BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY

NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARIES:DURING THE FY24 PERIOD, BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY CONTINUED TO ADVANCE A NUMBER OF PROJECTS THROUGH THE DESIGN PROCESS. THESE SELF-MANAGED PROJECTS INCLUDED PHASE II OF THE CENTRAL LIBRARY BRANCH RENOVATION UNDER ITS MULTI-PHASE MASTER PLAN; THE RENOVATION OF THE WALT WHITMAN LIBRARY, WHICH WILL INCLUDE A NEW DEDICATED TEEN SPACE & NEW READING GARDEN THAT REUSES THE BAS RELIEFS FROM THE FORMER BROOKLYN HEIGHTS BRANCH; RECONSTRUCTION OF THE CANARSIE BRANCH WITH A NEW BUILDING DOUBLING THE SIZE OF THE EXISTING BRANCH THAT WILL INCLUDE DEDICATED CHILDREN'S AND TEEN AREAS, WITH A MULTIPURPOSE ROOM AND UPPER-LEVEL TERRACE AREA; AND FINALLY THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW LOTS BRANCH WITH DECIDED TEENS AND CHILDREN'S AREAS, DOUBLE HEIGHT MULTIPURPOSE ROOM, AND ADULT LEARNING CENTER ALL WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY SPACES SPECIFICALLY RESPONSIVE TO COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS WISH TO RESPOND TO THE SITE'S HISTORICAL GROUNDING IN THE NEW LOTS AREA. ADDITIONALLY, THE LIBRARY CONTINUED TO WORK WITH THE CITY'S DEPARTMENT OF DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION ON A NUMBER OF BRANCH RENOVATIONS THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM'S CATCHMENT AREA.IN 2024, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF IMMIGRANT AFFAIRS, WE LAUNCHED BEGINNER ESOL CLASSES IN 25 BRANCH LIBRARIES ACROSS BPL. IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, COLLEAGUES FROM ADULT LEARNING, OUTREACH SERVICES, HR, FINANCE, GOVERNMENT RELATIONS, ONS, AND BRANCH STAFF SET UP AND STAFFED THESE CLASSES TO MEET THE LANGUAGE LEARNING NEEDS OF NEW MIGRANTS TO THE CITY AND ANYONE LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO START.IN FY2024, THE NEIGHBORHOOD BRANCH LIBRARIES CIRCULATED 4861,470 ITEMS AND HOSTED OVER 50,600 PROGRAMS, WITH PATRON ATTENDANCE OF OVER 693,000. IN ADDITION, PATRONS VISITED OUR BRANCHES OVER 4,800,000 TIMES DURING FY2024.

CENTRAL LIBRARY:CENTRAL LIBRARY IS THE MOST EXTENSIVE PUBLIC LIBRARY IN BROOKLYN. AT 352,000 SQUARE FEET, IT ACCOUNTS FOR ONE-THIRD OF THE LIBRARY'S TOTAL PHYSICAL PLANT. IN MARCH 2024, CENTRAL LIBRARY HOSTED NIGHT IN THE LIBRARY: OUT OF DARKNESS, AN ALL-NIGHT SERIES OF EVENTS, TALKS, AND PERFORMANCES FOCUSED ON CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND CRITICAL THINKING. GUESTS INCLUDED ASTRA TAYLOR, RED MOTEN, SARAH LEWIS, AND MANY OTHERS.ONCE AGAIN, CENTRAL HOSTED THE BROOKLYN ROBOTICS LEAGUE (BRL) FINALS IN JANUARY 2024. BRL HOSTED 15 TEAMS PARTICIPATING IN BPL'S TOURNAMENT ALL WITH SIZABLE CROWD SUPPORT FROM FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS CHEERING THEM ON. THE KINGS BAY BRANCH TEAM TOOK THE CROWN THIS YEAR, WITH CORTELYOU LIBRARY TAKING SECOND PLACE AND NEW LOTS LIBRARY COMING IN THIRD. IN FY2024, THE CENTRAL LIBRARY CIRCULATED 862,778 ITEMS AND HOSTED 22,818 PROGRAMS, WHICH HAD PATRON ATTENDANCE OF OVER 124,000. IN ADDITION, OUR CENTRAL LIBRARY BRANCH WAS VISITED BY OVER 1,177,000 PATRONS DURING FY2024.