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Like many New Yorkers, Hillary Heidelberg and her children browse through the New Amsterdam library on Murray Street in Downtown Manhattan about once a week.

But in just a few months, nearly every library across the city may be open less frequently.

"If it's not available, there's really no place for people to go," said Heidelberg.

The mayor's proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year slashes the city's contribution to the three library systems by about 20 percent. Library officials say the reduced funding would lead to severe cuts.

The heads of the Queens Library, Brooklyn Public Library and the New York Public Library all painted a grim picture at a City Council hearing Friday. They said six-day library service would be eliminated at nearly every library branch citywide. At some locations, library service could dip below five days.

"We know that this level of service, partial five-day service at most locations, is much less than Brooklyn's 2.5 million residents expect and deserve," said Brooklyn Public Library executive director Dionne Mack-Harvin.

The library heads warned of job cuts through attrition and layoffs. At the New York Public Library, 465 jobs could be eliminated, while there would be 279 job cuts in Queens and 210 staff reductions in Brooklyn.

The Bloomberg administration and the City Council have long fought over library hours. It was less than two years ago that the two sides agreed to six-day service citywide.

The mayor's office says everyone must help in order to close the budget gap.

Council members say they are fighting to make sure the pain isn't too severe.

"Our number one priority is to get you as much money as possible," said Brooklyn Councilman Domenic Recchia at Friday's meeting.

But it is still unclear how much they will be able to get for the libraries.