Brooklyn, NY- By now, the story and the headlines are all too familiar: this has been a year like no other. Still, the human spirit remains strong and at the center of every neighborhood in Brooklyn— the library — we have been able to find joy and hope amid the unimaginable hardships of 2020.
In January, Brooklyn Public Library kicked off the year celebrating Lauren Comito, who was named Librarian of the Year by the Library Journal, a national award putting her in the company of, among others, the Librarian of Congress. In February, one of the last times we were able to gather in person, we welcomed nearly 7,000 people to Central Library for our annual all-nighter, A Night of Philosophy and Ideas. When the pandemic forced us to close a few weeks later, we kept on going, starting with virtual storytime the first day our doors were shuttered, gaining praise from living rooms and newsrooms alike. More than 1,200 virtual storytimes later, over a half a million people have tuned in from Brooklyn and around the world.
Below are the top ten highlights of 2020:
Pivoting to Virtual and Staying Connected and Engaged
Even as our branches re-opened for grab-and-go service this summer, our virtual library is thriving. Since the pandemic began, over 800,000 people have tuned in to our online programs, all free of charge—including multi-lingual story times, Cookmobile Online, Summer Camp at Home, performances and lectures in partnership with The Public Theater and conversations with award-winning authors including Kurt Anderson, Zadie Smith and Jill Lepore. We also created Library On Call—stories and poems by phone —for the many Brooklynites without a secure internet connection.
Helping Brooklyn Discover the Joy of a Good Book
This year, the Library circulated items million of times, including books and board games, online and via our grab-and-go service. Book Match—in which a patron can request a personalized list of book recommendations —continues to be one of our most popular services with librarians making over 500 completely customized lists for patrons over the last seven months. And we have dramatically expanded our digital collection, which now contains more than 400,000 eBooks, audiobooks, videos, and subscriptions. The Library has pledged to enhance our collection to reflect more Black and Indigenous voices, and have already begun to offer unlimited access to the most prominent authors writing on race today including Ibram X. Kendi, Layla Saad, and Robin DiAngelo.
Fighting for Justice
As Central Library’s plaza served as a hub for Brooklynites to show their support for Black Lives Matter, the Library brought together activists, writers, legal scholars and the public in a series of virtual discussions entitled Know Your Rights and a Justice Initiatives Book Club, attracting as many as 1,000 viewers on a variety of difficult yet important topics including the role of police in schools, libraries, and the community.
Behind the scenes, the Library has been sending books by mail to people in jails and prisons and supporting families who normally participate in the temporarily suspended TeleStory —a free BPL program connecting persons in custody of the NYC Department of Correction with their loved ones through teleconferencing equipment at the library —including making hundreds of calls to provide information and moral support.
Throughout the borough, we fought for the rights of every Brooklynite, supporting Brooklyn's 2020 Census efforts, reaching more than 6 million people over six months. We fanned out across the borough, providing Census information at 1,300 locations such as grocery stores and coffee shops, made phone calls, gave out flyers, and led community conversations on the importance of the Census to increase the count and get the resources and representation every Brooklynite deserves.
Opening New Spaces
The Library opened two new spaces amid the pandemic. At twice the size of the previous library, the new Greenpoint Library and Environmental Education Center is more than 15,000 square feet with indoor and outdoor spaces for traditional library services and exploration of the environment. The library was rebuilt with funding from the Greenpoint Community Environmental Fund, which was part of a settlement with ExxonMobil for pollution in the neighborhood. That a tragedy like an oil spill could result in a beautiful modern and green library is a hopeful reminder for the difficulties we face today.
BPL also announced the creation of the Center for Brooklyn History (CBH), which brings together the collections of Brooklyn Historical Society with the Library’s Brooklyn Collection, creating what is now the most expansive collection of Brooklyn history in the world. Online programming launched in October. Located at the landmarked Pierrepont Street building that was home to BHS for nearly 140 years, CBH extends the collection and programming throughout the Library’s 59-branch system.
Embracing the Outdoors
When the pandemic prevented us from meeting indoors, we moved outside, but left our Wi-Fi on even when our branches were closed, logging 270,000 sessions, from our plazas, steps and door fronts, providing important access to those in need. We also set up a living room on the lawn of Central Library, featuring Celestial Heroes Banquet, sculptural wood furniture created by artist Heinrich Spillmann, that includes an oversized table —which at 50 feet — is perfect for groups practicing social distancing. In addition, the Library moved its popular Ask a Tech program outside, presented immigrant-taught courses at University Open Air in Prospect Park, and, in conjunction with the Department of Transportation, offered Street Seats outside select branches.
Lending a Hand to Job Seekers and Small Biz Owners
COVID-19 transformed the job market overnight, profoundly impacting the global economy and job security and making the work of BPL’s business and career librarians even more urgent. They offered workshop for small business owners on surviving tough times, and for jobseekers on everything from networking to cover letters, reviewed the resumes of 300 individual patrons. “I really appreciate your taking the time to read my application so thoroughly and provide so many thoughtful suggestions…My materials were good before, but given the competitiveness of the COVID job market, I need them to be closer to perfect — and you have helped enormously with that,” said one participant.
Staying the Course for Adult Learners
In a typical year, BPL serves 50,000 adult learners with English, reading, math and other basic skills classes, but amid the ongoing conversation about children attending school and college students living on campus, adult learners rarely make headlines. But amid the pandemic, adult learners face tremendous challenges including a lack of childcare and a reliable internet connection, as well as housing, food and job insecurity. And the stakes are higher: without basic English skills, filling out a job application isn’t possible. In response, the Library is offering online classes and creating paper packets for adult students to pick up at branches if they don’t have technological access at home.
Giving Voice to Democracy
The Library embarked on a nine-month initiative entitled 28th Amendment Project, offering over 30 town halls for Brooklynites to come together to discuss, debate, and propose an amendment that truly represents the voice of the people, especially including those who have been historically disenfranchised, providing a forum to reexamine America’s founding principles during an election year and at a time when COVID-19 and nationwide Black Lives Matter protests revealed just how deeply societal and government structures shape our lives.
Testing and Tracing and More
Partnering with the City’s Test and Trace Corps, Library staff have distributed more than 54,000 masks and continue to sponsor virtual weekly health fairs to help patrons navigate the constantly changing information regarding testing, insurance coverage, and vaccines. Our branches have helped to keep the borough healthy serving as everything from cooling centers to pop-up COVID testing sites and early on, the Library worked in partnership with Columbia University to print face shields for healthcare workers using 3D printers from our branches.
Making History with Bard College
This year, the first class of Bard at BPL earned associate of arts degrees inside the public library, through the only program of its kind in the nation. Bard at BPL provides a traditional ambitious liberal arts education to nontraditional students who had previously been deterred, discouraged, or excluded from higher education. The rigorous high-quality academic program includes small seminars, with experienced Bard professors in classes like literature, philosophy, anthropology, mathematics, sociology, art, science, economics, and history. The inaugural class members ranged in age from 23 to 68 years old and included native New Yorkers, immigrants and persons who were formerly incarcerated.
About Brooklyn Public Library
Brooklyn Public Library is one of the nation’s largest library systems and among New York City’s most democratic institutions. As a leader in developing modern 21st century libraries, we provide resources to support personal advancement, foster civic literacy, and strengthen the fabric of community among the more than 2.6 million individuals who call Brooklyn home. We provide nearly 65,000 free programs a year with writers, thinkers, artists, and educators—from around the corner and around the world. And we give patrons millions of opportunities to enjoy one of life’s greatest satisfactions: the joy of a good book.