Literally and literarily with Nellie the book wagon
Photo credit: Gregg Richards
When the Leonard Library closed for renovations at the end of 2022, it was a sad but necessary day. Necessary as the library would be installing a new HVAC system and a new ceiling, for starters. Sad, because that library is deeply loved in the community.
However, the sadness of missing the library has been eased due to the Leonard Library staff, led by Managing Librarian Lauren Comito, continuing a consistent presence in the neighborhood. They appear at community events and have scheduled regular pop-ups. The end of February 2023 began a weekly “Library on Tap” at Talea (87 Richardson Street) Tuesdays from 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Shortly thereafter, a weekly pop-up library was added at HERE (26 Bushwck Avenue) on Thursdays from 11 a.m.–4 p.m. A monthly library pop-up began early on at the Cooper Park Older Adult Center (288 Frost Street) on the second Friday of the month from 11 a.m.–1 p.m. All of these are ongoing. The warmer weather brought (and will bring) library pop-ups to Cooper Park on Saturdays. For two years and counting the community has at least two opportunities a week to visit an intrinsic essence of the Leonard Library.
At these pop-ups you can renew your library card, get a library card, other virtual library business, and check out books that Comito and staff have curated for the site and day. They don’t usually accept returns as they have to carry the load and need to keep the weight down. However, returns may be allowable if you check the out the equivalent of what you are returning.
How do they select the books for a site? Comito said, “[It can depend on] which population is at where we’re going. Like today, [at Cooper Park Older Adult Center] we would bring Spanish books here and large print. If we were going to be in Cooper Park for the day — in the summer when it’s warm we do every good Saturday — we bring a lot of children’s books, grab and go crafts, and a giant chess set. At Talea, there’s a lot of work-from-home people working in there so we bring stuff on entrepreneurship, organization, and then children’s books as a lot of people drop by. [HERE] is similar to Talea but not so much the efficient type of work books [rather] the more [creative type of work] books.”
In addition to the Leonard Library’s in-person activities, there’s also Zoom. On Fridays from 11 a.m.–12 p.m. they host a Knit Together virtual session. To register for the one on May 2 visit: https://www.bklynlibrary.org/calendar/knit-together-leonard-library-20250502-1100am
When asked about a date for the reopening of the Leonard Library, Fritzi Bodenheimer, press officer for Brooklyn Public Library, stated, “A good thing to remember is that the building is more than 100 years old, and when you start opening up a 100-year-old building you find things. So everything takes a little bit longer.” Thankfully the things that were found do not begin with A, which set another local library renovation back. “[Leonard] library is so special not only is it old, but it has so much meaning to Brooklyn, because of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and it does take a long time in New York. I know it’s frustrating but we have to be careful.”
As of April 30, the Leonard Library’s web page states it will reopen in August 2025.
The novel, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith is set in Williamsburg and jumps around in time between 1900–1918 covering Francie’s, the protagonist, life up until she leaves the neighborhood for college. The author was born and spent her childhood in Williamsburg and mentions many sites in her book that are still around. The Leonard Library was her neighborhood library and is Francie’s library too.
The Leonard Library first opened its doors on December 1, 1908. A hundred years later the Brooklyn Public Library staff joined Smith’s family and the NYC Parks Department to plant a tree in memory of Betty Smith outside of the branch.
As it’s a Carnegie library they are taking care to bring back the integrity of the architecture. Andrew Carnegie funded the building of 1689 libraries in the United States between 1883–1929, and an additional almost 900 throughout the rest of the world. Of North Brooklyn’s four Carnegie libraries, three have retained their original form: Bushwick, Williamsburgh, and Leonard. Although, due to needing to conform to the codes of today necessary adjustments have needed to be made.
“It’s very special, I kind of look at it as like my thing to keep it as close to the original as possible,” added Comito.
Bodenheimer then addresses Comito’s efforts, “Lauren is being very modest about carrying around all the books. Lauren built this cart and Nellie [the other, larger, travelling bookcase on wheels], which hold about 100 books. It was her initiative, and she’s physically building that.” Bodenheimer also mentions that it’s somewhat standard when a library branch closes to wait it out and return with the reopening. But in the case of the Leonard Library, “Lauren has really gone the extra mile to keep the community better. She built the carts and goes to all these different places. And I think even when the library is open being out in the community is a way to extend the library to where people are, to meet them where they are and Lauren has done a stellar job of that.”
The Leonard Library is looking to reopen this year. There will be a community event to celebrate the opening. Stay tuned!
The Leonard Library is located at 81 Devoe St. at Leonard Street. Until it reopens you can visit the pop-ups at Talea, 87 Richardson Street, on Tuesdays from 11 a.m.–4 p.m.; HERE, 26 Bushwck Avenue, on Thursdays from 11 a.m.–4 p.m.; The Cooper Park Older Adult Center, 288 Frost Street, on the second Friday of the month from 11 a.m.–1 p.m. For more information search the Leonard Library events page: https://discover.bklynlibrary.org/?event=true&eventlocation=Leonard+Library
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