Branch History
The first Rugby Branch opened in November of 1946 as a sub-branch in a modest rented store at 749 Linden Avenue with 7,000 volumes and a small staff supplemented with help from volunteers on the East Flatbush Council. In April of 1951, the branch was moved to a larger store at 875 Utica Avenue and the collection increased to 18,000 volumes. On April 1, 1957 the Rugby Branch opened its doors in a new red brick building at its present location with 25,000 volumes, the second library to be built under the Beame Plan, a series of budgetary management programs instituted by future-mayor Abraham Beame in the 1950s. It was the culmination of more than 10 years of work by neighborhood activists to establish an attractive, well-stocked library with materials to meet the needs of adults and children. The branch is just two blocks from The Jackie Robinson House, where the icon lived from 1947-1949 when he won Rookie of the Year.
When it opened in 1957, the interior of the branch was considered "the most colorful of any library in the metropolitan area - pale blue, yellow, gray, and black with modern furniture in bright scarlet, yellows, and blues." The branch has undergone several interior renovations in the following decades most recently from March 2017 - July 2021. One of the most attractive features is the beautiful Rochelle Tenner Reading Garden, newly renovated and named for one of the library’s most passionate and effective advocates. Another point of interest is the vibrant mural that greets patrons as they enter the branch. Commissioned by the library and executed by local Brooklyn artist, Hellbent, the mural is a renewal of the branch's original colorful promise.
The 2021 book, Call and Response : The Story of Black Lives Matter by Veronica Chambers with Jennifer Harlan was dedicated in part to "the librarians of the Rugby branch of the Brooklyn Public Library." Ms. Chambers grew up in the neighborhood surrounding the branch and describes her experiences at the library and with the librarians as truly formative.
A vital neighborhood resource, the Rugby Branch continues to work closely with the community as a meeting place, a refuge, and as an educational and cultural touchpoint for its patrons.
Did you know?
Rugby Library is home to the beautiful Rochelle Tenner Reading Garden, named for one of the library’s most passionate and effective advocates.