The Clarendon Library in East Flatbush opened its doors to readers after a five-month closure on Friday — marking the second book lender to reopen in the borough’s library system in the span of a week.
The renovation — completely funded by a $250,000 grant from state Sen. Kevin Parker — included a new coat of paint, flooring, bookshelves, storage cabinets, and additional outlets in the East Flatbush library’s main reading room.
“I am proud to celebrate and take part in the re-opening of the Clarendon Library,” Parker said. “Libraries are an important community resource, as they provide students with a safe place to study, learn and gain access to information outside of their classrooms.”
The East Flatbush lawmaker celebrated the library’s reopening by reading stories to school children and a ribbon-cutting, for which he was joined by Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte and Councilwoman Farah Louis.
Clarendon Library — on Nostrand Avenue between Farragut and Glenwood roads — houses an award-winning robotics team, the Clarendon Library Dragons, and offers a variety of programs such as family art and music sessions, and resume writing for adults making it a vibrant center for the community, according to the area’s councilwoman.
“Families and children of all ages depend on our neighborhood libraries to expand their knowledge and explore their imagination,” Louis said. “From story time to tech and career programs for our youth and adults, the library is a vital institution that promotes learning and literacy year-round. I look forward to the breadth of opportunities that will arise from this invaluable resource.”
During the library’s five-month closure, the book lender operated a mobile library outside of the shuttered branch where borrowers could drop off books and check out a limited selection of titles.
The reopening of the Clarendon Library on Friday followed the Sheepshead Bay Library reopening three days earlier. The renovation of both branches comes when the Brooklyn Public Library is chipping away at $247 million worth of unmet repairs across its 59 neighborhood branches — which will result in about one-third, or nearly 20 of the aging library system’s branches being replaced or overhauled.
