Mill Basin Library Reopens Delighting Old And Young (PHOTOS+VIDEO)

MILL BASIN – The library this morning was packed. Seniors, children from the local public school, politicians and the Brooklyn Public Library administrators all milled around enjoying the bright and pleasant space.

As you enter, you are greeted by the reception desk. To the left is the children’s area, with child-sized furniture, books, of course, as well as large tablets and a number of computer stations.

There is a meeting room in the back, and a full calendar of programs for children and grownups lined up for February.

Every Tuesday at 10:30 is toddler time, welcoming those between 18 months and 3 years, along with a caregiver, and on Fridays, the library has programming for the under 18-month crowd – excellent news for any caregiver in winter. Check their calendar for an up to date schedule.

To the right of the reception desk, is a large and airy space with communal tables, computer stations, a wall of periodicals and books, and CDs one can borrow.

There is a wall of SAT and other study help books.

There is the section on mysteries, while on the opposite wall a prominent call to conversation:

The library opened in 1974, thanks to the determination of a Mill Basin neighbor, Dorothy Russo, even though the origins of the library in Mill Basin can be traced to 1940 as a deposit station at the Austin Pharmacy. It closed in late summer of 2016 after the air conditioning failed completely.

Brooklyn Public Library is in the process of updating aging infrastructure system-wide, and over a third of the libraries in the BPL system are either undergoing or about to undergo revitalization projects, officials said. We wrote previously about plans for the children’s library at Midwood Library and the failing air conditioning at the Flatbush branch. Libraries are used by the city as cooling centers during the hot summer months, these investments cannot come soon enough.

While the HVAC was being replaced, the branch also got new tables, chairs, and shelving. A coat of paint and everything looked lovely under the bright lights, especially the modern children’s area.

We are thrilled to return to Mill Basin Library,” said Linda Johnson, President and CEO of Brooklyn Public Library, who could not hide her delight at how well everything had come together. “With a refreshment and new HVAC system, our patrons now have a bright modern space to meet, study and learn. We thank Councilman Alan Maisel and City of New York for supporting this project.”

“This is not your grandmother’s or grandfather’s library”, Council Member Alan Maisel said. “This is a place where people from our community and other communities go to take care of a lot of things – job hunting and – not everyone has a computer so this library is so important and I am so glad that I could be part of the effort to restore it to its original glory”.  He was later presented with Thank You boards by the PS 236 students.

The New York City Department of Design and Construction oversaw and managed the replacement of the HVAC system.

You can hear who said what exactly by watching the whole event: