Brooklyn Children's Museum Library To Open This Year, BPL Says

CROWN HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN — A long-awaited move of the Brower Park library to the Brooklyn Children's Museum is on track to happen this year, starting with to-go service beginning next week, according to library officials.

The Brooklyn Public Library announced Thursday that grab-and-go library service will start at the children's museum on Monday, meaning patrons can pick up and return books at the Brooklyn Avenue museum. The library has only opened its branches for to-go service amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The service is the first step toward opening a new, full library in the Children's Museum that has been in the works for several years.

The library will replace the Brower Park branch, which closed late last year.

"We look forward to welcoming the community to their newest library in the fall of 2021,” BPL President Linda E. Johnson said. “In the meantime, we are thrilled to offer grab-and-go lobby service, so patrons can pick up library books, art supplies, and more. Start placing your holds, Crown Heights!”

The to-go service will be available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, according to the library.

The original Brower Park library sat a block and a half from its new spot in the museum.

The branch was in dire need of repairs, but would have cost nearly $9 million to renovate given the need for the library to buy the property from its private owners.

The new space in the children's museum will cost about the same to rent, but be slightly larger than the 6,000-square-foot original facility, library officials have said.

"The new branch in Brooklyn’s Children Museum will be a bright, modern and comfortable space and ensure an ongoing presence for the Library in the neighborhood," library officials said.

Thursday's announcement also came with news of a new "print-on-demand" service at ten library branches across the borough. The service will let patrons send documents from their own devices to be "released" at a BPL printer for pick-up.