Annual Report Fiscal Year 2020 Contents
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Annual Report Fiscal Year 2020 Contents Letter from the President & CEO and Chair .............................................................. 2 Events in Review .............................................................................................................. 3 Books & Collections ........................................................................................................ 4 Arts & Culture .................................................................................................................... 8 Environmental Awareness ........................................................................................... 12 Community Outreach .................................................................................................... 16 Youth & Families ............................................................................................................. 20 Financial Overview ........................................................................................................ 24 Donors .............................................................................................................................. 27 Mission & Vision Statement It is the mission of Brooklyn Public Library to ensure the preservation and transmission of society’s knowledge, history and culture, and to provide the people of Brooklyn with free and open access to information for education, recreation and reference. It is our vision that Brooklyn Public Library will be a vital center of knowledge for all, accessible 24 hours a day, and will be a leader in traditional and innovative library services which reflect the diverse and dynamic spirit of the people of Brooklyn. STORYTIME AT BEDFORD LIBRARY BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY ANNUAL REPORT FY ’20 1 Letter from the Events in Review President & CEO and Chair Despite the many challenges learned how to deliver effective this year brought, the public health programs on everything library remained one of the most from nutrition to positive aging. trusted and democratic institutions in America. Before and after the Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic pandemic transformed our city, drastically shifted how we delivered Brooklyn Public Library continued all of our services. In March, we to ensure that our patrons—from were forced to close our doors for two-month-olds to nonagenar- the first time in our 124-year history ians—have the resources they and adapted, with extraordinary need to participate in our society. speed and resiliency, into a digital institution. We dramatically expanded This year, BPL librarians, staff, our collection of e-materials and patrons and partners posed began producing thousands of virtual important questions about the programs from homework help for LINDA E. JOHNSON historical forces that have shaped remote students to personalized that society. We observed the 400th job assistance for those who found anniversary of the arrival of enslaved themselves suddenly unemployed. In PowerUP! is one Africans to Virginia with ‘Til Victory an average week, more than 11,000 of the few funding and is Won, a teach-in that examined children tuned into virtual storytimes sources where you freedom movements and liberation in English, Spanish, Urdu and Tibetan. are educated and strategies that span centuries. We WIN $20,000 announced a plan to form the Center Even in the face of unprecedented counseled as part for Brooklyn History, which will isolation, with the steadfast support of the process. JENNIFER THREAT to a chance Want dreams? business your on ground break make the largest archive of Brooklyn of our donors, trustees, elected Double Dutch Magazine PowerUP! Winner 2016 history in the world accessible to officials and volunteers, Brooklyn Lead Sponsor JACLYN CARTER everyone in our borough. As part Public Library carried on doing the Love Jac, PowerUP! Winner 2011 JAMILA MCGILL & ALFONSO WRIGHT of the 28th Amendment project, we work we’ve always done: sustaining Brooklyn Tea, PowerUP! Winner 2018 Brooklyn, NY 11238 bklynlibrary.org 10 Grand Army Plaza distributed 35,000 copies of the U.S. our city’s sense of community Constitution in English and Spanish and continuity; ensuring we and gathered readers to discuss remember our past and, together, SUSAN MARCINEK our country’s founding ideals and build a truly democratic future. how we might finally realize them. Very truly, Librarians know that if we under- stand our shared history, we’ll be that much better equipped to build a more equitable, more sustainable future. BPL launched environmental Linda E. Johnson education initiatives such as Climate President & CEO Wednesdays, a monthly series of talks by experts and activists, and the Garden Adventures Club, which empowers school-age children with gardening skills. We hosted the first Healthy Communities Susan Marcinek Conference, where library staff Chair, Board of Trustees 2 BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY ANNUAL REPORT FY ’20 3 Books & Collections BOOKMATCH TEEN: RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TEENS, BY TEENS 4 BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY ANNUAL REPORT FY ’20 5 BOOKS & COLLECTIONS by the Peck Stacpoole Foundation, THE CENTER FOR with additional support from City BROOKLYN HISTORY Point. The winning books—Tressie McMillan Cottom’s Thick: And Other Essays and Miriam Toews’ Women Talking—were honored at BPL’s annual fall fundraising The collection is the heart of any event, the Brooklyn Classic. This year, the Library expanded its collection with a special focus on library system, and this year, the borough’s history. In February, BPL announced that it had digitized nearly 1,000 New York City high school newspaper issues spanning Brooklyn Public Library was proud from 1853 to 1994. Several famous Brooklynites appear in the publi- poems and reporting, students “Brooklyn Historical Society and cations, including Shirley Chisholm share the news of their school and Brooklyn Public Library are both (Girls High), Bobby Fischer (Erasmus beyond, covering important events educational institutions dedicated to to announce an historic expansion Hall High School), Janet Yellen (Fort including the assassination of John helping individuals build a sense of Hamilton High School) and Bernie F. Kennedy and interviewing the self, a sense of place and a sense of Sanders (James Madison High most significant figures of the time, community. Together our institutions School). The newspaper archive including Martin Luther King.” hold important collections of as well as newsworthy additions can be searched by keyword and is material, manuscripts, and artifacts, accessible to all via the BPL website. In February, Brooklyn Public Library vital to our shared history that we are committed to making accessible to everyone,” said Brooklyn Public and celebratory milestones. “I always advise people never to mess with Library President and CEO Linda E. Johnson. “I’m thrilled this partnership librarians. They are as feisty and formidable will provide a new level of care and interpretation of our own as they are brilliant and generous. They are collections, and that we will greatly expand access to this combined warriors for our public knowledge, nurturers of archive through our far-reaching networks and library branches.” In honor of BookMatch’s fifth literature and insight into the chang- brilliant and generous. They are our imaginations and organizers of our intellect.” anniversary, the Library hosted ing tastes of library patrons to select warriors for our public knowledge, When the Library closed its physical Dr. Tressie McMillan cottoM, author and Brooklyn PuBlic liBrary literary Prize winner an end-of-summer party fit for the the nominees, and the Prize is one nurturers of our imaginations locations due to COVID-19, staff readers’ advisory service. Patrons of only a few major literary awards and organizers of our intellect,” brainstormed ways to connect were invited to Central Library to bestowed by a public library system. said nonfiction award-winner Brooklynites with BPL’s digital receive on-the-spot, personalized Dr. Tressie McMillan Cottom. “We are delighted to be able to and Brooklyn Historical Society collection. The Library revamped booklists from expert BookMatch “I always advise people never to share this archive with public,” said announced a plan to combine the its website to spotlight BPL’s librarians. Plus, the BookMatch mess with librarians. They are as The Brooklyn Public Library Literary Natiba Guy-Clement, Assistant institutions to form the Center for digital library card, eBooks and Teen team was stationed in Central feisty and formidable as they are Prize was generously underwritten Director of Collections and Public Brooklyn History. The Library will audiobooks, subscriptions and Library’s Youth Wing to recommend Service. “In essays, interviews, serve as the parent institution, taking online learning resources. BPL great reads to their peers. BOOKMATCH TEEN on responsibility for stewarding also dedicated funding to greatly the Historical Society’s landmark expand its digital collections; since In the fall, the Library celebrated the home, holdings and programming, March 2020, e-checkouts of fifth anniversary of the Brooklyn providing access and awareness to children’s materials nearly tripled, Public Library Literary Prize. The a broad public through its 59 library and e-checkouts of young adult Library’s young supporters group, branches in every neighborhood in materials increased by 80%. Always the Brooklyn Eagles, established the the borough, 650,000 cardholders forward-thinking, the Library