Camden, NJ, mayor to announce plan to keep libraries from closing

Camden, NJ, mayor looks to keep libraries open

CAMDEN, N.J. — Officials in one of the nation’s poorest cities are working to keep its libraries open.

Camden, N.J., Mayor Dana Redd will announce her plan during a news conference Monday.

The city’s library board says it must close all three of branches by the end of the year because funding has been slashed so drastically that it can’t afford to keep operating.

Budget cuts across the country have caused local officials to close library branches, reduce hours and spend less money on books, computers and other materials. But officials at the American Library Association believe Camden’s library system would be the first in the U.S. with multiple branches to close entirely.

The Camden Free Public Library draws 150,000 visits a year.