It seems like libraries are always fighting for their lives, and this year’s budget shows that hasn’t changed. The numbers are a bit complicated, but it looks like the mayor plans to cut up to $35 million from the public libraries, and that will result in devastating cuts to programs, staffing and opening hours. It could even mean the loss of some of the three systems’ 217 branches. We are joined by three guests who love libraries and fight hard to keep them, not just solvent, but thriving. Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer heads up the Council’s Cultural Affairs, Libraries and International Intergroup Relations Committee. He’s also part of the Council’s Budget Negotiating Team. He talks about the cuts, which could amount to $50,000 per library, and what they could mean to the communities they serve. Linda E. Johnson and Tony Marx are charged with making every penny count, and they’ll talk about how deeply those cuts will affect, not only their collections, but the services they provide. The New York Public Library is second only to the Library of Congress in the size of its collection. But how do you keep those collections current without funding?