Mill Basin Library To Close For Handicap Upgrade
By Neil S. Friedman

The Mill Basin branch of the Brooklyn Public Library will close for at least ten months beginning Monday, January 5 and undergo extensive improvements, including upgrades for handicapped accessibility. More than $640,000 in funding for the renovations was allocated by the City Council, led by the support of local councilman Lew Fidler, whose district includes the library at 2385 Ralph Avenue near Avenue N not far from his district office.

Renovations are scheduled to include upgrades to the library’s electrical system, the installation of ADA (American with Disabilities) compliant bathroom facilities and new entry doors. In addition, the library will receive new floors, ceilings, lighting, a new circulation desk, and new paint throughout. These renovations will provide the library with a general refurbishment and upgrade it to meet accessibility guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The Mill Basin branch opened in a deposit station in the Austin Pharmacy on Avenue T in 1940. It moved several times over the next three decades, with the need for more space eventually resulting in a new library on Ralph Avenue. The library opened in 1974 in a 7,500-square-foot brick building.

In 1997, for the first time in the 100-year history of the Brooklyn Public Library a plaque was placed in one of its branch libraries to honor a local resident, Dorothy Russo, who led the Mill Basin Civic Association’s efforts to establish the library. Today, the library caters to the needs of the diverse community with various programs and events, multilingual services and an active Friends Group.

During the renovation, patrons are invited to use the following neighborhood libraries:

• Canarsie Library, 1580 Rockaway Parkway near Avenue J, 718-257-6547.

• Jamaica Bay Library Seaview Avenue & East 98 Street, 718-241-3571.

The Paedergat Library on East 58 Street, off Ralph Avenue, which
had been closed for nearly a year undergoing renovations, is expected to reopen soon, according to library officials.

Reader Comments

No comments have been posted. Be the first!

Other Stories With Comments:
Article	Comments
Golden City: Bought, Burned, Bought Again	1