William Logan. Photo: Beowulf SheehanWilliam Logan, a retired truck driver from Harlem, didn’t have much of a chance to go to the Library as a boy growing up.

But now that he’s retired, he’s making up for lost time.

“I try to come to the Library every day,” said Logan, 68, who lives alone and comes to Harlem Library nearly every afternoon for inspiration, relaxation, and companionship. “Reading keeps your mind sharp.”

For Logan, coming to the Library is part of his daily rhythm. In addition to flipping through the Library’s many newspapers and magazines, Logan said he likes being able to catch up with the many friends and staff members he has met there and find new DVDs to check out and take home.

“It’s like a community center. There is something for everyone,” said Logan, who no longer has any family members in the city. “Everybody who comes here will tell you how important the Library is.”

Library hours, along with many other essential programs and services, will be greatly curtailed under the city’s $40 million funding cut to the Library.

From his near-daily perch at one of the Library’s inviting wooden tables, Logan said he sees firsthand how crucial its services are to patrons of all ages — from job-seekers in need of resume help to kids doing their homework.

If budget cutbacks force the Library to reduce hours or services, it will be a blow to the neighborhood, he said.

“People who don’t have books at home or a computer need the Library,” he said. “If they cut the programs, I don’t know what everyone will do.”

Please join William Logan and other NYPL users in speaking out against these crippling cuts, which would close up to 12 neighborhood libraries and reduce others to just four days per week. It takes just a few clicks to send a letter to your elected officials urging them to restore funding. Help save libraries!