Council Member Brad Lander, Brooklyn Public Library Open Park Slope Branch’s Reading Circle and Storytelling Garden

Council Member Lander Announces Recipients of 2017 Participatory Budgeting Funds

Brooklyn, NY—Council Member Brad Lander joined Brooklyn Public Library on Saturday to celebrate the opening of Park Slope Library’s reading circle and storytelling garden, which features a storytelling amphitheater, community garden, paths, planters and other improvements funded through the participatory budgeting process. The garden was proposed by the Friends of Park Slope Library, supported by participatory budgeting (PBNYC) volunteer budget delegates, and selected in the PBNYC vote process by voters in Council Member Lander’s district.

“The Park Slope Library reading circle/storytelling garden is a joyful new public space for kids and families to read, dream, play, learn, create, perform, garden and share stories,” said Council Member Brad Lander. “When Andrew Carnegie challenged the people of Brooklyn to become stewards of our public libraries, more than a century ago, this is exactly what he had in mind. It never would have happened with the leadership of Friends of Park Slope Library, the support of the Brooklyn Public Library, and the creativity made possible through participatory budgeting."

“The opening of the reading circle and storytelling garden at Park Slope Library begins a new chapter at a branch that has been one of Brooklyn’s busiest and most beautiful for more than 100 years,” said Brooklyn Public Library President and CEO Linda E. Johnson. “We thank Council Member Lander, the Friends of Park Slope Library and the Department of Design and Construction for helping us create a space that is ideal for children to learn, play and explore the natural environment. We encourage patrons to enjoy the garden by attending an event, taking in a performance or simply relaxing outside with a good book.”

The project’s design was completed by the city’s Department of Design and Construction, which will managed its construction. Its features include the story telling circles with amphitheater-style seating walls, native plantings, cedar planting boxes for children’s gardening, a gravel pathway leading to the front entrance of the branch, a sitting area for seniors, lighting and a security camera.

“The garden is an important resource for the community, as it promotes healthy living and serves as an area for neighbors to gather in a place connected with learning and community,” said DDC Commissioner Feniosky Peña-Mora. “This project provides the library with 3,700-square-feet of new outdoor space complete with permanent seating and a story time circle for children, as well as planters that will serve a sustainable community sponsored edible gardening program. I’m excited to see how it will serve the neighborhood.”

DDC also designed and constructed the branch’s interior renovation in 2012, including ADA and HVAC improvements, new reading spaces and a multipurpose room that can be reserved by patrons online.

After the ribbon-cutting, Council Member Lander announced the projects that will be awarded PBNYC funding in 2017. In Council Member Brad Lander’s District, this includes both capital ($1.5 million) and expense ($50,000) projects. Voting was between March 25 and April 2nd with a record turnout of over 7,000 votes cast.

Projects being funded range from mobile showers for homeless neighbors through CHiPs, a FabLab for MS 442, A/C for PS230’s cafeteria, and more. All winning projects can be seen here.

Pending approval by the city’s Public Design Commission and Landmarks Preservation Commission, the garden will also be home to a statue of beloved children’s book character Knuffle Bunny, the creation of author Mo Willems. The statue will be funded by the Friends of Park Slope Library, which will also support programming in the garden.

#          #          #

 

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.

About the Participatory Budgeting Process

Participatory Budgeting is a yearlong process that depends from start to finish on the participation of you and your neighbors. The first step each year is a series of “neighborhood assemblies” where residents come together to brainstorm and share ideas for needed projects. After ideas are presented, volunteers research each idea, including costs and specifics of every proposed project. Details of the suggested projects are reviewed, finalized, and presented at the Participatory Budgeting Expo in the weeks before the vote. Finally, residents from across the district come out to vote for their favorite projects, and together we collectively decide which of the proposed projects will get funded. In Council Member Brad Lander’s District, this includes both capital ($1.5 million) and expense ($50,000) projects.