Brooklyn Public Library’s Sheepshead Bay branch reopened Tuesday after a five-month closure with a fresh look and new, modernized amenities for the 60-year-old library branch, according to the project’s chief patron.
“Our public libraries are not just buildings but dynamic, evolving resources that educate and inspire people of all ages while also providing free and accessible opportunities for entertainment and socialization,” said Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz, who funded the project.
The $275,000 grant funded a fresh coat of paint, the installation of new flooring, bookshelves, storage cabinets, wall outlets, tabletop outlets and USB ports at the E. 14th Street book lender.
Cymbrowitz marked the library’s reopening by hosting a story-time event for nearby PS 209’s first- and second-graders, where he read them two books, “Thank You, Omu!” by Oge Mora and “Dreamer” by Yuyi Morales. Students presented the assemblyman with handwritten notes and a bright, yellow poster thanking him for his help in renovating the library.
The Sheepshead Bay Library — located between Avenue Z and Voorhies Avenue — is one of Brooklyn’s busiest branches, according to the Brooklyn Public Library and features a diverse range of programming such as English classes for foreign-language speakers and a regularly scheduled community talent showcase.
Over the span of the library’s five-month closure, the Brooklyn Public Library provided a bookmobile where locals could drop off books and checkout a limited supply of titles.
The renovation of the Sheepshead Bay Library comes at a time when the Brooklyn Public Library system is working to address a whopping $247 million worth of unfunded repairs across it’s 59 branches — which will result in about one-third, or nearly 20, of the aging library system’s branches being replaced or overhauled.
