Julie Sandorf, President of the Revson Foundation, describes the national decline in local news coverage and calls for increased investment in local journalism in New York.
News
City must not force libraries to give up gains
Revson President, Julie Sandorf, cites the critical role of NYC's libraries and discusses the need for additional investment to maintain the libraries' current levels of service.
Ta-Nehisi Coates and Julie Sandorf Accept J-School Honors
On April 11, 2018, Julie Sandorf, President of the Charles H. Revson Foundation, accepted the 2018 Distinguished Service to New York Award alongside Ta-Nehisi Coates, National Correspondent for The Atlantic, who accepted the 2018 Journalistic Achievement Award. Click here to watch both…
THE ROLE OF PHILANTHROPY IN RESUSCITATING LOCAL JOURNALISM: FIRG SEMINAR WITH THE PRESIDENT OF THE REVSON FOUNDATION
DUKE UNIVERSITY SANFORD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY — January 31, 2018 — Professor Joel Fleishman discusses the role of philanthropy in reviving local journalism initiatives with the President of the Revson Foundation, Julie Sandorf.
Out of Print – The Case for Philanthropic Support for Local Journalism in a Time of Market Upheaval
In a new report, Tony Proscio, of the Center for Strategic Philanthropy & Civil Society at the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University, explores the current landscape of local journalism, with a particular focus on the role that philanthropy could play…
Literary Treasure
METROFOCUS — December 7, 2017 — Two New York organizations have teamed up to honor one of the Big Apple’s biggest treasures, our libraries. We’re joined by Julie Sandorf, president, Charles H. Revson Foundation, and Manuel Martinez, branch manager, Allerton Library,…
You don’t have to be a Muslim to be horrified by Trump’s anti-Muslim bigotry
THE WASHINGTON POST — November 29, 2017 — Early Wednesday, President Trump retweeted three videos shared by a far-right British activist. One purportedly depicted a “Muslim migrant” beating up a Dutch boy on crutches (in fact, reports suggest the assailant was…
Libraries Can Be More Than Just Books
THE NEW YORK TIMES — September 18, 2017 — For all of Sunset Park’s celebrated taquerias, dim sum parlors and picturesque piers, the most popular destination in that neighborhood might just be the local branch of the Brooklyn Public Library. Despite…
FINALISTS ANNOUNCED FOR 4TH ANNUAL NYC NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY AWARDS
Ten Library Finalists Announced in Annual “Oscars of Libraries,” Vying for Top Honors and $20,000 Prize Record-Breaking 24,000 New Yorkers Nominated their Beloved Branches for This Year’s NYC Neighborhood Library Awards New Perennial Excellence Award Launched, Recognizing Consistently Outstanding Branches…
New Publications Feature Launched!
The Revson Foundation is proud to present a new feature on our website: the Publications page. Here, you can view and download reports and articles that the Foundation has funded from 2009 onward. We hope these publications will be of interest…
REAL-ESTATE COSTS DOUBLE WHEN ONE NYC AGENCY GETS INVOLVED
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL — April 9, 2017 — A study shows that the price and time frame for these jobs skyrocketed when the Department of Design and Construction was involved. New York City’s libraries and other cultural organizations looking to…
LIBRARIES OFTEN SEE DELAYS AND HIGH COSTS, REPORT FINDS
TIMES LEDGER — April 14, 2017 — Capital construction projects for libraries and other cultural institutions often rack up outsized financial and time investments, according to a new analysis from the Center for an Urban Future. The center worked with the…
NYC LIBRARIES AWAIT FIXES FOR FOUR YEARS ON AVERAGE, REPORT FINDS
CURBED NEW YORK — April 10, 2017 — New York City’s process of managing capital construction projects for cultural institutions and libraries is marred by bureaucratic setbacks, a new report by the Center for an Urban Future finds. Under the leadership…
POL HOPES NEW BILL WILL EMBARRASS AGENCIES INTO FINISHING PROJECTS ON TIME
DNA INFO— April 13, 2017 — Councilman Andrew Cohen hopes a new bill of his will embarrass city agencies into finishing their capital projects on time and on budget. The recently proposed bill would require all city agencies to notify the…
HOW SLOW CAN YOU GO?
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS — April 12, 2017 — It’s not you. Your local library overhaul really is taking forever. A new report reveals exhausting and costly delays of new buildings and renovations overseen by the city’s Department of Design and…
CENTER FOR AN URBAN FUTURE REPORT: SLOW BUILD
CENTER FOR AN URBAN FUTURE — April 2017 — by Eli Dvorkin, Maria Doulis, and Jonathan Bowles — This report finds significant problems with NYC’s process for managing capital construction projects for libraries and cultural institutions, with the median capital project…
PROPUBLICA, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS WIN PULITZER GOLD MEDAL
PROPUBLICA — April 10, 2017 — Propublica and the New York Daily News today won the Pulitzer Prize for public service, honoring their joint investigation on abuses in the New York City Police Department’s enforcement of the nuisance abatement law. The…
OLD TOOLS, REVOLUTIONARY RESULTS – A Retrospective of the Revson Foundation’s work with NYC Libraries
DUKE UNIVERSITY, CENTER FOR STRATEGIC PHILANTHROPY & CIVIL SOCIETY— February 7, 2017 — written by Tony Proscio — With all the trendy talk in philanthropy focused on “innovation,” “disruption,” and “impact investing,” it’s helpful to pay attention, now and then, to…
THE 4th ANNUAL NYC NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY AWARDS LAUNCH ON WNYC’S BRIAN LEHRER SHOW
On February 7th, 2017, WNYC’s Brian Lehrer Show hosted Revson President Julie Sandorf and Sarah Needham, program officer at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, to announce the fourth annual NYC Neighborhood Library Awards! The show featured an interview with Roxana Benavides, branch manager…
Muslim Leadership Initiative
November 2016 — The Muslim Leadership Initiative was featured in several articles outlining how alliances between Jews and Muslims are more important now than ever before. Click the following links to read the articles: Jewish Telegraphic Agency — November 14, 2016 — Jews and Muslims…
The 21st Century Neighborhood Library – Cooper Hewitt Design Journal Fall 2016
COOPER HEWITT DESIGN JOURNAL — Fall 2016 — written by Julie Sandorf — “Whatever agencies for good may rise or fall in the future, it seems certain that the free library is destined to stand and become a never-ceasing foundation of good to all…
NY1 Online: A New York Tragedy
INSIDE CITY HALL — October 17, 2016 —Days after her sudden death, Neil Barsky of The Marshall Project joined Errol Louis to remember Venida Browder, the Bronx mother who had vowed to carry on the memory of her son, Kalief Browder. Click…
Monitoring the Vote With Electionland
PROPUBLICA — September 8, 2016 — Today we’re announcing a new project, aimed at monitoring the vote in real-time, nationwide. And you’re invited to join. There is no more essential act in a democracy than voting. But making sure that the balloting is…
6 revealing stats about Jewish nonprofits and the people who work for them
JEWISH TELEGRAPHIC AGENCY— September 9, 2016 — Jewish nonprofit workers are inspired, respected and challenged. They’re also stretched thin, lack regular feedback from their bosses and are itching to switch agencies. Those are some lessons from “Are Jewish Organizations Great Places…
Serving Israel, At A Cost: Growing numbers of Arabs performing national service face ostracism in their own communities.
THE JEWISH WEEK — September 21, 2016 — Jerusalem — Leen Jaber is in high demand in the hematological oncological day ward at Hadassah-Ein Kerem. “Leen, can you translate?” a Hebrew-speaking nurse asks before treating an Arabic-speaking patient. “Leen, can you catch…
More Arab Israelis join national service, discovering state benefits, patriotism
THE TIMES OF ISRAEL — August 15, 2016 — They sound like your average religious Zionist couple in Israel: she serves in the Jewish state’s national service and he is an army combat veteran. Except they are both Muslim Arabs, and she,…
Dr. Robert Kingston and Errol Louis elected to the Revson Board of Directors
At the meeting on June 22nd, 2016, the Trustees of the Charles H. Revson Foundation elected Dr. Robert Kingston and Errol Louis to the Foundation’s Board of Directors. Starting in the Fall of 2016, Dr. Kingston and Mr. Louis will…
Adding Classes and Content, Resurgent Libraries Turn a Whisper Into a Roar
THE NEW YORK TIMES— July 4, 2016 — New York City’s 217 public libraries have rebounded in the past two years amid an infusion of city dollars, after years of budget and service cuts. An outpouring of support from library lovers has…
WINNERS ANNOUNCED FOR THE 3RD ANNUAL NYC NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY AWARDS
New York, NY – June 7, 2016 – The winners of the annual “Oscars of Libraries” have been chosen! Six library branches from Queens (Arverne, Glen Oaks), Brooklyn (Sunset Park), Manhattan (Inwood), and the Bronx (Morrisania, Jerome Park) have won…
FINALISTS ANNOUNCED FOR 3RD ANNUAL NYC NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY AWARDS ON WNYC’S BRIAN LEHRER SHOW
WNYC's Brian Lehrer Show announced the 10 finalists for the third annual NYC Neighborhood Library Awards, sponsored by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation and Charles H. Revson Foundation. These 10 finalists were selected based on a rigorous review of nearly 19,000 nominations from library users across the City. In June 2016, five of the 10 finalists will win $20,000 each for outstanding service to their communities. This year, there is also a new award from the Heckscher Foundation which will recognize a library for their outstanding children’s programming.
Where the Edge and the Center Meet— Driving Innovation in New York City’s Public Libraries
Revson’s President, Julie Sandorf, posits neighborhood libraries as the ideal ‘labs’ for the innovation and experimentation necessary to meet the 21st Century needs of NYC's growing population.
Capturing Human Moments Amid Chaos in Israel and the West Bank
THE NEW YORK TIMES — February 18, 2016 — In “This Place,” an exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum, life and photography and art cause sparks to fly. Its more than 600 images have been taken by 12 well-known photographers, and document life on…
A Sense of Place, A Sense of Complexity: Israel, in all its ‘rifts and paradoxes,’ comes into view in ‘This Place’
THE JEWISH WEEK — February 16, 2016 — In Israel, the light is direct, hard, strong and dense, not ideal for photographers, but it has been a place of intense picture-taking interest since the dawn of photography. “This Place,” an exhibition just opened at…
For 12 Photographers, an Anxious Gaze on Israel and the West Bank
THE NEW YORK TIMES — February 11, 2016 —For 25 years, Frédéric Brenner traveled the world, finding Jews to photograph. In every place he went, whether it was a singles weekend in the Catskills or an ancient stone dwelling in Yemen, he sought…
Seeing Israel Through The Camera’s Eye
THE JEWISH WEEK — February 10, 2016 — It’s extremely rare for 12 photographers to show their work together. Photographer Frederic Brenner not only convinced 11 of his renowned colleagues from around the world to share in an exhibition, but to first spend…
To address income inequality, start with libraries
CRAIN’S NEW YORK — December 2, 2015 — This week, New York City’s three library systems testified before the City Council about how they are spending the significant increase in operating funds granted in the current budget. The underlying question is:…
The New Fundraising Landscape | Budgets & Funding
LIBRARY JOURNAL — January 6, 2016 — Public libraries in the United States have traditionally relied on local support for the vast majority of their revenue. While this is still largely true, the funding landscape is getting more diverse, and there is a greater…
THE 3RD ANNUAL NYC NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY AWARDS LAUNCH ON WNYC’S BRIAN LEHRER SHOW
On November 18th, 2015, WNYC’s Brian Lehrer Show hosted Revson President Julie Sandorf and Sarah Needham, program officer at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, to announce the third annual NYC Neighborhood Library Awards! The show also featured interviews with two branch managers from last…
Spotlight on New Fellows!
After a rigorous selection process, eight extraordinary Post-Doctoral researchers have been chosen for the Charles H. Revson Senior Fellowship in Biomedical Science! Please welcome our Revson Fellowship class of 2015-2017!
Winners Announced for the 2nd Annual NYC Neighborhood Library Awards
New York, NY – May 21, 2015 – The Stavros Niarchos Foundation and the Charles H. Revson Foundation announced last night the five winners of the 2nd annual NYC Neighborhood Library Awards, which celebrate the crucial role of local libraries…
New York Libraries Pt. IIII: Denying New York Libraries the Fuel They Need
NEW YORK TIMES — Suppose you guess where people spend at least some of their time in the city. For instance, what attractions draw the most visitors? A. Major museums, like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, American Museum…
New York Libraries Pt. III: Boost city funding for New York’s public libraries
NEW YORK POST — No one in politics is against public libraries — yet somehow, New York City has cut funding for them by nearly a fifth over the past decade. Funds slashed in the wake of the 2008 meltdown haven’t…
New York Libraries Pt. II: Bill deGuardia: The right way for de Blasio to honor the New Deal legacy is to rescue aging public housing, hospitals, libraries and more
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS — When Bill de Blasio set off for Washington last week to unveil a Progressive Agenda to rewire the rules of economic engagement and enable broadly shared prosperity, he proudly invoked the legacies of two great New Yorkers…
New York Libraries Pt. I: New York City’s Libraries Need Money
NEW YORK TIMES — New York’s public libraries want about $1.5 billion from the city over the next 10 years so they can fix their buildings, which are old, crowded, falling apart or lacking in things they need to be useful…
The Brian Lehrer Show: NYC’s Best Libraries
One week from today, the winners of the NYC Neighborhood Library Awards will be announced. Two of the judges, Jacqueline Woodson, who won a 2014 National Book Award for her young adult memoir Brown Girl Dreaming, and Maira Kalman, author and illustrator…
Library Funding is Behind the Times
An analysis by the Center for an Urban Future, a Revson grantee, finds NYC’s public libraries are open fewer hours than libraries in nearly every large county in New York State and the majority of library systems in the nation’s largest cities.
BALANCING BOOKS BY ABANDONING LIBRARIES
Revson’s President, Julie Sandorf, discusses the extraordinary response to the NYC Neighborhood Library Awards and why NYC should invest in its public libraries.
FINALISTS ANNOUNCED FOR 2nd ANNUAL NYC NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY AWARDS ON WNYC’S BRIAN LEHRER SHOW
WNYC's Brian Lehrer Show announced the 10 finalists for the second annual NYC Neighborhood Library Awards, sponsored by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation and Charles H. Revson Foundation. These 10 finalists were selected based on a rigorous review of over 13,000 nominations from library users across the City. In May 2015, five of the 10 finalists will win $20,000 each for outstanding service to their communities.
CO-DIRECTORS OF THE OPPORTUNITY FUND FOR CIVIC SERVICE WIN AWARD
Meytal Brown Mendelewicz and Hila Marmos speak about the Fund’s vision of a more inclusive Israeli society for young adults as they accept the 2015 JJ Greenberg Memorial Award at the Jewish Funders Network International Conference in Tel Aviv.
Make New York City’s Libraries a Higher Priority
Revson President, Julie Sandorf, cites the changing role of libraries in New Yorker's lives, an essential part of the community that desperately needs extended hours and improved facilities.
What You Need to Understand about This Place: Talking with Frederic Brenner
Frédéric Brenner explains the coordination of 12 artists for the collaborative project, “This Place,” featuring a diverse group of photographers with only one commonality: the geographic area of Israel and the West Bank.
5 Design Concepts for New York’s Branch Library of the Future
CUF, in partnership with the Architectural League of New York, presents a study of possible designs to improve New York's branch library system. A recent public showcase offers glimpses at New York's library of the future.
The Carnegie Compact Revisited: Re-envisioning New York City’s Branch Libraries
Revson President Julie Sandorf's editorial for Philanthropy New York calls for a re-commitment to New York City libraries, extending hours, strengthening infrastructure, and making the libraries central to city development plans.
Modern Public Libraries Might Help Renters Afford NYC
At CUF event, five design teams present ideas for the future of New York’s branch libraries. Concepts showcased sleek, modern buildings that team libraries with affordable housing.
2014 NYC Neighborhood Library Awards Launch on WNYC’s Brian Lehrer Show
Revson and Stavros Niarchos Foundations are co-sponsoring the 2nd Annual NYC Neighborhood Library Awards. The nomination period is open from November 7th through December 12th.
CUF Report Highlights Urgent Needs of New York City Branch Libraries (Wall Street Journal)
The Center for an Urban Future report highlights the immediate and long-term needs of NYC libraries, pushing for a reformed funding system, expansion, and redevelopment.
Capital New York on CUF Report: Neighborhood Libraries Indispensable
CUF report finds New York City local libraries increasingly important to communities while infrastructure and development needs remain unmet.
“Are NYC’s Public Libraries Falling Down?”
WNYC's Brian Lehrer interviews David Giles and Jonathan Bowles from the Center for an Urban Future about the state of NYC branch libraries, in comparison to other city systems.
“Re-envisioning New York’s Branch Libraries”
A newly released report analyzes NYC public library branches’ capital needs and offers a blueprint for how to address the maintenance crisis.
My Library Is: New Yorkers Share what they Love about their Neighborhood Branches
Featuring excerpts from nominations submitted for last year’s NYC Neighborhood Library Awards, "My Library Is" illuminates the myriad ways that public libraries enrich communities — in New Yorkers’ own words.
New York Magazine features short film about NYC’s public libraries
Created by filmmakers Julie Dressner and Jesse Hicks, this Revson-funded documentary highlights the many unexpected ways the city’s libraries enrich New Yorkers’ lives and strengthen the social fabric of communities.
Rising Rents Leave Artists Out in the Cold
The New York Times talks to Spaceworks’ Paul Parkhill about the lack of affordable studio space for artists in the five boroughs.
In Branch Libraries, Fewer Books but High Demand
Many of the city’s branch libraries feature half-empty shelves, reflecting budget constraints more than changing readership demands: since 2002, citywide circulation has grown by nearly 60 percent. Part of the City Limits series.
Budgets cut, but NYC’s Libraries Thrive–For Now
City Limits launches an ongoing project looking at the potential for New York’s libraries to fill a critical gap in our civic infrastructure, as well as the challenges and difficult choices the library systems face
The New York Times’ David Gonzalez Discusses the Libraries’ Budget Challenges and Dysfunctional City Funding Process
Gonzalez visits the NYC Neighborhood Library Award-winning Sheepshead Bay Library, a branch that provides invaluable services to many immigrants in the neighborhood despite years of decreased city funding.
City Council holds hearing on capital construction needs of New York City’s public libraries
In this testimony before a City Council hearing, Revson’s president, Julie Sandorf, makes a case for why the capital funding process for New York City’s public libraries should be reformed.
Julie Sandorf in the New York Daily News: New York City lags far behind other cities in investing in its public libraries
It’s always easier for political candidates to seek credit for something new, but the best solution is to build on a system that has been proven to work, that New Yorkers already rely on and care deeply about — their libraries. If the mayoral hopefuls truly prioritize results, they should propose offering more support to our public library system.
NYC Neighborhood Library Award winners announced
Congratulations to Corona, Macon, New Dorp, Seward Park and Sheepshead Bay! Listen to the managers of these winning branches discuss their work on WNYC’s Brian Lehrer Show.
Albor Ruiz writes about the NYC Neighborhood Library Awards in the New York Daily News
“These nominations reveal the passion that New Yorkers have for their neighborhood libraries,” said Foundation president Julie Sandorf. “Our libraries promote and reflect the promise of our city — evening the playing field for millions of New Yorkers who seek self-improvement.”
2013 NYC Neighborhood Library Award Winners Announced
The Charles H. Revson Foundation announced the five winners of the first-ever NYC Neighborhood Library Awards, the culmination of an initiative that resulted in 4,310 nominations from New Yorkers. The five winning libraries, each of which received $10,000 at an…
Finalists announced for first-ever NYC Neighborhood Library Awards on WNYC’s Brian Lehrer Show!
Over 4,300 New Yorkers submit nominations — an extraordinary response that yielded ten finalists from across all five boroughs.
Queens Library’s Bridget Quinn Carey and Queens New Americans patron Farhana Yasmin talk to WNYC’s Brian Lehrer about public library services for new immigrants
Plus, listen to AdrianaBlancarte-Hayward share her story as an immigrant from Mexicowho went from attending her library’s English language learning programs tomanaging a branch.
WNYC’s Brian Lehrer discusses the challenges facing NYC’s public libraries with the presidents of the New York, Queens, and Brooklyn Libraries
Linda Johnson, TomGalante, and Anthony Marx talk to Brian Lehrer about the myriad servicesprovided by public libraries on which New Yorkers increasingly rely, even aslibrary budgets contract due to shrinking city funding. Nominate your branch for an NYC Neighborhood Library Award and it could win $10,000!
Revson launches the first-ever NYC Neighborhood Library Awards on WNYC’s Brian Lehrer Show
Five branch libraries throughout the five boroughs will each receive $10,000 in recognition of the outstanding service they provide to their communities. Listen to Revson’s Julie Sandorf and Lincoln Center’s Reynold Levy discuss the need for such an award with WNYC’s Brian Lehrer.
NYPL President Anthony Marx Discusses E-Books, Libraries, and Democracy in the New York Times
"Over a quarter of New York City’s 8.2 million residents borrow books from the city’s three public library systems. For those who cannot afford to buy downloads, digital books from libraries are essential to improving literacy, civic engagement and the technological facility necessary for economic success."
Four Revson Grantees Make the 2013 List of Most Influential Rabbis
Every year, The Daily Beast shines a light on fifty American rabbis who are "influencers on a grand scale [and] effective at bringing ideas, innovations, and inspiration to large numbers of American Jews."
Pi Roman Interviews Center for an Urban Future’s David Giles on MetroFocus
“[M]ore and more people are going to libraries to better themselves intellectually, and to pick up the skills they need to succeed in this economy.”
Makers: Women Who Make America Airing Tuesday, February 26 at 8 PM Eastern Time on PBS
Mark your calendars and don’t miss this documentary film about how women have helped shape America over the last 50 years.
Critic Michael Kimmelman tweets about “Branches of Opportunity”
The New York Times’ architecture critic Michael Kimmelman gives a shout-out to the Center for an Urban Future’s "Branches of Opportunity" report on New York City’s public libraries on Twitter.
NYC Micro-Unit Design Winner Announced
The apartment of New York City’s future has all the amenities of modern life: wheelchair-accessible bathroom, a full kitchen, space for entertaining and access to a gym, communal lounge, front and back porches and a rooftop garden — all in 370 square feet.
WNYC’s Brian Lehrer interviews David Giles about Libraries’ Role in the Digital Age
David Giles, research director at the Center for an Urban Future and the author of the report, "Branches of Opportunity", argues that New York City’s public libraries deserve even more support in today’s electronic era.
The Bronx’s use of libraries is fastest-growing of all boroughs
Circulation at library branches in the Bronx reached 5.36 million in 2011, while 347,859 people in the borough attended education programs, ranging from computer literacy classes to GED prep programs.
Branches of Opportunity in The News: New Yorkers Rely on the City’s Public Libraries
Over 40 million visits were paid to the New York, Brooklyn and Queens systems in 2011, more than the combined attendance at all the city’s professional sports games or major cultural institutions.
Mobile Library Bus Provides Books and Comfort to Rockaways Residents in Sandy’s Aftermath
The Rockaways still look like ghost towns. But the community libraries are there—if only in the form of a bus, parked in front of the gutted, muddy Peninsula branch.
CHPC’s “Making Room” Project Becomes Reality
Project becomes reality with New York City’s "adAPT NYC" competition: The WSJ and Crain’s report on enthusiastic response to call for micro apartment designs.
Revson Trustee Cheryl Effron Profiled in The Wall Street Journal
Ms. Effron has helped to spearhead "Love a Library," a day of service to happen on September 22 at library branches across New York, Brooklyn and Queens.
Revson’s Emily Milder and Nessa Rapoport in Smart Assets
Women continue to be underrepresented among tenured researchers in the hard sciences. Now Israel has developed a tailored intervention to address the disparity.