Library advocates are calling on the mayor to find more money for the city's libraries. NY1's Ruschell Boone filed this report.

It's not just about the books anymore. At the Queens Library in Laurelton, children are learning Mandarin while many adults are getting a lesson in English. 

Rejoice Iwoleke is a French speaker from the Ivory Coast who comes here twice a week, but library officials say they have turned away hundreds because of a lack of resources. They're calling on the Mayor to restore $65 million in operating expenses for the city's three library systems citywide. 

"That is just a restoration of the levels that we had seven years ago. It's not asking for new money.  It's asking for old money," said Nick Buron, vice president of public library services at Queens Public Library.

Library heads held rallies all across the city to bring attention to their cause.  They say deep cuts, which started in 2008, has forced them to cut programs, hours and libraries.  

"This library needs to be open six days a week, but even places that are open six days a week such as our Cambrian Heights Library has a brand new teen center in the basement that currently we do not have the staffing levels to be open on Saturday," Buron says.

The fight isn't just about operating funds. Library officials say they need $1.4 billion to renovate and replace existing branches—four times the capital spending Mayor de Blasio proposed.

In a statement, de Blasio's office said the administration "has made an unprecedented investment in our city’s public libraries—tripling capital commitments compared to the last Ten Year Strategy."

Advocates are now trying to put pressure on the mayor during the negotiations with the City Council on a final budget.

"The budget of New York passes July 1 and we are hoping that the mayor is really going to hear our cry. The City council gets a portion of discretionary funding to allocate but really a big ask like this, $65 million, will need to come from the mayor," says Councilman Donovan Richards.

Library advocates and officials say they will continue to hold rallies once a week across the city until a final budget agreement is reached.