Park Slope Library Unveils New Reading Circle And Storytelling Garden

On Saturday, Council Member Brad Lander hosted a ribbon-cutting for the Park Slope Library’s new reading circle and storytelling telling garden at the 431 6th Avenue branch.

Located in the gated green space overlooking 9th Street, the oasis boasts a storytelling amphitheater, community garden, paths, planters and other improvements to the garden that were funded through participatory budgeting.

The Friends of Park Slope Library proposed the garden in the 2015 participatory budgeting voting process and the project was ultimately funded in the 2016 fiscal cycle, managed by NYC Department of Design and Construction.

Following the ribbon-cutting, Lander announced the winning projects of this year’s participatory budgeting voting process. Seven project will share $1.5 million (for capital projects) and five projects will split $50,000 (for expense/programming projects).

The Park Slope Library is waiting on the NYC Public Design and Landmarks Preservation Commissions to approve a statue of Knuffle Bunny, a character from a series of popular children’s books by Mo Willems. If given the okay, the bunny statue will be funded by the Friends of Park Slope Library and will stand guard in the garden.