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Brooklyn Public Library's services and community impact
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Linda E. Johnson details the wide array of services and programs offered by Brooklyn Public Library, emphasizing their impact on the community. She highlights the library's role in supporting education, career development, and community engagement.
- Describes services such as resume workshops, career fairs, business counseling, and technology classes
- Mentions the PowerUp competition, which has helped nearly 11,000 entrepreneurs launch businesses
- Highlights the increase in volunteer participation and the growing demand for library services
- Notes the rise in annual visits to nearly 6 million and a 19% increase in program sessions
Linda E. Johnson
0:06:12
At our business and career center, librarians help New Yorkers realize their dreams, hosting resume workshops, career fairs, one on one business counseling sessions, and classes on everything from how to use Excel to AI basics for businesses.
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For twenty one years, our PowerUp competition has helped nearly 11,000 entrepreneurs launch businesses and create jobs.
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Notable winners include Brooklyn Tea which now offers employee college scholarships and others who give back by catering community events.
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New Yorkers know libraries change lives and they're eager to lend a hand, signing up to support their neighbors and help our libraries run while gaining valuable skills themselves.
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This year nearly 1,500 volunteers have led English conversation groups, citizenship coaching, and homework help, a 30% increase over last year.
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Our patrons want to connect with one another and we all feel that democratic spaces, libraries in particular, are needed now more than ever.
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Despite last year's mid year cuts, demand for library services continued to grow.
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In 2024, annual visits rose to nearly 6,000,000.
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Program sessions increased by 19%, and book and digital materials circulated 9,400,000 times.
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However, patrons still felt the impact of cuts, longer wait times, fewer open hours, and disrupted programming.