Ditmas Park and Flatbush Libraries to Get iPads, Gaming Equipment and More

DITMAS PARK and FLATBUSH, BROOKLYN — Every branch in Brooklyn's library system is in the process of receiving a host of new technology courtesy of $3 million in state funding, the Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) announced this week.

The funds came from the state's Economic Development Capital Program, and was locked down in the budget by Brooklyn's Assembly members, including Joe Lentol, James Brennan, Félix W. Ortiz and Annette Robinson.

It's been used for an equipment list designed to compliment library programming, according to the BPL, including video game consoles like Nintendo Wiis and Xboxes, portable public address systems, iPad Airs, MacBook Pros, Windows laptops, flatscreen TVs, and littleBits robotics kits.

All of the new goodies will be delivered to their branches by the end of the year, according to the BPL — though it's not yet clear which branches have received what. (Patch has reached out to the BPL, and we'll update this post when we learn more.)

But what does the new tech mean in practice? Roxana Benavides, the head librarian at the Sunset Park Library, is already busy putting it to use.

On Thursday, Benavides explained how her staff will use the equipment they've received to better conduct current programs and start new ones. (Another note: Benavides had also received equipment not on the above list. We're trying to figure out if different equipment will head to different branches, and again, we'll update this post with more information when it's received.)

The littleBits kits will allow students to build working circuits and robots, she said, while the new two new PA speakers will help library patrons enjoy programs and classes, such as salsa and meringue dances for seniors.

A new digital camera will be used to document the library's work and could make a photography class possible, Benavides said, while cell phone-mounted microphones could be applied to a podcasting workshop.

A new Wii U video game console is useful too, she said, and will be used in a tween and teen-friendly program space that also features literacy exercises. And when the branch's iPads arrive, Benavides said she hopes parents will be able to use them for story time with their kids.

The packed-to-the-brim Sunset Park Library is one of the busiest branches in Brooklyn, a central reason why Benavides is backing a plan to rebuild it inside a new affordable housing development (a proposal that remains controversial, but which is moving forward).

The library is routinely filled with immigrant families, many of whom are still learning English.

That's one of the reasons why library programming, and tech-oriented programs in particular, are so important at the branch, explained Benavides, who is herself an immigrant from El Salvador.

People who come to the library to use its wifi, computers, or other equipment "might not be able to afford it at home," or might not be able to effectively use it because of language gaps, she said. "That's where we step in."

Pictured at top: Sunset Park Library head librarian Roxana Benavides stands next to the library's new technology. Photo by John V. Santore