Jurors at Kings County Court now have an extra reason to look forward to their civic duty, thanks to a partnership between Brooklyn Public Library and Kings County Commissioner of Jurors, Nancy T. Sunshine. Through a BPL Welcome Card, BPL is providing all jurors with easy, instant access to e-books, audiobooks and other digital resources they can enjoy while waiting in the jurors’ room.

The initiative is part of New York’s Juror Appreciation Week, which takes place Nov. 17 to Nov. 23. The NYS Unified Court System leaflet “Democracy in Action” will be included in the Juror Appreciation Week packet. The glossy 12-page booklet is meant to acquaint the juror pool with the jury system and to raise awareness about the importance of serving as a juror. It highlights the history of the jury system today, the role of the various personnel one might find in a courtroom scenario and has engaging, fun content like a quiz, crossword puzzle and word scramble. 

In collaboration with the Office of the Kings County Clerk, BPL’s librarians have also crafted a unique 12-title booklist, inspired by the twelve seats of the jury. Books on the list, which include recent finalists for the Library’s Book Prize, will be available instantly without holds or waiting lists.

“As your commissioner of jurors for Kings County, I am so very pleased to partner with the Brooklyn Public Library to bring these exciting resources to you as you serve as a juror in Kings County,” said Sunshine, who is also county clerk and clerk of the Supreme Court. “Your role in the pursuit of justice is one of the most important and fundamental in ensuring the constitutional rights of all. Thank you for your good service.”

To make accessing these resources even easier, BPL has produced a short video that guides jurors on how to get started with a welcome card and tap into the Library’s digital collection directly from their phones or tablets.“If you are eligible to serve on a jury in New York, you are eligible for a Brooklyn Public Library card. And, with just a few clicks, you’ll have access to books and information, discover new worlds and meet the most interesting characters,” said Linda E. Johnson, president and CEO of Brooklyn Public Library. “Jury duty is one of our most important civic responsibilities and by partnering with the Kings County Court, we can make serving even more engaging.”

BPL’s welcome card is free for jurors and anyone who lives, works, pays property taxes or goes to school in New York state. Welcome card holders can upgrade to a full service library card at any of the borough’s 62 branches including the Brooklyn Heights Library which is just a few blocks from the courthouse at 286 Cadman Plaza West.

With a full-service library card, users can also borrow physical materials like books, vinyl records, board games, telescopes, musical instruments and free passes to New York City’s museums and historic sites. The card also provides access to hundreds of databases to help everyone learn new skills from using AI to researching genealogy to starting a new business.