All BPL Presents programs at the Dr. S. Stevan Dweck Cultural Center at Central Library are free of charge (unless otherwise noted) and reservations are required for most adult programs. Patrons with reservations will be seated on a first-come, first-served basis. Unclaimed reservations will be released fifteen minutes before the start of an event; we recommend arriving early. Patrons without reservations will be seated as capacity allows.
Reservations can be made 24 hrs. a day, 7 days a week on our website by visiting the program’s calendar entry at bklynlibrary.org/bplpresents or by phone at 718.230.2200 (please see our phone reservation policy for hours and additional details). Reservations can be made up to approximately one hour before the scheduled program start time. The maximum number of seats that can be reserved per event is 3.
The Dweck Center is an accessible venue. To request additional information regarding accessibility or accommodations at the event, please contact BPLPresents@bklynlibrary.org.
Reservations for adult programs can be made with a BPL representative Monday-Friday from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm. For weekend events, reservations must be made by 4 pm on the Friday before the event takes place. Any reservations received after 4pm will not be processed. If leaving a message, please slowly and clearly state your first and last name, your phone number, the name and date of the program you would like to attend, and the number of seats you are requesting (maximum of 3).
Opening the Archives: Exploring the CBH Collection - Building Research
One of the most common research topics at CBH is Brooklyn’s buildings. Join us for a hands-on workshop in the Othmer Library, led by urban data historian Jeremy Lechtzin and CBH archives manager Dee Bowers. This session will introduce you to four key collections used for building…
Bridgett M. Davis Discusses Love, Rita with Deesha Philyaw
BPL Presents welcomes Bridgett M. Davis, who discusses a searing tribute of sisterhood and family, profound love and loss from the acclaimed author of The World According to Fannie Davis.
In Love, Rita Bridgett M. Davis tells the story of her beloved older sister Rita, who knew Bridgett…
CBH Talk | “Capitalism and Its Critics” with John Cassidy and Doug Henwood
In his new book, Capitalism and Its Critics: A History from the Industrial Revolution to AI, The New Yorker’s John Cassidy traces 200 years of global capitalism through the voices of its most insightful and influential critics. At a time when technology, climate change, inequality,…
Carnegie Hall Citywide: Emiliano Messiez
Latin Grammy Award–nominated pianist and composer Emiliano Messiez is one of the most sought-after tango musicians in the US. Originally from Buenos Aires, Messiez has performed at world-renowned venues including Lincoln Center, and has collaborated with icons like Paquito D’Rivera, John…
CBH Talk | Voices from the Past: Tracing Black Lineage and the Power of Genealogy
Being the narrators and experts of our own pasts comes with unique challenges for Black Americans. What we know about our families matters—and everyone deserves the ability to honor their ancestors’ stories.
CBH’s new exhibition, Trace/s, explores the crucial…
Joan C. Williams Discusses Outclassed with Gideon Lewis-Kraus
BPL Presents welcomes Joan C. Williams who discusses Outclassed: How the Left Lost the Working Class and How to Win Them Back with Gideon Lewis-Kraus.
Is there a single change that could simultaneously protect democracy, spur progress on climate change, enact sane gun policies, and improve…
Books & Brews: Ledia Xhoga Discusses Misinterpretation
Join us for an evening of books and brews with author Ledia Xhoga. The discussion and Q&A will center on Xhoga's Misinterpretation, a finalist for the 2024 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize.…
CBH Talk | Five Years After George Floyd: The Fight Today
On May 25, 2020, the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin stunned the nation and ignited a global uprising.
As we mark the fifth anniversary of that tragic day, CBH brings together three leading voices to examine the protests, their…
Miguel Ángel Hernández Discusses Anoxia
Join us for a discussion with author Miguel Ángel Hernández on his new book Anoxia (translated by Adrian Nathan West, Other Press, 2025). Hernández will be in conversation with award-winning journalist and writer Ana Vidal Egea. In this mesmerizing psychological novel, a strange job leads a…
Classical Interludes: Opera Essentia
Opera Essentia provides under-reached NYC communities with approachable performances in gardens, parks, libraries, churches, and other neighborhood gathering centers, for Free.
"The Queen's Heart" is a One-Hour Distillation of Handel's Radamisto (1720), created by Artistic Director and…
Environmental Injustice: Race, Class, and Toxic Inequality | The Path to Today
Join us for the first event in a three-part series exploring the intersection of racial inequality and the environment. Part 1 delves into the systemic roots of environmental racism and confronts a critical question: Why are communities of color and low-wealth populations…
Ruha Benjamin Discusses Race After Technology: BPL Book Prize at 10
In honor of the 10th year anniversary of the Brooklyn Public Library Book Prize, we've invited Ruha Benjamin back to the Dweck stage to discuss her 2020 prize-winning book Race After Technology and its pressing resonances with the recent explosion of artificial intelligence. Joining her in…
Deborah Baker Discusses Charlottesville
BPL Presents welcomes Deborah Baker, whose new book Charlottesville has been hailed as a “vivid account that … illuminates the evils half-hidden under a flickering torch” (Kirkus).
In August 2017, over a thousand members of the far-right descended on a small southern city to protest the…
Yrsa Daley-Ward Discusses The Catch with Zakiya Dalia Harris
BPL Presents welcomes Yrsa Daley-Ward who discusses The Catch—named one of the Most Anticipated Books of 2025 by TIME, Publishers Weekly, Lit Hub, We Are Bookish, and Book Riot—in conversation with Zakiya Dalia Harris.
Twin sisters Clara and Dempsey have always struggled to relate, their…
Elie Mystal Presents the 2025 Kahn Humanities Lecture
BPL Presents invites you to the 2025 Kahn Humanities Lecture with Elie Mystal—a legal scholar, author, and commentator.
A legal analyst for the storied Nation magazine, Mystal is a fellow at Type Media Center and a New York Times bestselling author of several books. In this unique talk…
Environmental Injustice: Race, Class, and Toxic Inequality | The Present Crisis
Join us for Part 2 of a three-part series exploring the intersection of racial inequality and the environment. This time we explore the situation today. Leaders from across the country share solutions to environmental crises within their communities and discuss a new urgent challenge…
Environmental Injustice: Race, Class, and Toxic Inequality | The Way Forward
The final program in this three-part series on the intersection of racial inequality and the environment looks ahead. Join us in imagining a future free from the race and class based divides that determine who is — and isn’t — protected from toxins, pollutants, flooding, and the…
Moozika!
Moozika! is singer-songwriter Jesse Goldman’s award-winning bilingual family music band and educational program based in Brooklyn. Named one of the top three “Absolute Best” kids’ music classes in NYC by New York Magazine, Moozika!’s playful Spanish - English tunes are powered by an ethos…
Arts & Culture Newsletter
Be the first to know about our finest literary and cultural programming. Sign up today!
Get Social with BPL Presents
