Neighbors in Red Hook are concerned about the library’s lack of alternatives to continue regular programming for children and seniors after it closes for renovations.
Photo credit: Ximena del Cerro
Bookworms in Red Hook are outraged by plans to close their local library branch for two years.
Librarians and elected officials meet and discuss with community members renovation plan However, it faced complaints from nearby residents about the lack of alternative space and availability to continue the library’s regular programming during the closure.
Construction is scheduled to start on March 17th and end in early 2025.
Library staff has arranged for some branch operations to continue on a reduced schedule at various nearby locations during the first few months of the closure, but plans are expected to change after that.
Storytime, typically held every other Friday at 11 a.m., is held at the Red Hook Initiative Community Center on the corner of Hicks Street and West Ninth Street. Craft hours are held once a week at Pioneer Works, 159 Pioneer St. Resume and cover letter support sessions will be held at the Senior Center located at 120 W Ninth St.
Librarians will also visit local schools and interact with students.
called the book truck bookmobileEquipped with 6,000 books, a Techmobile, five desk computers and a spare laptop, it rotates out of the library every other Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“Five hours every other week is not enough in an area with more than 8,000 residents in development alone,” said Karen Blondell, Red Hook West Homes Community President. “It’s unfair. Other places like Sunset Park had brick-and-mortar spaces to make up for the closures. And this doesn’t happen across Columbus Street or in Park Slope.”
The library loaned out 129 laptops and an equal number of hotspots to members last December, and they don’t have to return them until September.
“There’s a lot of other space that could be utilized,” says Carolina Salguero, founder and executive director of the maritime nonprofit Portside New York. “
State Sen. Andrew Gounardes and Rep. Alexa Aviles attended part of the meeting and responded to requests from constituents.
“There’s nothing here in Red Hook,” says Vanessa McKnight, leader of the Red Hook Initiative. “We need a written commitment, signed by city councilors and senators, that guarantees substantive steps so that children no longer have to be told they can’t read.”
Residents’ other concerns include the lack of street lights around the building, which could pose a safety hazard once construction begins.
Another meeting will be held to gather new information about local residents’ concerns before the museum closes.
“This is a work in progress and we have to try to make it work organically,” said Nuris Pimentel, the library’s lending specialist, adding that all staff members will continue to work in other branches and nearby areas. , promised participants what they would provide to the community. Use the services normally available at reading hubs.
a library designed for 2025
Although the Red Hook Public Library has been renovated twice since it opened in 1915, the space “still looks like it did in 1982,” said Pimentel, who grew up in the neighborhood.
Architects David Leven and Stella Betts, founders of the firm responsible for the project, unveiled designs for the library’s new face, interior and functionality.
The building aims to have net zero emissions and is equipped with solar panels that can eventually power the energy grid in the event of a surplus of energy.
The architects emphasized their vision of achieving a stronger connection between the community and its neighbourhood, so that passersby can look inside from the street to the library and admire the gardens, which are now accessible from inside. I’m thinking of doing that. library. Windows open to the south and west and cover the walls of the building at waist height, with bookshelves lined below.
The entrance will be relocated to the corner of Wolcott Street and Dwight Street, surrounded by a curved line with plants and benches in place of the current fence. There is also an outdoor waiting area at the back of the garden.
The new building includes a children’s room, teen space, multipurpose meeting room and more bathrooms.
Renovations to the library were scheduled to begin in 2020 after Hurricane Sandy devastated the entire region, but the project was delayed due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The new space will be surrounded by a water wall and have an elevated floor to avoid future flooding. The ceiling height is also 4 feet higher.
For more information about Red Hook, visit BrooklynPaper.com.
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