Brooklyn Library Re-opens Following $2 Million Renovation

Photo by Kelly Shimoda for the New York Times

Link to June 20 New York Times article.

Excerpt:

The Macon branch of the Brooklyn Public Library, one of 18 Brooklyn libraries that opened between 1901 and 1923 through the support of the steel magnate Andrew Carnegie, reopened on Thursday after a two-year, $2 million renovation.

The library, a two-story, neoclassical building at 361 Lewis Avenue with fireplaces, oak paneling, alcoves and wooden benches, opened on July 15, 1907, in a ceremony that drew about 2,000 visitors, according to the library’s records. The Macon branch provided nearly continuous service over the past century to Bedford-Stuyvesant.

The library had been renovated twice in the past: 1947-48 and 1973-77. The latest renovation includes an African-American Heritage Center, an area for infants and preschoolers, and self-check service.

Related websites.

History of Andrew Carnegie and Carnegie Libraries

Carnegie Libraries in Wisconsin by our very own Library History Buff Larry Nix.

The Library History Buff takes a look at the oldest of Wisconsin's 63 Carnegie libraries.

Brooklyn (NY) Public Library's homepage.