Adams Street Library, BK Public Library's 60th Branch, Opens

BROOKLYN, NY — DUMBO is now home to the Adams Street Library, the 60th branch of the Brooklyn Public Library and the library system's first new location since 1983.

Located on the ground floor of a historic manufacturing plant at 9 Adams Street, the library is the first to serve Vinegar Hill, DUMBO and Farragut, officials said in a news release.

It is over 6,500 square feet in size and contains flexible meeting rooms and programming space with modern technology. Its 15-foot windows offer views of the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges and downtown Manhattan, officials said.

The finished product is the result of "over dozens of meetings and charrettes with the community and other stakeholders," the news release said.

New York-based architecture firm WORK Architecture Company (WORKac) designed the library, and Shawmut Design & Construction built it.

A "bright, whimsical area" for children is the library's focal point. The building also includes an area for teens to gather, do homework or just hang out, officials said.

"We placed the children’s area at the heart of this project, because they are who draw a community together," Amale Andraos, a principal at WORKac, said.

The library's design also includes a nod to its neighborhood, as it features two massive murals that reflect the historic supergraphs across old manufacturing plants and warehouses in DUMBO, the news release said.

"The neighborhood is both new and old," said Dan Wood, Andraos' partner and another principal at WORKac. "And our design plays with that, combining very contemporary shapes and spaces with the existing, patinated brick and exposed timber ceilings."

Community members will find a host of programming at the library — upcoming events include bilingual Drag Queen Story Hour, virtual knitting and crocheting groups, and a performance by Moozika! singer-songwriter Jesse Goldman's bilingual family music band.

It will also provide public services such as language, reading and digital literacy classes, family programs, computer and wifi access and business and career services, State Sten. Brian Kavanagh said.

Funding for the project, which cost $7.2 million, came from Mayor Bill de Blasio, Council Member Stephen Levin and the New York State Education Department, along with proceeds from the redevelopment of Brooklyn Heights Library, officials said.

Linda E. Johnson, president and CEO of Brooklyn Public Library, called the finished product "a model for all public libraries in the decades to come," and Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez said it is an "exciting new addition" to DUMBO.

"I am thrilled for the grand opening of the new state-of-the-art Adams Street library, which I have no doubt will quickly become a community staple," Velázquez said. "A space for New Yorkers of all ages to enjoy a good book and gather, Adams Street is an exciting new addition to the DUMBO neighborhood and will serve locals and visitors alike for many years to come."