Mayor Brandon Johnson - Restore Chicago’s Library Collections Budget

Chicago is a city of readers. It is a place where the written word shapes civic life, creativity, and opportunity. Our public libraries are not only the heart of that culture, they are the foundation of equal access to learning across all 77 neighborhoods.

That’s why we’re calling on Mayor Brandon Johnson to reverse his proposed 50% cut to the Chicago Public Library’s collections budget.

No one has asked for this cut. Not librarians, not Alderpeople, not the library’s union, and certainly not the residents who rely on Chicago’s 81 branches every day.

We made it easy to send an email to the Mayor of Chicago to reverse these cuts.
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Books and Materials Are the Core of the Library’s Mission
Under the proposed 2026 budget, the Chicago Public Library’s collections budget would be slashed from $10 million to $5 million, cutting in half the resources used to purchase new books, e-books, audiobooks, and online materials. This isn’t a matter of inefficiency or waste. A recent Better Government Association (BGA) analysis found that the Chicago Public Library is one of the city’s most efficient and well-managed departments, spending 99% of its collections budget in the most recent year and maintaining among the highest fiscal accuracy rates in city government.

And as Ald. Daniel La Spata has pointed out, restoring this funding would cost just 0.1% of the city’s total budget, which is roughly the same as two days of the Chicago Police Department’s budget. Moreover, the library is supported by its own dedicated property tax levy, meaning that fully funding the collections budget does not reduce or compete with any other city services.

“Access to Knowledge Is the Foundation”
Ald. Samantha Nugent (39th Ward), who has been a steadfast advocate for restoring library funding, wrote in a Chicago Tribune op-ed to remind us that “public libraries are our most critical doors to access,” and warned that halving the collections budget will mean “longer wait times for books, fewer digital resources, and a reduced ability to serve residents who depend on CPL for everything from résumé writing to after-school programs.”

Library Workers Are Speaking Out
Chicago’s library workers, represented by AFSCME Local 1215, have joined the growing chorus of voices urging the city to reverse the cut. In their public statements on Instagram, the union warned that reducing access to books and materials and leaving staff vacancies unfilled is not a sustainable or equitable way to balance the city’s budget.

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A Better Vision for Chicago
Instead of reducing access to books and learning materials, Mayor Johnson needs to:

• Fully restore the Chicago Public Library’s collections budget to $10 million.
• Invest in the culture of reading by ensuring all Chicagoans — regardless of neighborhood or income — have access to new books, e-resources, and materials in every language.
• Recognize CPL’s proven efficiency as a model for effective city services, not a target for cuts.

In a city that prides itself on culture and learning, such a small and contained investment yields enormous returns in literacy, opportunity, and community well-being. Every dollar cut from collections is a dollar taken directly from Chicago’s readers, the students, families, and seniors who depend on their neighborhood library to discover stories, learn skills, and access vital digital resources.

Add Your Name and Send a Message Today
Join us in calling on Mayor Brandon Johnson to restore the Chicago Public Library’s full collections budget and keep our city reading, learning, and thriving.

Please send an email to the Mayor to protect the culture of reading in Chicago.