SHEEPSHEAD BAY'S ONLY INDEPENDENT NEWS BLOG

A coalition of Turkish-American organizations forked over $40,000 yesterday to the Gerritsen Beach library (2808 Gerritsen Avenue) and Gerritsen Beach Elementary School (P.S. 277), institutions that have suffered in the five months since Superstorm Sandy rocked the community.

The donation came from Turkish-American groups, non-profits and businesses, spearheaded by Helping Hands Relief Foundation, Kimse Yokmu, Council of Turkic American Associations, Turkish Cultural Center and the Brooklyn Amity School.

Of the $40,000 donated yesterday, $30,000 is going to the Brooklyn Public Library’s Gerritsen Beach branch, one of two branches in the system that has been unable to reopen due to extensive damage. The checks were handed over during a ceremony in front of the branch. Prior to the ceremony, Congresswoman Yvette Clarke toured the facility, which has been gutted down to bare walls, floors and rafters.

“We believe that Brooklyn Public Library and P.S. 277 are invaluable resources for the community, where people of all ages will benefit tremendously in many different ways,” said Nevzat Yilmaz, president of Helping Hands Relief Foundation. “This is dedicated to building a better future for the children and families of our community, and leaves a footprint for the next generations of Turkish-Americans to take care of community facilities that serve the people.”

Brooklyn Public Library President and CEO Linda Johnson was on-hand to receive the check, delivered by a cadre of Amity School students. She said the library would use the funds in part to rebuild the library with green technology and infrastructure.

P.S. 277 Principal Jeanne Fish said the school would use the funds to install new smartboards and laptops in classrooms.

See this story in photos: Images of the gutted library, and more from the event.

Elected officials and library administrators gathered at the Kings Bay branch of the Brooklyn Public Library last Friday to celebrate the launch of a new laptop loaner program.

The program kicked off in Brooklyn Public Library branches in Kings Bay (3650 Nostrand Avenue) and Kings Highway (2215 Ocean Avenue), where 18 brand new laptops and charging carts are now available thanks to $50,000 in funding allocated by Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein.

“Whether you’re a student using the internet as a research aid or a senior citizen wanting to know your rights, this program will have a positive impact on all library patrons,” said Weinstein in a press release.

The laptops will help busy branches like Kings Bay by allowing people to use the laptops for two hours anywhere in the building – a departure from the policy for current desktop computers, which can only be used for 30 minutes.

Now… we’re on our way over to make sure every browser’s homepage is set to Sheepshead Bites.

Source: brooklynpubliclibrary.org

Midwood’s Kings Highway Library (2115 Ocean Avenue) is Brooklyn’s busiest branch, thanks in a large part to its Russian-speaking clientele, according to a report by the New York Daily News.

The library’s position as Brooklyn’s number one hotspot for book worms is backed by some impressive numbers. They boast a yearly circulation of 1.3 million with 50,000 people enrolled in its various programs, many taking advantage of its free English-as-a-Second-Language classes.

The varied programs the library offers, ranging from a Russian-language computer class to an English conversation club, cater to the large immigrant community that keeps the establishment busy all day. The Daily News highlighted what attracts Russian immigrants to the branch:

“Russian people love to read,” said librarian Svetlana Dubinsky, noting their top picks are translations of Danielle Steele, Nora Roberts and Nicholas Sparks potboilers, and Cecelia Ahern romance novels. The classics are for youngsters.

“They come in with their grandkids and say, ‘I want my grandson to read Dostoyevsky because that’s what I read,’” she explained.

While the Russian speaking base makes up a large majority of the library’s patronage, they do a good job reaching out to all cultures. The immigrant friendly atmosphere have drawn in Ukrainians, Chinese and Mexicans, with their Chinese-language collection sporting high popularity.

The library has also become a valuable resource to immigrant moms looking to improve their English and provide a welcoming educational atmosphere for their children:

“I am trying to learn English by being at the library,” said Sumaira Bano, an Urdu speaker from Pakistan.

Ukrainian immigrant Lidiya Ilchuk, 32, brings daughter Sofiya, 6, for help with math and checks out books for the Public School 199 first-grader to read at home, two per day.

“This is her education,” the Midwood resident said.

Two and a half months after Superstorm Sandy doused the Sheepshead Bay branch of the Brooklyn Public Library, the location reopened to the public yesterday.

The 2636 East 14th Street branch is the first BPL location shuttered by the floodwaters to reopen. When we stopped by yesterday, there was already a short line for computers, and a handful of patrons buzzing about.

“We’re excited – we’re very, very excited – to be back,” said the branch manager Svetlana Negrimovskaya.

Patrons, though, will notice a smaller collection for the first few weeks. That’s because five feet of water inundated the building’s below-street-level nonfiction and reference department, wiping out more than 2,100 books on 80 shelves. The library will be restocked, but they’re waiting to replace a handful of shelving units.

Repairs to the facility carried a $1 million price tag, according to a BPL spokesperson. That includes the water damage to partitions, floor finishes, shelves, collections and equipment.

Besides the library’s three computers for the public, the library also needed to replace brand new self-checkout machines that had been installed only two weeks before Sandy.

The Brighton Beach and Coney Island branches are still closed, requiring more repairs before they can reopen. Brighton Beach is expected to open next.

Here in Sheepshead Bay, though, Negrimovskaya said she’s happy to see her neighbors coming back, and noted that they’ve already continued their events programming. The schedule can be found here. Additionally, the BPL is asking for donations to restore the collection. A monetary donation can be made here.

One of the libraries flooded by Sandy (Photo: Brooklyn Public Library via NYDailyNews.com)

Five Brooklyn Public Library branches, four of which are in Southern Brooklyn, remain closed after taking severe damage during Superstorm Sandy, and library administrators say they need millions to get back online.

New York Daily News checked in with the library, noting that the Gerritsen Beach (2808 Gerritsen Avenue) and Coney Island (1901 Mermaid Avenue) branches took the worst damage, and will need new electrical systems, doors, chairs, shelves and computers. There is no word on when these branches will reopen.

The Gravesend (303 Avenue X), Sheepshead Bay (2636 East 14th Street) and Red Hook (7 Wolcott Street) branches also saw severe damage. Officials told the Daily News these will reopen in the next few weeks.

In all, the repairs will rack up a $10 million price tag, which includes structural repairs and the replacement of 75,852 books, magazines and DVDs ruined during the storm – piling on top of a $250 million list of backlogged repairs throughout the library system.

According to the News, the Brooklyn Public Library typically receives just $15 million a year from the Bloomberg administration for repairs.

“We were hurt,” said Brooklyn Public Library VP of strategic planning Jeanette Moy. “But we are leveraging every asset we have and every partnership that’s possible to bring services back to the community.”

The library is also requesting donations to help restore the library system. You can donate online.

From the offices of Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein:

FEMA representatives will be at the Kings Bay Library 3650 Nostrand  Avenue, (between Avenue W & X)  on Friday November 23 from 10am – 2:pm to assist individuals who suffered damages as a result of Sandy. Assemblywoman Helene  Weinstein and Councilman Lew Fidler asked FEMA  to  come  the library to help assist Sheepshead Bay residents who are not able to travel to the other FEMA  Brooklyn sites. This temporary recovery center at the Kings Bay Library, is a  one-stop shop for eligible storm survivors to get help as quickly as possible.

Individuals do not have to visit a Disaster Recovery Center to register with FEMA. Here are some alternatives: They may apply for FEMA assistance 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by calling the toll-free registration number at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362).  If you have a speech disability or hearing loss and use a TTY, call 1-800-462-7585 directly; if you use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 1-800-621-3362.  Individuals may also register online at: www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by smart phone at m.fema.gov.

Source: Wikipedia

UPDATE (11/06/2012):  Due to damage from Hurricane Sandy, this sale has been cancelled. The Gerritsen Beach Library is closed until further notice. For more information contact Christine Dille at C.Dille (at) Brooklynpubliclibrary (dot) org.

Attention bibliophiles, booklovers and fans of the written word!

The Friends of Brooklyn Public Library-Gerritsen Beach Branch are inviting voracious, or even light readers to “Make Space in your Bookcase,” now until November 9. The group will be holding its annual book drive at the library,2808 Gerritsen Avenue between Gotham Avenue and Bartlett Place.

After the November 9 book drive, the Gerritsen Beach Library Friends Group will also be hosting its annual book sale, November 16 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and November 17 and 19 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. You are encouraged to donate your new or  gently used books.

For further information, call (718) 368-1435.

The new BPL computer checkouts, equipped with shoulder-mounted laser scanner. Caution: Keep away from lighting.

The Homecrest branch of the Brooklyn Public Library (2525 Coney Island Avenue) is debuting new self-checkout service, enabling patrons to check out, renew and return books without the hassle of a face-to-face encounter.

Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz, Brooklyn Public Library President and CEO Linda E. Johnson, as well as other community members and Brooklyn Public Library staff, will be celebrating the initiation of these machines at the library tomorrow, July 24, at 3 p.m.

The Brooklyn delegation of the State Assembly, of which Cymbrowitz is a member, helped acquire a Community Capital Assistant Program grant of $2 million for the Brooklyn Public Library’s self-checkout machines.

Self-checkout machines have already been installed in other local libraries, including the Kings Bay library branch (3650 Nostrand Avenue), and the Bay Ridge library branch.

According to BPL, this technologically advanced service helps library visitors borrow and return books and other items more quickly and efficiently. Furthermore, instead of assisting visitors with checkout and return, the library staff can now spend more time lending a hand to those researching or searching for specific works.

“Bullet Points” is our new format for Community Board 15 meeting coverage, providing takeaways we think are important. Information in Bullet Points is meant only to be a quick summary, and some issues may be more deeply explored in future articles.

Boardmembers push to beautify Manhattan Beach, oppose aesthetic improvements at Knapp Street sewage plant: Parks Department’s Brooklyn Chief of Staff Martin Maher came before the Board last night to provide the community with updates on ongoing projects in the district – including at Bill Brown Park, Galapo Playground, Brigham Street Park and Emmons Avenue – but the presentation quickly turned to Manhattan Beach as members barraged Maher with questions and complaints (video above).

Continue Reading »

Source: Wikimedia Commons

One hundred and seven years before stodgy ol’ librarians were banning 50 Shades of Grey from public bookshelves, they were banning the great Mark Twain stories of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. So, naturally, the bondage and wild sex adventures penned by E L James are well on their way to the top of the American literary canon, no?

Well, I don’t know about that.

But I do know that one my favorite websites, Letters of Note, which digs up and publishes letters from notable individuals living and dead, has found a letter that brings us back to that earlier controversy – and ties in a Sheepshead Bay connection, too.

In 1905, Asa Don Dickinson, a librarian at the Sheepshead Bay branch of the Brooklyn Public Library (who established the first blind services in a public library, and later became Brooklyn College’s first chief librarian), wrote to Twain, alerting him to plans underway that would have his books removed from the system’s children’s departments. Dickinson, himself more than a little facetious in his letter, received a few sarcastic words in reply.

Read the letters here.