Brooklyn Public Library’s 20th annual gala draws robust support from community
BPL Board & Staff Plan Expansion of Services to the Public
In a time when Google, Kindle and Wikipedia threaten to render the venerable public library obsolete, it was heartening to witness Brooklyn Public Library’s drawing power as its 20th Annual Gala unfolded within the Williamsburg Savings Bank’s classically elegant interior. Half-a-dozen City Council members mingled with major league developers, attorneys, philanthropists and business leaders in a cocktail reception before heading upstairs to the main dining room to fete this year’s honorees — Peter Aschkenasy and Anna Deveare Smith.
Despite an ongoing controversy over what critics characterize as the “sale and shrinkage” of library resources, speakers emphasized the increasing availability of existing branches.
“We are now open six days a week,” CEO Linda Johnson told the audience.