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Brooklyn Libraries Get New Computers Through Citizen Budgeting Program

 The Windsor Terrace and Carroll Gardens libraries welcomed 21 new computers this week.
Brooklyn Libraries Get New Computers Through Citizen Budgeting Program
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BROOKLYN — Libraries in Windsor Terrace and Carroll Gardens welcomed 21 new computers this week thanks to a program that lets residents decide how to spend taxpayer dollars in their neighborhoods.

The Windsor Terrace branch unveiled five computers for adults and four for kids, and Carroll Gardens received eight computers for adults and four for children. The kids' computers are AWE Early Literacy Stations that come stocked with software specially designed for children ages 2-8.

Local residents voted to spend $75,000 on the high-tech equipment through City Councilman Brad Lander's participatory budgeting program, which lets locals divvy up Lander's discretionary funds for neighborhood improvements.

"Thank you to Councilman Lander for spearheading the participatory budgeting process and to the local residents who voted to support their neighborhood branches," said Linda E. Johnson, president and CEO of Brooklyn Public Library, in a statement. "We look forward to helping patrons of our Windsor Terrace and Carroll Gardens libraries engage with this much-needed new technology."

Lander launched participatory budgeting in his district — which includes Park Slope, Carroll Gardens, and Gowanus — in 2011. Since then Lander's constituents have doled out more than $3 million to improve school bathrooms, spruce up community gardens, and make other neighborhood upgrades.

This year's round of participatory budgeting is now underway. Residents are invited to share their ideas for projects that need funding at a series of public forums starting Oct. 14.