Park Slope Library Now Open

The ribbon’s been cut, the speeches have been made, the baby iPads are in place, and the new and improved Park Slope Library is officially fired up and ready to lend.

Today at noon, Brooklyn Public Library President and CEO Linda E. Johnson presided over the big reveal — a ceremony which featured all the usual Brooklyn players. In attendance:

• Borough Prez Marty Markowitz, who made a bunch of book puns (“in two and a half stories, we have infinite stories!”)

• Assembly Member James Brennan, who distinguished himself by being the first speaker not to focus on the iPads

• City Councilmember Brad Lander, who won the prize, as he always does, for Most Earnestly Enthusiastic Speaker

• Commissioner of the Department of Design and Construction David Burney, who gave a delightfully detailed presentation on the physical renovations in his equally delightful English accent

And the consensus among them all? It’s a pretty great library. Which — even if you’re not an elected official brought in to say so — seems to be absolutely true. (Check out the full list of improvements here.)

The adults celebrated with age-appropriate speeches, press kits, and free cans of soda (open bar, library-style!).

The kids, though, got right down to business.

Celebrations continue tonight at 6:30, when legendary journalist/author/native Sloper Pete Hamill reads from his soon-to-be-released collection of Brooklyn stories, “The Christmas Kid.”

If you get a chance to swing by, report back and let us know what you think. Is it everything you hoped it’d be?