Past

IN 1905, THE LIBRARY WAS opened as ‘South Branch’ library (also known as Carnegie’s Library) at the corner of 51st Street and 4th Avenue in today’s Sunset Park neighborhood. The building was designed by architects Lord & Hewlett, with funding support from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. After the building was declared obsolete, it was demolished in 1970. Soon after, a new building was constructed and reopened in 1972 as ‘Sunset Park Library.’

Until its demolition in 2018, the Sunset Park Library became one of Brooklyn’s busiest libraries, with attendance and circulation that rank near the top of Brooklyn Public Library’s 60 branches.

As the neighborhood grew, so did demands and use of the library; however, there was inadequate space to match the increasing use, and librarians were working under trying conditions (as spoken by Brooklyn Public Library President Linda Johnson). In addition, the old building had issues with heating and air conditioning and wasn’t fully equipped with appropriate technologies (it had only 12 electrical outlets.)

The Sunset Park branch is one of Brooklyn’s busiest libraries, ranking in the top 10 of Brooklyn Public Library’s 59 branches.

Timeline of the Library

Hence, a new structure was proposed by Housing Preservation and Development (HDP), Brooklyn Public Library (BPL), and Fifth Avenue Committee (FAC). FAC will cover the cost of construction, and the City of New York will resume ownership of the library portion of the building. The construction of the new library started in 2019 and is now completed. During its transition, an interim library was established at 4201 Fourth Ave (intersecting 43rd Street) under the provision of the New York Police Department (NYPD).