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Pop-up library to tide Brooklyn's Carroll Gardens over during branch repairs
By
Giulia Heyward
Published May 19, 2025
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By
Giulia Heyward
Published May 19, 2025
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Brooklynites around Carroll Gardens will once again have nearby access to the Brooklyn Public Library’s resources.
A city-owned building at 250 Baltic St. will function as the Carroll Gardens Pop-Up Library starting in July. It’s used by Brooklyn Community Board 6, which officials representing the area say suggested repurposing the space. In a letter to the Brooklyn Public Library earlier this year, the officials noted nearby school P.S. 58 doesn’t have a library of its own, and urged the BPL to take up the offer to make sure children had a place to borrow books.
The regular Carroll Gardens branch of the Brooklyn Public Library on Clinton Street — with its 14,000 square-foot interior and barrel-vaulted ceilings — has been closed and undergoing renovations since 2023. Library officials say they ran into “unexpected challenges” that delayed the project, including discovering that they needed more structural work to support new energy efficient heating and cooling. Residents around Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill and Gowanus will need to wait another year until construction of the permanent building is completed.
City officials didn’t share an exact date that the pop-up site will open in July, but said it’ll be open Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 to 5 p.m. and on Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It’ll remain open until shortly before the permanent location is ready to reopen its doors. The pop-up will offer services including book borrowing, signing up for library cards and reference help.
On Wednesdays, the pop-up library will offer programming around the neighborhood, including story times, book clubs and tech help. Library officials say the branch’s most popular programs have traditionally included Toddler Time and wellness activities for older adults.
IKEA Brooklyn will donate furniture and supplies, officials said last week. Councilmember Shahana Hanif, state Sen. Gounardes and Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon also each allocated funds to the temporary facility.
When the permanent Carroll Garden site reopens in summer 2026, it will feature a new teen space on the mezzanine, updated HVAC systems and lighting, a modernized elevator and new fire and safety upgrades.
In the officials’ statement, Hanif said the library’s new temporary location “will ensure that the community can continue to benefit from the invaluable resources, programs, and connections that our libraries provide.”
“When libraries close, we lose more than books. We lose a culture of reading, joyful discovery, and lifelong learning,” she said.
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brooklyn
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Giulia Heyward
Giulia Heyward is a breaking news reporter on the Day-Of desk. She previously worked at NPR, as a breaking news reporter, and the New York Times, as a reporting fellow on the national desk. Her work has also appeared in CNN, The Atlantic and Politico. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or more securely on signal at 917-715-1458.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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