Friday, April 20, 2007

Flatbush #38, 4/19/07

It's really nice today, and I should be outside, and I will, soon. A couple quick announcements: apparently it is National Library Week, you know the week that's about to end right now. I guess I've been derelict in my duties but...it's cool. Also I wrapped up my library school application, so that is all sent in, and now it's just a matter of waiting for the transcripts and recommendations to get there and then I find out if I'm a future librarian! Should be a little over a month, I'd imagine.

Well, I went to a Barnes & Noble (I know, I'm sorry, I had a gift certificate) and spotted a few things that I wasn't sure I wanted to buy but looked like interesting reading. I looked 'em all up and settled on I, Stagolee, the story of a legendary pimp from African-American folklore, now in handy novel form. They had it at many branches, including the...Flatbush Branch.

Branch: Flatbush
Location: 22 Linden Blvd. at Flatbush Ave.
Transport: bicycle
Book: I, Stagolee by Cecil Brown
Date: Thursday, April 19, 2007

This branch is over by the southeast entrance to Prospect Park, and though it wasn't as nice as it is today, it was pretty good, so I biked it. Up the hill, through the park, then down Church St. cause I was craving Subway for some reason, then back to Linden Boulevard. So, a pretty good ride. The branch was nice but seemed to have an odd lack of tables considering that it wasn't even very small. Plus I got there right around the time when all the kids were getting there, and they weren't being that loud, but one of the librarians kept yelling at 'em. Guess he didn't want to give them an inch! Another guy at the table I was sitting at decided to pack it in as a result. He even told himself it was time to leave. Didn't seem that crazy though. It was also odd that when I got there, a policeman was checking people out. I guess they all work for the city...

The Flatbush Branch seemed to fit in with the trend that if a library is in a not great area, it'll have worse facilities than one in a nicer area. It would be nice if Brooklyn spread it out better, but I suppose there's a chance they're just responding to demand, and it happens to be less in those places. Personally though, I doubt it. And here's a chance to actually help out, and I can't do it! Tomorrow is Support the Shelves Day where people can go to certain branches (Brownsville, Cypress Hills, Flatbush, Homecrest, New Utrecht, Saratoga, Sunset Park, Ulmer Park, Washington Irving and Williamsburgh) and donate books they don't need. Unfortunately, I'm going to be in New Jersey tomorrow having fun so I can't donate books. But if anyone reading this has books...and lives near one of these branches...you should do it! I know no one will, but if you do, I'll buy you something nice. Maybe even a beer!

I guess that's all for today, look at some pretty pictures.



wide shot...



entrance...



row houses across the street...



kids, a basketball, and a hoop. They were playing, ok, just not when I took the picture. There's no court though so it was more Horse than anything, or so I assumed. That is all.

9 comments:

Samiha said...

wow..u sure do know a lot of libraries..m jealous..(sigh)i luv goin to libraries..d smell of old books..new pages..they gimme a high..but my friends tend to steer me away from libraries..hey i have this habit of readin d ending of a book b4 i begin it..is dat weird?? i wonder..

DP said...

Um, Samiha said everything I was afraid to...

Mikey B said...

Reading the end first is good because that way if you die before you finish, you know how it ended.

Anonymous said...

Too bad you were in Jersey.

Nice job on all your school stuff! Have you practiced your Librarian Face?

Anonymous said...

wow!
My librarian friend at Greenpoint branch just fwded this to me. It's fascinating. I am a trainee - almost done with library school at Pratt - working for BPL. I love how you use the branch numbers. As a trainee I went to a ridiculous amount of libraries - for a month each, rotating around, which was tiring but amazingly educational. I've just moved to the Leonard branch in April - for a more permanent position - and I agree completely with your assessment of it. It's great to hear you're planning to go to school. there's so many older crazy people, good eccentrics, bad eccentrics, working here, and a new crop of fairly younguns' that came as part of this great trainee program they've since canceled. If you ever have questions or anything, please write, or stop by the Leonrad branch, even though you've already been there...... I'm Molly - m.phelan@brooklynpubliclibrary.org

Anonymous said...

well, I get from your blog that you have that "entitlement attitude" meaning that you only read things for surface value and if it doesn't meet your "white middle class values" then you brush it off has not being worthy. The BPL branches offer more then you can possibly imagine, the books and the space or just the small contributions BPL offers to its communities. You have failed to mention the programs, the electronic free resources and all the free GED, ESL,SAT classes, as well as a safe spot the youth and elderly can come and gather and that is just the tip of the iceberg. If you really want to do something worthy with your time why don't you blog about stopping the war in Iraq, or the conflicts that or killing hundreds of thousands of people in Africa.

Mikey B said...

i'm sorry you got that from it...maybe you're right but what i was actually getting at was that the libraries are fantastic, but just because they are much better than what some people have doesn't mean they couldn't continue to improve. it isn't a value judgment because it is even noticeable just as far as how many books each branch has. the free classes are amazing, as are the facilities in which different generations can gather with one another, but i feel like i've mentioned those things before. sure, i did it just in passing, but i never claimed that this blog was anything but my personal experiences. it's not a social experiment, and i doubt i or anyone would be able to talk about things in the world beyond how they are affected by them as we only really have our own experience (that includes learning from books as well as the actions of ourselves and others) to draw on in forming our opinions about the world. that said, i doubt another entitled white middle class view about how much it sucks that we went to iraq or that war even exists to begin with would make much of a difference in any regard. but i appreciate your feedback.

Mikey B said...

also, your name is ironic.

Anonymous said...

Damn Grace, Spittin' Hot Fire on the library blog. You tell that little white boy how it is girl!!! I too think that Mikey should be blogging about "the conflicts that or killing hundreds of thousands of people in Africa." Maybe he'd take the time to travel there so they can kill his entitled white ass too. Or maybe you could chill out and enjoy the reviews about libaries and maybe take a few of those free classes so you can write a coherent post next time.