Not Your Grandma's Library

An elderly Polish gentleman, a toddler, an awkward teenager and an out-of-work twenty-something walk into a library—Ok, ok, stop me if you’ve heard this one. Because I guarantee Jennifer Thompson sure has. Thompson has been a librarian at the Greenpoint branch of the Brooklyn Public Library, nestled comfortably on the corner of Norman Avenue and Leonard Street, for nearly two years, and it seems she’s seen everything—most recently, an enormous increase in library use, courtesy of the economic recession.

“In the past six months, people are using the library much, much more frequently,” Thompson said. “There’s been a huge increase and we’re definitely busier now. So much more of the community is coming out, using us as a serious and useful resource.”

According to Thompson, not only has there been a drastic increase in library usage, but also a variance in terms of who is using the facilities, and for what purposes. Traditionally, libraries are populated by young children, parents and senior citizens, but with so many Brooklynites out of work and strapped for cash, the neighborhood library is becoming a destination for Greenpointers of all kinds—from the very young to the very old, and everyone in between—who are using the facilities to gather resume-building materials, receive basic job training advice, computer and technology-related tutorials and more.

“Most people are looking to use the computers now,” Thompson said. “They look for jobs, work on their resumes—the computers really aren’t free very often. And the pamphlets and fliers we carry about finding jobs and creating resumes just fly off the shelves. It’s not your grandma’s library anymore.”

The types of materials most commonly requested are also beginning to change, and in many respects reflect the economic downturn. Nate Hill, a veteran librarian who has worked at different branches of the Brooklyn Public Library for nine years—though it is his first week as head librarian at the Greenpoint Branch—explained that, as of late, visitors are checking out more and more self-help and how-to books.

“People are really leaning towards materials that will help them refocus their careers,” Hill said. “There’s also been a big demand for test booklets, like city service exam practice tests, and books about entrepreneurial opportunities.”

As the social and cultural landscape of urban neighborhoods changes under such dire economic circumstances, so too does the role, feel and function of the city’s only 100 per cent free indoor civic space—the library. With overcrowding becoming an issue, and the demand for technology services and training programs skyrocketing, librarians are taking on more of a leadership role, serving as instructors, advisors and mentors, as well as the guardians of the stacks.

“As libraries redefine their mission and role in the community, or rather, are redefined by their users, as the head librarian I am trying to assess what the community needs and wants from us,” Hill said. “As much as the library provides materials and resources, what people want now is guidance and assistance.”

Much in the tradition of the very first public libraries—institutions founded based on the principal of creating a more informed citizenry—part of the new challenge for libraries, Hill explained, is staying relevant as a civic institution, and providing visitors with what they really need as their needs change, especially in times of difficulty.

“People coming to the library are trying to contextualize the information, find a way to make these library materials relevant and useful to them personally,” Hill said. “Nowadays, if someone needs to find a job, they first need to know how to use the computer, get an email address and be able to navigate the internet. The library turns into a catch-all.”

While more visitors means fewer resources for each patron, which can sometimes lead to social tension within an over-utilized public space—Thompson notes that visitors are often upset, thinking that “the space isn’t being used the way they want it to be,”—it can also set the stage for unexpected interactions, oftentimes leading to the creation of even stronger and more diverse communities.

“The library as an institution is a wonderful space for different communities to come together,” Hill said. “It’s the one place where all different people, speaking different languages end up, under one roof, with common goals.”

The physical design of the building itself can also make a difference in terms of how smoothly each institution transitions from a quiet, bookish place to a multi-purpose public space. Hill noted that the Greenpoint branch in particular has been extremely conducive to catering to the shifting social demands.

“It’s more open in here than in many of the other libraries,” Hill said. “In Greenpoint, we are lucky. I’m so psyched to be here.”