Free Black Women's Library Finds Permanent Storefront In Bed-Stuy

BED-STUY, BROOKLYN — A traveling library that has spent months searching for a permanent location in Bed-Stuy has finally found a home in the neighborhood.

The Free Black Women's Library will set up shop this spring in a storefront on Marcus Garvey Boulevard, creating a home for its nearly 5,000-book collection by Black women authors after setting up shop in parks, museums and other pop-up locations for six years.

The brick and mortar location, first reported by BK Reader, comes months after founder Olaronke Akinmowo raised more than $117,000 in a GoFundMe for the idea and a long road through the Bed-Stuy real estate market, she said.

"I found this place after looking at almost 100 other spaces, being scammed and being left hanging," Akinmowo told Patch. "It feels really scary and intimidating, but also really exciting. I think it’s going to be a really powerful space for the Bed-Stuy community to enjoy."

The space, hopefully opening this spring, will be outfitted with shelves, seating, a backyard herb garden and, most importantly, the books.

Before finding a permanent space, the nearly 5,000 books in the Free Black Women's Library collection have been kept either in storage or at Akinmowo's apartment.

Bringing them to the public at various pop-up locations would mean lugging boxes of books in an Uber and then unpacking and repacking them throughout the borough.

Once it's set up, the Marcus Garvey Boulevard reading room will be open to anyone who wants to visit, whether to peruse the collections, or just hang out, Akinmowo said. The storefront will also serve as a home for the various workshops the library runs, including kids story times, teen reading groups, author talks or film screenings.

"It’s basically going to be a community space, a literary hub, a creative coworking space — just a space for people to use in any way that feels good for them," Akinmowo said. "...I’m hoping it will be an asset to the community and a space that makes the community feel welcome, and affirmed, and honored."

In the meantime, Akinmowo will tackle the extensive renovations to the storefront, which includes about $40,000 worth of renovations, including a new heating and cooling system, a new floor and wheelchair accessibility upgrades.

Admittedly intimidated by the amount of work, Akinmowo, an artist by trade, said neighbors with architectural or construction knowledge are welcome to reach out with ideas or help,. Neighbors can also contact her if they're interested in volunteering once the library opens, Akinmowo said.

But even with through the difficulties, Akinmowo is looking forward to the reading room becoming a reality.

"I’ve been dreaming about this for years to have it happening is really deep it goes to show that...when you have an idea, it can become real when you’re willing to do the work," she said. "I’m just doing the work."

To find out more about the Free Black Women's Library or to reach out to Akinmowo, click here. To support the project with a $2 or $5 monthly subscription, check out their Patreon.