Brooklyn Public Library
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) is the public library system of the borough of Brooklyn in New York City. It is the fifth largest public library system in the United States. It is not a New York City government agency; it is an independent nonprofit organization that is funded by the New York City and State governments, the federal government, and private donors.
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[edit] History
The Brooklyn Public Library system was approved by an Act of Legislature of the State of New York on May 1, 1892. 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. Between 1901 and 1923, philanthropist Andrew Carnegie donated $1.6 million, assisting in the development of twenty one branches.
[edit] Administration
Brooklyn Public Library's governing board is the Board of Trustees, consisting of thirty eight members, all serving in non-salaried positions. The Mayor and the Brooklyn Borough President each appoint eleven of the trustees. Twelve additional members are elected to serve on the Board. 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.[1]
Dionne Mack-Harvin was named Executive Director on March 22, 2007. She is the first African American woman to lead a major public library system in New York state.[2] Previously, Ginnie Cooper, now of the District of Columbia Public Library, had been the executive director of the BPL since January 2003.
[edit] Branches
[edit] The Central Library
Located at the intersection of Flatbush Avenue and Eastern Parkway on Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn Public Library's Central Library contains well over a million cataloged books, magazines, and multimedia materials. In addition, its local history division, the Brooklyn Collection, holds over a million individual items including photographs, maps, manuscripts, Brooklyn Dodger memorabilia and other ephemeral items. The facility, landmarked in 1997, boasts the state-of-the art S. Stevan Dweck Center for Contemporary Culture, which opened in 2007 and hosts lectures, readings, musical performances, and other events for people of all ages. The recently renovated plaza hosts concerts throughout the summer and has quickly become one of Brooklyn’s favorite outdoor destinations for free wireless internet access.
Central Library’s Parkview Restaurant on the third floor, provides breakfast, lunch, and spectacular views of Grand Army Plaza, downtown Brooklyn, and New York City. A café in the Grand Lobby provides light snacks.
Central Library opened on February 1st 1941, almost thirty years after ground was originally broken. Occupying over 350,000 square feet and employing 300 full-time staff members, the building serves as the administrative headquarters for the Brooklyn Public Library system. Prior to 1941 the Library's administrative offices were located in the Williamsburg Savings Bank on Flatbush Avenue.
Each year, over one million people enter through Central Library’s doors and countless others access its unique services, such as the Historical Brooklyn Daily Eagle 1841-1902, online.
[edit] The Business Library
Another major branch, the Business Library, is located at 280 Cadman Plaza West in downtown Brooklyn. Its history precedes that of the BPL itself. In 1852, prominent citizens established the Brooklyn Athenaeum and Reading Room for the instruction of young men. In 1857, a group of young men established the Brooklyn Mercantile Library Association of the City of Brooklyn, which shared a building with the Athenaeum. The Mercantile Library attempted to be more practical, placing less emphasis on literature and philosophy. In 1869, the two organizations consolidated their holdings and moved to a new building, the Montague Street Branch Library. In 1878, the Mercantile Library was renamed the Brooklyn Library. By 1943, the Business Reference Department was known as the Business Library. The library outgrew its space, and in 1957, a new building to house both the Business Library and the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood branch was approved by city government. On June 1, 1962, the new $2.5 million library building opened its doors to the public at its current location. In 1993, a two-year renovation and expansion was completed.
[edit] Neighborhood libraries
In addition to the above, there are fifty eight neighborhood branches throughout the borough, as well as a bookmobile.
- Arlington
- Bay Ridge
- Bedford, including the Bedford Learning Center
- Borough Park
- Brighton Beach
- Brooklyn Heights
- Brower Park
- Brownsville
- Bushwick
- Canarsie
- Carroll Gardens
- Clarendon
- Clinton Hill
- Coney Island, including the Coney Island Learning Center
- Cortelyou
- Crown Heights
- Cypress Hills
- DeKalb
- Dyker
- East Flatbush
- Eastern Parkway, including the Eastern Parkway Learning Center
- Flatbush, including the Flatbush Learning Center
- Flatlands
- Fort Hamilton (closed due to construction; a Bookmobile is on-site)
- Gerritsen Beach
- Gravesend
- Greenpoint
- Highlawn
- Homecrest
- Jamaica Bay
- Kensington
- Kings Bay
- Kings Highway (closed due to construction; a Bookmobile is on-site)
- Leonard
- Macon
- Mapleton
- Marcy
- McKinley Park
- Midwood
- Mill Basin
- New Lots
- New Utrecht
- Pacific
- Paerdegat
- Park Slope
- Red Hook
- Rugby
- Ryder
- Saratoga
- Sheepshead Bay
- Spring Creek
- Stone Avenue
- Sunset Park
- Ulmer Park
- Walt Whitman
- Washington Irving
- Williamsburgh
- Windsor Terrace
[edit] Bookmobile
The Bookmobile is a 32-foot-long, 11.5-foot-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.
[edit] Kidsmobile
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. Also during the summer the book mobile is often found labor day during the floats.
[edit] Other New York City library systems
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 (serving The Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island), and the Queens Borough Public Library (serving Queens). The Brooklyn Public Library card is also accepted by the NYPL and QPL, though they may ask for additional identification.[3]
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Brooklyn Public Library
- Brooklyn Public Library - Business Library
- General Facts (PDF fact sheet from BPL Web site)
