Brooklyn Public Library Named “Tech Mission Org of the Year” at Technical.ly Brooklyn Innovation Awards

Award recognizes BPL’s “impact on inclusivity, education or access in STEM”

Brooklyn, NY—Brooklyn Public Library was named Tech Mission Org of the Year at last night’s first-ever Technical.ly Brooklyn Innovation Awards, the Library announced today. BPL won recognition for having “had the biggest impact on inclusivity, education or access in STEM.”

The Innovation Awards celebrate “the smartest people in and around Brooklyn tech, entrepreneurship and new thinking.” The public voted online to select winners in 12 award categories.

“Brooklyn Public Library’s staff and volunteers provide creative, educational STEM programs to young people of all ages and to the adults who teach them,” said BPL Chief Librarian Lisa Rosenblum, who accepted the award. “We’re proud to receive this honor and we thank all of the individuals and organizations who are harnessing the power of technology to make Brooklyn a more innovative and equitable borough.”

BPL hosts STEM programming for children and young people of all ages, including:

  • Summer Science Club programs, in which participants explore the science of light, color, astronomy, anatomy, circuitry, machinery and more.
  • Library Lab, in which the library and its many free resources are utilized to teach children 6-10 the basic methods of scientific inquiry.
  • Inclusive gaming and technology programs, and an active garden club, at the Child’s Place for Children with Special Needs.
  • The Brooklyn Cultural Adventures Program (BCAP), an award-winning summer day camp at which participants explore Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Children's Museum, Prospect Park and Prospect Park Zoo. Students are introduced to zoology, botany, aerodynamics, rocketry, environmental conservation and more.
  • BCAPteen, a summer program with a curriculum that focuses on new media, communications and leadership.
  • Teen Tech Time, in which teens can play games and socialize while using the latest technology and exploring their interests in filmmaking, sound recording and more.
  • Today’s Teens, Tomorrow’s Techies, a program that teaches digital skills to students 14 to 18 and prepares them for volunteer positions at BPL, where they help patrons make use of the Library’s many free technology resources.

The Library also provides STEM resources for educators, including the Teacher Lab, a series of seminars that introduce teachers to the Library’s digital and other free resources; MyLibraryNYC, with its STEM-centric teaching kits; and professional development workshops like AppsForImpact, which helps educators incorporate apps into the classroom.

Brooklyn Public Library offers free access to technology to Brooklynites from all walks of life. BPL is one of the borough’s largest providers of free wireless internet access, and its 60 branches boast more than 1,100 computers for public use. The Library hosted more than 4,300 tech classes and workshops last year, and each branch is home to at least one technology resource specialist who assists patrons with technology-related questions. Last year, BPL lent more than 2,000 mobile internet devices through the Library HotSpot program. Library card holders have access to a wide range of free electronic resources, including lynda.com, Learning Express Library and Metrix Learning System.

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About Brooklyn Public Library

Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) is an independent library system for the 2.5 million residents of Brooklyn. It is the fifth largest library system in the United States with 60 neighborhood libraries located throughout the borough. BPL offers free programs and services for all ages and stages of life, including a large selection of books in more than 30 languages, author talks, literacy programs and public computers. BPL’s eResources, such as eBooks and eVideos, catalog information and free homework help, are available to customers of all ages 24 hours a day at our website: www.bklynlibrary.org.