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Brooklyn Public Library

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The Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) is the public library system of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It is the sixteenth largest public library system in the United States by holding and the seventh by number of visitors.[1] Like the two other public library systems in New York City, it is an independent nonprofit organization that is funded by the city and state governments, the federal government, and private donors. In marketing materials, the library styles its name as Bklyn Public Library.[2]

Brooklyn Public Library
Brooklyn Central Library
Map
40°40′21″N 73°58′6″W / 40.67250°N 73.96833°W / 40.67250; -73.96833
LocationBrooklyn, New York City
Established1896 (1896)
Branches61
Collection
Size5,045,500 items
Access and use
Population served2,565,635
Other information
DirectorLinda E. Johnson (2010–present)
Websitebklynlibrary.org

History

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In 1852, several prominent citizens established the "Brooklyn Athenaeum and Reading Room" for the instruction of young men. It was as was the practice in those times, a private, subscription library for members, who were recruited and encouraged by the rising mercantile and business class of young men, to continue by constant reading whatever formal education they had received through a university, college, high school/private academy, or trade school. Its collections focused on the liberal arts and the humanities such as biography, economics, history, literature, philosophy, and other applications later labeled social studies.

Five years later, in 1857, another group of young men, along with businessmen, manufacturers, and merchants, founded the "Brooklyn Mercantile Library Association of the City of Brooklyn", with holdings more pronounced in the business, commercial, economics, mathematical, scientific, and technical fields. The Librarian-in-Charge was Stephen Buttrick Noyes, who later went to the Library of Congress in 1866 but returned to Brooklyn three years later, in 1869. This collection and the previous one were merged in 1869 and later moved to a headquarters building on Montague Street. In 1878, the Library Associations were renamed the "Brooklyn Public Library". Stephen Buttrick Noyes commenced developing an extensive catalog for the collections which he completed in 1888.

The first free public library in Brooklyn was that of Pratt Institute, a collegiate institute founded by Charles Pratt in 1888. Available not only for its own students and faculty, the library was also open to the general public at that early time.

 
Brooklyn Public Library's Central Library in January 1941 shortly before it opened

The Brooklyn Public Library system was approved by an Act of Legislature of the State of New York on May 3, 1892.[3] The Brooklyn Common Council then passed a resolution for the establishment of the Brooklyn Public Library on November 30, 1896, with Marie E. Craigie as the first director. The library was re-incorporated in 1902.[4]

The first main branch ("central library") moved among various buildings, including a former mansion at 26 Brevoort Place.[5][6] In 1901, the businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie donated $1.6 million,[7] which helped fund the development and construction of 21 Carnegie neighborhood library branches through 1923.[8]

In 2020, Brooklyn Public Library made an agreement to merge its archives and special collections division, the Brooklyn Collection, with the Brooklyn Historical Society.[9] The new entity is called the Center for Brooklyn History.[10]

Branches

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See also: List of Brooklyn Public Library branches
 
The Central Library at Grand Army Plaza in October 2005, during construction of a new entrance plaza and underground auditorium

There are 61 neighborhood branches throughout the borough, of which many are Carnegie libraries. The library has four bookmobiles, including the Kidsmobile, which carries children's materials, and the Bibliobús, which carries a Spanish language collection.[11]

Central Library

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Main article: Central Library (Brooklyn, New York)

Located at Flatbush Avenue and Eastern Parkway on Grand Army Plaza near the Prospect Heights, Crown Heights, Flatbush, and Park Slope neighborhoods, Brooklyn Public Library's Central Library contains over a million cataloged books, magazines, and multimedia materials.

The Brooklyn Collection holds the manuscripts and archives for the Brooklyn Public Library and is located at the Central Branch.[12] The Brooklyn Collection holds over a million individual items including Brooklyn Dodgers memorabilia, a collection for the Brooklyn Eagle, which Walt Whitman edited, manuscripts, maps, photographs, and other ephemeral items.

Services

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The Bookmobile is a 32-foot (9.8 m)-long, 11.5-foot (3.5 m)-high vehicle housing a mobile library. Carrying up to 6,000 books, the Bookmobile serves communities whose local branches are closed for renovation. The Bookmobile offers many of the services available at other branches.

The Kidsmobile is a smaller, more colorful version of the Bookmobile. During the school year, the Kidsmobile visits schools, day care centers, Head Start, after-school programs and community events. In the summer, the Kidsmobile also travels to parks and camps. In addition to books, the Kidsmobile offers storytelling and arts and crafts.

The Bibliobús is a mobile Spanish-language library. It brings books and other media to Spanish-speaking communities in Brooklyn. The Bibliobús serves sites such as schools, daycares, community-based organizations, senior centers, nonprofit organizations, and community events.[13]

The Shelby White and Leon Levy Information Commons opened at Central Library on January 15, 2013. It features an open workspace with 25 computers and seating and outlets for more than 70 laptop users; 7 meeting rooms, including one that doubles as a recording studio; and a 36-seat training lab.[14]

The library's Learning Centers provide adult literacy and adult education services for free.[15][16]

Books Unbanned

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On July 15, 2022, Brooklyn Public Library introduced the Books Unbanned initiative which waived the $50 fee for out-of-state library cards for people in the United States between the ages of 13 and 21. The program allows teens and young adults to access ebooks and audiobooks for free.[17][18] A spokesperson said that the Brooklyn Public Library intended to counteract the “increasingly coordinated and effective effort to remove books tackling a wide range of topics from library shelves.”[19] The library cited the American Library Association's Freedom to Read Statement as a driving force behind the decision, noting the "729 challenges to library, school and university materials and services in 2021, resulting in more than 1,597 individual book challenges or removals."[20]

Administration

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Brooklyn Public Library's governing board is the board of trustees, consisting of 38 members, all serving in non-salaried positions. The Mayor and the Brooklyn Borough President each appoint eleven of the trustees. These appointed trustees elect twelve additional board members to serve.[21] The mayor, New York City Comptroller, Speaker of the City Council and Brooklyn Borough President are ex officio members of the board. All non-ex officio members of the board serve three-year terms.[22]

Linda E. Johnson was named president and CEO on August 16, 2011, after having served as the institution's interim executive director since July 1, 2010. She replaced Dionne Mack-Harvin, who served as executive director from March 2007. Mack-Harvin was the first African American woman to lead a major public library system in New York state.[23][24] Previously, Ginnie Cooper had been the executive director of the BPL since January 2003. Other notable executive directors include Kenneth Duchac, who ran the system from 1970 until his retirement in 1986. Duchac is the father of John Doe, founder and lead singer of seminal 1980s punk band X.

List of directors

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Other New York City library systems

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See also: Education in New York City

The Brooklyn Public Library is one of three separate and independent public library systems in New York City. The other two are the New York Public Library (NYPL), serving the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, and the Queens Public Library, serving Queens. The Brooklyn and Queens Public Library cards can be accepted by the NYPL, once they are linked to the NYPL system at any NYPL branch.[30]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "LibGuides: The Nation's Largest Public Libraries: Home". Archived from the original on April 21, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  2. ^ "BKLYN Library". Twitter. Archived from the original on July 5, 2016. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
  3. ^ New York Library Club; Cole, G.W.; Nelson, C.A.; Bostwick, A.E. (1902). Libraries of Greater New York: Manual and Historical Sketch of the New York Library Club. p. 15. Archived from the original on June 24, 2023. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  4. ^ Chapter 606, Laws of 1902.
  5. ^ "Building of the Day". Brownstoner. Archived from the original on May 13, 2012. Retrieved April 29, 2012.
  6. ^ "Brooklyn's Municipal Library System". The New York Times. December 15, 1900. Archived from the original on May 25, 2014. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
  7. ^ "The History Of Brooklyn Libraries, Carnegie and Cardboard Models". Bklyner. January 3, 2019. Archived from the original on July 25, 2024. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  8. ^ Musumeci, Natalie (March 27, 2013). "Plan to sell aged library a battle over Andrew Carnegie's vision". Brooklyn Paper. Archived from the original on March 20, 2024. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  9. ^ Schuessler, Jennifer (February 27, 2020). "Brooklyn Public Library and Brooklyn Historical Society to Merge". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 25, 2022. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  10. ^ "Announcing the new Center for Brooklyn History". Center for Brooklyn History. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
    "Brooklyn Public Library Announces Launch of Center for Brooklyn History". www.bklynlibrary.org. October 2, 2020. Archived from the original on October 10, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  11. ^ "Brooklyn Public Library | Only at BPL". Archived from the original on July 3, 2011. Retrieved April 19, 2011.
  12. ^ "About Brooklyn Collection". Archived from the original on May 24, 2013. Retrieved August 30, 2013.
  13. ^ "Brooklyn Public Library | Only at BPL". Archived from the original on April 4, 2011. Retrieved April 19, 2011.
  14. ^ "Shelby White and Leon Levy Information Commons". Brooklyn Public Library. Archived from the original on February 14, 2013. Retrieved February 13, 2013.
  15. ^ "Brooklyn Public Library to expand hours of service across borough". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. September 8, 2014. Retrieved January 27, 2017.
  16. ^ "Adult Literacy | Brooklyn Public Library". www.bklynlibrary.org. September 8, 2014. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 27, 2017.
  17. ^ "Borrowing". www.bklynlibrary.org. January 3, 2017. Archived from the original on June 23, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  18. ^ "Brooklyn Library Offers Access to Banned eBooks to Teens Across the U.S." April 13, 2022. Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
  19. ^ "Books Unbanned". April 5, 2022. Archived from the original on August 23, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
  20. ^ "The Freedom to Read Statement". July 26, 2006. Archived from the original on April 25, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
  21. ^ Travers, S. (June 18, 2014). "New scrutiny of city's library trustees". City Limits. Archived from the original on July 25, 2024. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
  22. ^ Board of Trustees Archived June 11, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  23. ^ Our Executive Director Archived June 11, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  24. ^ "Brooklyn PL Director Mack-Harvin Resigns After Three Years; Interim Director to be Named; Board Meeting Tonight Archived 2010-03-07 at the Wayback Machine", by Norman Oder, Library Journal, March 4, 2010.
  25. ^ "Made Managing Director". Brooklyn Eagle. January 30, 1898. p. 10. Archived from the original on July 1, 2010. Retrieved December 14, 2010.
  26. ^ "New Librarian's Career". Brooklyn Eagle. March 12, 1899. p. 7. Archived from the original on July 1, 2010. Retrieved December 14, 2010.
  27. ^ "Frank P. Hill Will Take Position of Librarian". Brooklyn Eagle. March 26, 1901. p. 2. Retrieved April 19, 2022.[permanent dead link]
  28. ^ "NAME BROOKLYN LIBRARIAN :Trustees Elect M.J. Ferguson of California to Succeed, Dr. Hill.". The New York Times. April 30, 1930 – via ProQuest.
  29. ^ "BROOKLYN LIBRARY INDUCTS NEW CHIEF :Francis R. St. John Becomes Its Fifth Director -- Staff's Pay Discussed by Mayor". The New York Times. May 25, 1949 – via ProQuest.
  30. ^ "Brooklyn and Queens Libraries". Archived from the original on September 17, 2013. Retrieved September 2, 2013.
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