New Teen Space Planned for Carroll Gardens Library

The current teen space at the Carroll Gardens Library. Photos by John V. Santore

CARROLL GARDENS, BROOKLYN — The teen section of the Carroll Gardens Library is about to get a major makeover, thanks to hundreds of community members who came out to vote this year during Participatory Budgeting Week.

Councilman Brad Lander — whose district includes parts of Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill and Borough Park — announced Thursday that more than 1,300 residents voted to fund the $350,000 participatory budgeting project.

The library is one of only three in the Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) system with an area dedicated specifically to teens.

Still, the current space consists of little more than a table surrounded by its young adult book collection.

John Leighton, who manages the library, said Friday that new funds will mean big changes to come.

Library manager John Leighton in the current teen space

Between 75 and 100 teens crowd into the library's current teen space during a typical month, Leighton said, usually stopping by after school.

But the librarian wants the space to be a much more welcoming and action-packed place.

As part of the construction project, which likely won't be completed until 2017, new carpeting and electrical outlets will be installed, and the area's lighting will be improved, he said.

Unused shelving will be removed, Leighton said, and ergonomic furniture will be brought in — making the teen area "a place where you could lay back" and talk.

Unused shelves will be removed, according to Leighton

Leighton said most of the library's teen-oriented programming currently takes place in the building's auditorium. However, with these new funds available, he hopes to start housing some of it in the remodeled teen area instead — including story telling open mics and computer classes taught on the library's new, interactive "smart board."

"There's a lot of things we can do when we have a space that invites [teens]," he said.

New furniture will be installed, according to Leighton

Sound a bit noisy? Too bad, Leighton said. "Teens have a right to use the library as much as anyone else does."

On Friday, two sixth graders, Sofia and Brooklynn (with an extra "n," she clarified), perused the books in the current teen section.

Sofia said she would like a place where kids could display books they recommend to others, while Brooklynn asked for "maybe a little more space" in between the shelves. "It seems so secluded," she said, looking around.

Both said that while they're huge library fans as is, they'll definitely spend more time at Carroll Gardens once it's remodeled.

And one more piece of good news: Another $24,000 in participatory budgeting funds will go toward an after-hours book drop. So feel free to start doing more late-night reading.