This once-beleaguered book lender started a new chapter!
Young bookworms celebrated the long-awaited reopening of Bedford-Stuyvesant’s spruced-up Marcy Library on Monday, when the reading room welcomed its first patrons after a prolonged renovation that honchos originally expected to end last summer.
The Brooklyn Public Library branch couldn’t have returned soon enough, according to a local pol, who said the newly refurbished outpost will provide tykes with even more resources to expand their curious minds.
“I am extremely pleased to see it reopened today with improved facilities and even more tools to facilitate learning,” said Councilman Robert Cornegy (D-Bedford-Stuyvesant). “Libraries are an invaluable asset to our city.”
Youngsters enrolled in kindergarten and first-grade classes at nearby PS 54 received a special treat at the opening-day festivities. The 6-foot-10 councilman joined the tots for story time, towering above them as he read from the children’s book “City Shapes” — a visual journey through the concrete jungle written by New York City-based author Diana Murray — while they sat pretzel-style on the floor.
Library honchos shuttered the Dekalb Avenue book lender in July 2016, before gutting the entire space to replace its heating and cooling system, apply a fresh coat of paint, add new chairs, tables, and computers, and create a new children’s area with an interactive-activity wall adorned with strings, knobs, and levers for kids to play with — a more than $1.8-million job that came in on budget, according to a spokeswoman.
The makeover also included a renovation of the book lender’s meeting room, which Cornegy coughed up $350,000 to pay for after voters in his district elected to fund the project through participatory budgeting, according to the Brooklyn Public Library’s chief executive.
“We thank Councilman Cornegy for his support of this project,” said Linda Johnson. “We are delighted to be back in Marcy Library, and know patrons will enjoy this space for many years to come.”
