Brooklyn Public Library

IT IS THE MISSION OF THE LIBRARY TO ENSURE THE PRESERVATION AND TRANSMISSION OF (SEE SCHEDULE O) SOCIETY'S KNOWLEDGE, HISTORY AND CULTURE, AND TO PROVIDE THE PEOPLE OF BROOKLYN WITH FREE AND OPEN ACCESS TO INFORMATION FOR EDUCATION, RECREATION AND REFERENCE.

NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARIES:NEARLY ALL OF BROOKLYN'S 2.6 MILLION RESIDENTS LIVE WITHIN A MILE OF A LIBRARY BRANCH. FOLLOWING A TEMPORARY CLOSURE OF ALL PHYSICAL LOCATIONS LAST YEAR TO MITIGATE THE SPREAD OF COVID-19, BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY HAS REINSTITUTED IN-PERSON SERVICES IN PHASES, BEGINNING WITH THE REOPENING OF A PORTION OF LOCATIONS FOR GRAB-AND-GO SERVICE IN JULY 2020, FOLLOWED BY THE GRADUAL EXPANSION OF SERVICE AT ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS. BPL HAS EXPANDED AND MAINTAINED SERVICES AS CIRCUMSTANCES ALLOWED WHILE MAINTAINING THE ROBUST VIRTUAL RESOURCES OFFERED THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC. NEARLY 812,000 PATRONS VISITED OUR LOBBIES IN FY2021. HOURS AT NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARIES VARIED WIDELY AS THE STATE OF THE PANDEMIC CHANGED. ON MAY 10, 2021, LIBRARY SERVICE EXPANDED TO BROWSING AND COMPUTER USE AT 13 LOCATIONS WITH 14 MORE FOLLOWING A MONTH LATER, AND YET ANOTHER 15 BRANCHES BY THE CLOSE OF THE FISCAL YEAR. AS THE LARGEST PROVIDER OF FREE WI-FI IN BROOKLYN, BPL BRANCHES HOSTED 431,804 FREE WI-FI SESSIONS IN FY21. TO HELP CLOSE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE, BPL MADE ITS INTERNET AVAILABLE TO PATRONS 24 HOURS A DAY, WHETHER PEOPLE ARE IN THE LIBRARY OR NOT. AT SELECT BRANCHES, THE LIBRARY EXTENDED ITS OUTDOOR WIRELESS INTERNET SIGNAL TO REACH UP TO 300 FEET IN ALL DIRECTIONS, EVEN INTO NEARBY HOMES AND BUSINESSES.DESPITE PANDEMIC RESTRICTIONS ON INDOOR PROGRAMMING, BPL FOUND NEW WAYS TO DELIVER THE EXPANSIVE RANGE OF PROGRAMS AND SERVICES ON WHICH OUR PATRONS RELY. WITH THE PARTNERSHIP OF THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, BPL CREATED OUTDOOR LIBRARY SPACES WHERE BROOKLYNITES COULD READ, USE FREE WI-FI, LISTEN TO A MULTI-LINGUAL STORY-TIME, OR RECONNECT WITH THEIR NEIGHBORS. THE LIBRARY BROADENED ITS OUTDOOR PROGRAMMING OFFERINGS AND WELCOMED PATRONS OF ALL AGES TO GARDENS, PLAZAS, AND PARKS. BEGINNING IN AUGUST 2020, BRANCHES OPEN FOR LOBBY SERVICE DISTRIBUTED GRAB-AND-GO PROGRAM KITS. SIMULTANEOUSLY, BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY LIBRARIANS AND STAFF CONTINUED TO PRODUCE THOUSANDS OF VIRTUAL PROGRAMS, FROM ENGLISH CONVERSATION GROUPS TO COOKING CLASSES TO PERSONALIZED RESUME HELP. BPL HOSTED NEARLY 750,000 PATRONS FOR APPROXIMATELY 16,000 PROGRAMS.IN FY21, THE SYSTEM CIRCULATED 5 MILLION MATERIALS IN TOTAL. E-CHECKOUTS FOR YOUNG ADULT MATERIALS INCREASED BY 63 PERCENT COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS YEAR, AND NEARLY TRIPLED FOR CHILDREN'S MATERIALS. BPL ALSO LAUNCHED A NEW SERVICE, DIAL A STORY, TO PROVIDE THE COMMUNITY WITH FREE STORIES AND POEMS VIA A PHONE LINE. STORIES AND POEMS ARE SELECTED AND VOICED BY LIBRARIANS FROM ALL PARTS OF THE BOROUGH WHO SPECIALIZE IN CHILDREN'S LITERATURE, OUTREACH AND ADULT SERVICES, SCHOOL OUTREACH AND BUSINESS AND CAREER PROGRAMS. DIAL A STORY IS PART OF A SUITE OF PROGRAMS BY PHONE, DESIGNED TO PROVIDE LIBRARY SERVICES TO PEOPLE WHO ARE UNABLE TO ACCESS THE INTERNET AND RISK SOCIAL ISOLATION DURING THE PANDEMIC. THESE INCLUDE A TELEPHONE BUDDY SERVICE FOR OLDER ADULTS WHO LIVE ALONE, AND THE CONTINUED SERVICE OF THE LIBRARY'S CALL CENTER WHICH ANSWERS PATRONS' QUESTIONS ABOUT ONLINE RESOURCES. FOUR BPL BRANCHES OPERATED AS DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION LEARNING BRIDGES SITES. WHILE SCHOOLS AND EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS OPERATED ON A BLENDED LEARNING MODEL, LEARNING BRIDGES PROVIDED FREE CHILDCARE OPTIONS FOR CHILDREN FROM 3-K THROUGH 8TH GRADE ON DAYS WHEN THEY ARE SCHEDULED FOR REMOTE LEARNING. IN OCTOBER 2020, THE NEW GREENPOINT LIBRARY AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER OPENED TO THE PUBLIC. THE NEW BUILDING IS TWICE THE SIZE OF THE PREVIOUS BRANCH, ENCOMPASSING MORE THAN 15,000 SQUARE FEET, WITH SIGNIFICANTLY ENLARGED INDOOR AND OUTDOOR SPACES FOR BOTH EVERYDAY LIBRARY SERVICES AND EXPANDED ACTIVITIES FOR THE EXPLORATION OF THE ENVIRONMENT. BPL HIRED ITS FIRST ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COORDINATOR TO LEAD EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING.

CENTRAL LIBRARY:CENTRAL LIBRARY IS THE LARGEST PUBLIC LIBRARY IN BROOKLYN. AT 352,000 SQUARE FEET, THE BUILDING ACCOUNTS FOR ONE-THIRD OF BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY'S TOTAL PHYSICAL PLANT. WITH PANDEMIC LIMITATIONS ON PUBLIC USE OF THE BUILDING, BPL OPERATED GRAB-AND-GO LIBRARY SERVICE WHILE COMPLETING THE FIRST PHASE OF THE MOST EXTENSIVE RENOVATION IN CENTRAL LIBRARY'S 80-YEAR HISTORY.IN MAY 2021, BPL UNVEILED THE RENOVATION TO THE PUBLIC. MANY OF THE BUILDING'S ICONIC FEATURES WERE RESTORED, INCLUDING THE APTLY NAMED GRAND LOBBY, AND SEVERAL NEW PUBLIC SPACES WERE CREATED INCLUDING: A CIVIC COMMONS FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, INCLUDING A PASSPORT OFFICE AND CITY SERVICES; THE NEW & NOTEWORTHY BOOK GALLERY WITH LIBRARIAN-CURATED TITLES; A CONTEMPORARY BUSINESS & CAREER CENTER FOR JOB SEEKERS, ENTREPRENEURS AND SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS; AND THE MAJOR OWENS WELCOME CENTER, DEDICATED TO BROOKLYN'S OWN "LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS," MAJOR ROBERT ODELL OWENS.IN ADDITION TO THESE NEW SPACES, CENTRAL IS ALSO HOME TO THE SHELBY WHITE AND LEON LEVY INFORMATION COMMONS, A PUBLIC TECHNOLOGY CENTER AND WORKSPACE WITH A RESERVABLE RECORDING STUDIO AND MEETING ROOMS, SOPHISTICATED DESIGN SOFTWARE, AND A DIGITAL TRAINING LAB FOR COMMUNITY CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS. IN FY21, CENTRAL LIBRARY WELCOMED BACK OVER 127,000 PATRONS AND CIRCULATED OVER 317,337 ITEMS, PRIMARILY THROUGH THE TEMPORARY GRAB-AND-GO LIBRARY.

SPECIAL PROGRAMS:BPL OFFERS PROGRAMS FOR PEOPLE OF ALL BACKGROUNDS AND AGES. IN FY21, BPL HOSTED TEEN TECH TIME AND HOMEWORK HELP SESSIONS, CITIZENSHIP AND HSE TEST PREPARATION, CAREER AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES, FREE CULTURAL EVENTS, AND MUCH MORE. A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF OUR SPECIAL PROGRAMS: .BOOKMATCH PROVIDES PATRONS WITH READING LISTS SPECIALLY CURATED FOR THEM BY BPL LIBRARIANS. .BKLYN INCUBATOR SUPPORTS AND FUNDS THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW INITIATIVES BY LIBRARIANS AND STAFF, WITH TRAINING AND MENTORING ON PROGRAM DESIGN, PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNITY OUTREACH, AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT. BROOKLYN CULTURAL ADVENTURES PROGRAM AWARD-WINNING SUMMER DAY CAMP FOR CHILDREN 7-12; CULTURAL IMMERSION AT BPL, BROOKLYN BOTANIC GARDEN, BROOKLYN MUSEUM, BROOKLYN CHILDREN'S MUSEUM, PROSPECT PARK, AND PROSPECT PARK ZOO. BARD AT BPL PROVIDES A FULLY ACCREDITED, FULL SCHOLARSHIP TRADITIONAL LIBERAL ARTS EDUCATION TO NONTRADITIONAL STUDENTS WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN DETERRED, DISCOURAGED OR EXCLUDED FROM HIGHER EDUCATION. UNIVERSITY OPEN AIR SERIES OF OUTDOOR COURSES IN PROSPECT PARK TAUGHT BY PROFESSORS AND RESEARCHERS TRAINED OUTSIDE OF THE U.S. WHO MAY FACE OBSTACLES TEACHING IN THEIR RESPECTIVE FIELDS. TODAY'S TEEN'S, TOMORROW'S TECHIES TEACHES DIGITAL SKILLS TO STUDENTS 14 TO 18 AND PREPARES THEM TO SERVE ON BPL'S VOLUNTEER TEAM, WHERE THEY HELP PATRONS MAKE USE OF THE LIBRARY'S MANY FREE TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES. THIS FISCAL YEAR, BPL LAUNCHED A YEAR-LONG CIVIC ENGAGEMENT INITIATIVE, THE 28TH AMENDMENT PROJECT, TO DISCUSS, DEBATE, AND PROPOSE THE NEXT AMENDMENT TO THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION THROUGH A SERIES OF TOWN HALL MEETINGS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION AND THE NEW YORK CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NEW YORK CITY HEALTH & HOSPITALS TEST & TRACE CORPS, BPL DISTRIBUTED THOUSANDS OF MASKS AND REACHED OUT TO BROOKLYNITES WITH INFORMATION ABOUT ESSENTIAL RESOURCES SUCH AS FREE TESTING AND VACCINATION SITES AND EMERGENCY FOOD RELIEF. THROUGH OUR LIBRARY LAB PROGRAM SERIES, A DYNAMIC LEARNING ENRICHMENT PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN (AGES 6 TO 10) AND THEIR FAMILIES, OVER 4,600 PATRONS RECEIVED TIPS ON HOW TO USE LIBRARY RESOURCES TO SPARK CURIOSITY FOR STEM THROUGH HANDS-ON EXPERIMENTS AND HOW TO CONTINUE PROJECTS AT HOME.IN FY21 THERE WERE 55 SCHOOL-YEAR INTERNS WHO CONTRIBUTED 7,260 VOLUNTEER HOURS, AND 15 SUMMER INTERNS WHO CONTRIBUTED 1,500 VOLUNTEER HOURS. IN COLLABORATION WITH TODAY'S TEENS TOMORROW'S TECHIES AND THE BEST BUY TEEN TECH CENTER, INTERNS ORGANIZED A LARGE "WELCOME BACK" TEEN EVENT WITH OVER 100 TEENS FROM ALL FIVE BOROUGHS, WHICH INCLUDED A COOKING DEMONSTRATION, MUSIC, COLLEGE READINESS, AND PROGRAM KITS. IN OCTOBER 2020, BPL ANNOUNCED THE CREATION OF THE CENTER FOR BROOKLYN HISTORY (CBH), A COMBINATION OF THE FORMER BROOKLYN HISTORICAL SOCIETY (BHS) WITH BPL'S BROOKLYN COLLECTION AT CENTRAL LIBRARY. ON JUNE 19, 2021, THE CENTER FOR BROOKLYN HISTORY LAUNCHED THE BROOKLYN RESISTS PROJECT, AN ONGOING, MULTIFACETED PUBLIC HISTORY INITIATIVE EXPLORING RACIAL PROTEST IN BROOKLYN FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ERA TO THE PRESENT.