by Brooklyn Public Library on Oct 17, 2019
In partnership with Brooklyn Bridge Park, the BPL Annex is part of the Park’s commitment to providing free public programming
BROOKLYN, NY— Vinegar Hill, DUMBO and Farragut Houses residents will soon have access to a range of library services while they await the opening of the first new BPL library in over thirty years, on Adams Street, Brooklyn Bridge Park and library leadership announced today.
The Annex, located at One John Street, will serve as a temporary outpost for Brooklyn Public Library as the Adams Street Library is built. Once fully operational the 1,600 square-foot Annex will include numerous programs, a laptop-loan program, a small collection of books and a place for patrons to pick up books on hold.
Some of these resources will be phased in gradually: beginning on November 5, 2019, the Annex will provide story time and crafts for young children; and homework help, gaming workshops and teen advisory council meetings for older children and teens. The availability of items for loan will be phased in over the following months. Beginning in the Spring of 2020, the Annex will offer resume and interview help workshops, author talks and adult learning classes.
“We are opening a library annex for our neighbors in DUMBO, Vinegar Hill and the Farragut Houses as construction gets under way on our permanent home in the neighborhood,” said Linda Johnson, President & CEO of Brooklyn Public Library. “Thanks to our partners at Brooklyn Bridge Park for welcoming us to John Street and helping us take a step towards opening the first new library in Brooklyn in over 40 years. We can’t wait to get started.”
“We’re really excited to have another amazing Brooklyn institution partner with us in the Park,” said Eric Landau, Brooklyn Bridge Park President. “Brooklyn Public Library will be providing a great range of educational and cultural programming for kids and adults. I want to thank Linda Johnson and her team and welcome them to Brooklyn Bridge Park.”
Brooklyn Bridge Park owns the space at One John Street, which was most recently occupied by the Brooklyn Children’s Museum. Brooklyn Bridge Park will issue an RFP later this year for a long-term tenant to provide free educational and cultural programming in the space.
The Adams Street Library, which is scheduled to open in the Fall of 2020, will represent Brooklyn’s first new neighborhood branch since the early 80s. The branch will be the 60th branch in the Brooklyn Public Library system. BPL is undertaking a comprehensive public input process as it prepares to open the branch.
The Adams Street project was made possible in part through the proceeds of the redevelopment of the Brooklyn Heights library, which itself will bring online nearly 27,000 square feet of public library space as well as 114 affordable housing units in Community Board 2.
For the past several years, Brooklyn Public Library has invested in closing its $300 Million capital needs gap and updating aging infrastructure system-wide. The result of that work is that one third of the libraries in the BPL system have recently been or will be replaced or overhauled. Thirteen libraries are slated to receive full-scale renovations over the next several years, another three libraries, Brooklyn Heights Library, Greenpoint Library and Sunset Park Library, are going to be completely rebuilt, and an additional new satellite facility in the BAM cultural district will bring the system’s total number of locations to 61.
About Brooklyn Public Library
Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) is an independent library system for the 2.6 million residents of Brooklyn. It is the fifth largest library system in the United States with 59 neighborhood libraries located throughout the borough. BPL offers free programs and services for all ages and stages of life, including a large selection of books in more than 30 languages, author talks, literacy programs and public computers. BPL’s eResources, such as eBooks and eVideos, catalog information and free homework help, are available to customers of all ages 24 hours a day at our website: www.bklynlibrary.org.
About Brooklyn Bridge Park
Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation, known as Brooklyn Bridge Park (BBP), is the not-for-profit entity responsible for the planning, construction, maintenance and operation of Brooklyn Bridge Park, an 85-acre sustainable waterfront park spanning 1.3 miles along Brooklyn’s East River shoreline. As steward of the park, BBP has transformed this previously deteriorated stretch of waterfront into a world-class park where the public can gather, play, relax and enjoy sweeping views of New York Harbor. The self-sustaining park was designed by the award-winning firm of Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Inc. and features expansive lawns, rolling hills, waterfront promenades, innovative playgrounds, a greenway, sports facilities and the popular Jane’s Carousel. BBP serves thousands of people on any given seasonal day, who come to picnic, walk their dog, play soccer, jog, bike or roller skate. Brooklyn Bridge Park is a signature public investment for the 21st Century and will be an enduring legacy for the communities, elected officials and public servants who made it happen.