, 83, who has been visiting the Jefferson Market Library in the West Village for decades, said she has had no problems getting the books.

However, she added that sometimes there are long waiting times.

“I’m a tough old lady,” she said. “I know how to get the books I want to read.”