BOROUGHWIDE — Uncertainty and change may have dominated this year’s headlines, yet Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) remained a safe, reliable place for connection and discovery throughout, welcoming people from all walks of life to read, explore, learn and recharge in our 60+ branches across the borough.
In 2025, we hosted author talks with Elvis Costello, Art Spiegelman and Jacqueline Woodson; danced with DJ Max Glazer on Central Library’s Plaza; stayed up late at the annual Night in the Library; cheered on the 14 branches competing in our annual robotics tournament; and offered essential skills and services to the public through free classes, workshops and programs.
Brooklynites made the most of their library cards. Patrons checked out items from the collection nearly six million times, including over 8,000 objects from our Library of Things. These include vinyl records, board games, DIY tools, telescopes and musical instruments.
Arts and Culture Library. Photo: Gregg Richards
Patrons also reserved over 100,000 museum passes through Culture Pass, the program that offers New York City library cardholders free entry to 100 museums and attractions. In all, since the program launched in 2018, half a million New Yorkers have reserved a pass.
Here are our top moments of 2025:
We opened the Library for Arts & Culture (LAC)
In January, we opened Brooklyn’s first library dedicated to the arts. By day, the space is packed with patrons working or enjoying the collection of music, plays, graphic novels, art books and magazines. In the evenings, visitors enjoy panels featuring music industry insiders, oral history workshops, live performances, writing circles, storytelling and more.
Bedford branch reopening. Photo: Gregg RichardsWe expanded Sunday library service
We proudly expanded Sunday service alongside our partners at The New York and Queens Public Libraries, thanks in part to a $2 million investment championed by Speaker Adrienne Adams and the New York City Council. Additional weekend hours support the Library’s most important mission: to provide equitable, convenient access to opportunity to all who seek it.
We celebrated 20 years of Teen Techies
When Teen Techies started in 2005, we could not have imagined the giant leaps technology would take, from the proliferation of social media and smartphones to cloud computing and artificial intelligence. Nor could we have imagined how the program would take off. More than 2,000 teens have participated, providing 20,000 hours of service to the Library through this one-of-a-kind internship program. Classes have evolved with the times, yet the core of Teen Techies remains: helping young people discover their passions, learn tech skills, make new friends and build a lifelong love of learning.
Moomins event. Photo: Gregg RichardsWe welcomed the Moomins to Brooklyn
This past summer, we opened the first-ever U.S. exhibition dedicated to Tove Jansson, the beloved Finnish artist, author and creator of the Moomins. Through illustrations, rare ephemera and special programming, “The Door Is Always Open” shared the enduring magic of Moominvalley, and its visionary creator, with patrons of all ages.
Jansson’s books and stories, which have been translated into over 60 languages, focus on the power of imagination and the value of friendship, safety and belonging — themes that are central to how the Library operates every day.
NY Liberty library card. Photo: Gregg RichardsWe introduced a new library card (and it was a slam dunk!)
We kicked off Summer at the Library 2025 with a special-edition library card celebrating the New York Liberty, our hometown team and the 2024 WNBA champions, along with their mascot Ellie the Elephant. And Jonquel Jones — New York Liberty center and 2024 WNBA Finals MVP — made a special appearance at Crown Heights Library, bringing book lovers and basketball fans together for an unforgettable storytime.
Edwin Maxwell. Photo: Gregg RichardsWe welcomed a new chief librarian
This fall, Edwin Maxwell assumed the role of chief librarian. A nearly 20-year BPL veteran — most recently serving as director of neighborhood services — Maxwell is deeply committed to improving the lives of Brooklynites and ensuring that the Library remains a trusted community anchor. To introduce himself to the public, Maxwell compiled a list of his favorite items from our collections (books, vinyl records, board games and more), all items available to check out with a library card.
Photo: Gregg RichardsWe traced history
The Center for Brooklyn History (CBH) presented “Trace/s: Family History Research and the Legacy of Slavery in Brooklyn,” an in-depth exhibition exploring the pervasive impact of slavery on Brooklyn’s past and present.
The show centered on large-scale portraits that reflected two family histories: Brooklynite Mildred Jones, the living great-great-granddaughter of Samuel Anderson, who was born enslaved in Flatbush, and John A. Lott, the nephew of Jeremiah Lott, to whom Anderson was enslaved. The portrait of Mildred Jones by artist Rusty Zimmerman was commissioned last year by CBH, while the John A. Lott portrait was painted by Thomas Martin Jensen in 1880.
The New York Times reported that the show was built on fresh research from the CBH collections and “on the dogged efforts of amateur genealogists and family historians to track down people whose lives may have been only fleetingly recorded.”
Bedford branch reopening. Photo: Gregg RichardsWe renovated beloved branches
After a long closure to repair and renovate, we welcomed Brooklynites back to Bedford Library, BPL’s founding branch. Bedford first opened in 1897 in the old P.S. 3 building and moved several times before settling into its current location on Franklin Avenue in 1905.
During the multi-year renovation, the branch was equipped with environmentally friendly features, including a new HVAC system that will help save energy — equivalent to charging 3.2 million smartphones — and ensure that the branch will be able to service the community long into the future.
We also welcomed patrons back to Clarendon, Leonard, Ryder and Gerritsen Beach Libraries, all of which were refreshed and improved.
George Takei. Photo: Gregg RichardsWe fought against book bans
The viral Books Unbanned campaign founded by Brooklyn Public Library in 2022 reached a new milestone this year. Cardholders have now checked out over one million books across the Books Unbanned coalition, which includes Long Beach, Boston, Seattle, San Diego and LA County Libraries.
The coalition continues to expand (with Long Beach Library joining this past year), providing teens and young people more points of access to the books they want to read. And during Banned Books Week, we welcomed George Takei to Central Library. The beloved actor, activist and writer, whose books have also been banned, inspired New Yorkers to continue to fight for the freedom to read, from all points of view.
Photo courtesy of BPLWe shared the books that changed us
We debuted “Borrowed and Returned,” a new podcast series and follow-up to the Peabody-nominated “Borrowed and Banned” podcast. Through conversations with library workers, authors and readers across the country, we considered the books that changed us, and changed America, too. Each of the selected titles, ranging from Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring” to Ezra Jack Keats “Snowy Day,” had a profound impact on the things we value—and the stories we tell about ourselves.
To learn more about all the Library has to offer, and to sign up for a library card, visit bklynlibrary.org
Photo: Gregg RichardsAbout Brooklyn Public Library
Brooklyn Public Library is one of the nation’s largest library systems and among New York City’s most democratic institutions. Providing innovative library service for over 125 years, we support personal advancement, foster civic literacy, and strengthen the fabric of community among the more than 2.6 million individuals who call Brooklyn home.
We are a global leader in the fight for the freedom to read through our Books Unbanned initiative, offering teens across the US access to the library’s online catalog. We provide nearly 65,000 free programs a year with writers, thinkers, artists, and educators — from around the corner and around the world. And we give patrons millions of opportunities to enjoy one of life’s greatest satisfactions: the joy of a good book.