New Initiative Encourages Brooklynites to Explore the Borough and Visit 62 Library Branches in 2024
Winners to Receive Prizes Including a Photo Session, Books, Discounts, and Limited-Edition BPL Merch
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BROOKLYN, NY - Brooklyn Public Library today announced Browse the Branches, a new challenge encouraging New Yorkers to explore all 62 Brooklyn Public Library branches throughout 2024, uncovering hidden treasures, exploring new neighborhoods, and winning prizes along the way.
At branches across the borough, New Yorkers can pick up a booklet that will serve as their “passport” to all 62 Brooklyn Public Library locations. Participants will collect a special sticker unique to each location and place it in the corresponding entry in their booklet. As they reach different milestones along the journey, patrons will become eligible to win prizes. The first person to fill their booklet—the Branch Trailblazer—will receive a series of prizes including a professional photo session at Central Library, a set of the winning selections from the BPL Book Prize, and a special tote bag. The first 100 people to finish will receive a special tote bag and a limited-edition BPL Ambassador Library Card. Additional prizes will be announced as the year progresses.
“Browse the Branches encourages patrons to explore all our libraries have to offer and get to know new neighborhoods – all while engaging in some friendly competition with fellow Brooklynites,” said Linda E. Johnson, President & CEO, Brooklyn Public Library. “We’re delighted to celebrate the cultural richness that defines our borough, and see our community come together to explore, learn and connect.”
“From my days as Brooklyn borough president to now serving as our city’s mayor, I have seen, firsthand, the endless wonders inside the Brooklyn Public Library,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “By exploring all of the Brooklyn Public Library‘s 62 branches, New Yorkers have an opportunity to see the very best Brooklyn has to offer while experiencing the borough’s rich cultural diversity. Libraries are not just places where we engage with the past, but they are doorways to our future. I encourage everyone this year to explore and visit Brooklyn, find a new neighborhood, and pick up a book.”
“I applaud the Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) for incentivizing Brooklynites to explore the borough by visiting all 62 Brooklyn Public Library branches,” said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. “Libraries are an integral part of communities across our borough, and Browse the Branches offers an opportunity for branches in every corner of the borough to get some love and recognition—from the hustle and bustle of the Central Library at Grand Army Plaza to the quiet waterfront charm of the Gerritsen Beach branch. I look forward to working with BPL on more projects which highlight all of Brooklyn and bring more people to our libraries!”
"Every BPL branch is extraordinary in its own way- we have a library inside the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, one with a rooftop garden, and even a library overlooking the water. We’re excited to encourage our patrons to visit new neighborhoods, discover new libraries, meet our librarians, and get out and explore our remarkable borough," said Nick Higgins, Chief Librarian, Brooklyn Public Library.
As they Browse the Branches, patrons will discover free BPL programs, surprising facts about libraries, get book recommendations, and more. Browse the Branches is an invitation for the community to connect, explore, and celebrate all that the Library has to offer. As participants make their way across library locations, they’re encouraged to post to social media with the hashtag #BrowseTheBranches.
“Brooklyn Public Library is an invaluable resource for Brooklyn and all of New York City,” said Kathy Park Price, Brooklyn Organizer at Transportation Alternatives. “Browse the Branches is a fun opportunity for New Yorkers to visit and explore new neighborhoods all over the borough — and we know the best and fastest way to visit all 62 locations will be on two wheels. As New Yorkers bike, walk, and take transit across Brooklyn, we also invite them to join us and fight for truly safe streets across Brooklyn and in all five boroughs.”
"Brooklyn Public Library covers Brooklyn and so does our bus network," said Riders Alliance Executive Director Betsy Plum. "As bookworms fan out to browse the branches this year, the bus will be a crucial complement, reaching every neighborhood and pretty much every branch. The first ten rider-readers who take a transit selfie with their completed passport will receive an additional transit-themed prize from NYC’s grassroots organization of bus & subway riders (and readers)."
For more information and a full list of prizes, please visit bklynlib.org/btb.
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 2.7 million individuals who call Brooklyn home. We provide nearly 60,000 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.