Good news! Coney Island and Gerritsen Beach libraries will reopen this fall after extensive renovations due to Hurricane Sandy. See our Hurricane Sandy Renovations page for updates.
Jamaica Bay Library
Branch History
The Brooklyn Public Library recognized the need for a branch library in the Jamaica Bay area as early as 1966, when Director John A. Humphreys requested construction funds in a letter to Mayor Lindsay. Although the site chosen for the new library caused some controversy in the neighborhood, site approval was granted in March 20, 1967, after a public hearing. After a long planning process, the new library opened in July, 1973. The design, conceived by Manhattan architects Leibowitz/Badouva and Associates, won the New York Society of architects bronze plaque, for an accomplished solution to a difficult and highly constrained construction. Unusual features of the interior are a sunken carpeted area designed to hold the library's periodicals collection, and a colorful mural of tree branches filled with birds. The mural was painted by Mark Morgen, a former Library employee.
The Jamaica Bay branch looks forward to serving its patrons for generations to come, and to functioning as a technologically advanced, multi-faceted information center throughout and beyond the next century.
Famous Facts
Now a part of the Gateway National Research Area, an immense national park, Canarsie Pier, which adjoins Canarsie Beach Park, was designed as a gathering place for the community.
