BEDFORD-STUYVESANT — Brooklyn’s Macon Library could soon be getting an update with the addition of banners and a digital sign outside the historic building.
The Brooklyn Public Library branch at 361 Lewis Ave. near Macon Street will be one of the first to receive new signage, pending city landmarks approval, according to a BPL spokesman.
Residents and bookworms would be able to see library hours, daily calendars, information on ongoing programs and other news displayed on the digital sign out front.
The upgrades would cost approximately $35,000 from BPL's operating budget, and the library hopes to have the work completed this summer. Other branches are expected to receive the signs as funding becomes available, according to a spokesman.
The changes come as library leaders citywide continue their call on the city to increase funding for services, hours and capital investment.
Planned upgrades at Macon also include two banners bearing the branch's name. Outdoor signs at libraries across the borough have not been updated in more than 20 years, the spokesman noted.
“Updated exterior signage will make libraries like Macon, which has served Bedford-Stuyvesant for more than 100 years, even more recognizable to residents and passersby,” said Adam Leddy, the library's communications coordinator.
“Attendance at library programs continues to rise, and we hope the new signage will encourage still more people to stop in, check out our books and services, and become regular library patrons.”
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In addition to Macon, other branches that are set to receive new signs include Brighton Beach, Windsor Terrace, Ulmer Park, Flatlands and the Central Branch.
The two-story Lewis Avenue library opened in 1907 and still has its original fireplaces and wooden benches. The branch is located within the Bedford-Stuyvesant/Expanded Stuyvesant Heights Historic District, and BPL is in the beginning stages to get approval from the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission for the additions.
Earlier this month, Brooklyn Community Board 3 gave the green light with a letter of support for the signage.
