Greenpoint Library

Join us for a candlelight vigil this Sunday, December 17th at 4:30 p.m. at Greenpoint Library.

December 17th is the last day Brooklyn Public Library, New York Public Library and Queens Public Library will be able to offer Sunday because of city budget cuts.

Sponsored by Urban Librarians Unite.

Sweaters, squishy fleeces, winter coats, hats & mittens, loads of the most adorable layering clothes! We have it all for your kiddos! Come on by this afternoon to our 2nd bi-annual kids clothing swap! No need to bring anything - all are welcome!

Join your neighbors in school district 14 in North Brooklyn in advocating for Green Schools NOW by signing their petition:

https://tinyurl.com/mrmdxk72

We need faster action on our climate goals and we should start with schools. The city is leaving billions of limited-time Inflation Reduction Act federal funds on the table, along with $2.3 billion promised, but unallocated city funds for green energy, efficiency, cleaner air, and safer, more resilient schools.

Decarbonizing schools moves towards achieving the city's stated emission goals, and puts a focus on our kids, who are inheriting the future climate, and will be empowered to make an impact to alter the path we are on.

Link to petition also in Bio.

Thank you to Billion Oyster Project, Emily, and her volunteers for taking our patrons to their field station in Williamsburg to observe estuary life and engage in community science.

We’ll be collecting clothes all week long for our Kids Clothing Swap! Drop off anytime library is open or on day of the swap - Saturday, November 18 1-3pm. Please see the posted link for more details 🙂

Kids Clothing Swap - Fall and Winter Clothes Did you know over 30% of garbage landfill is from textiles? Let's sustainably find new homes for our belongings. Join us for a Kids Clothing Swap for Fall and Winter Clothes. Here are the details: NO OBLIGATION TO BRING CLOTHES. TAKE WHAT YOU NEED. Not accepting clothes after November 18th event. AC...

Join us at 6 pm tonight for an author talk with Marisa Holmes, an organizer, filmmaker, writer, and educator based in Brooklyn, NY. Her first book, "Organizing Occupy Wall Street: This Is Just Practice" is just out with Palgrave Macmillan. https://www.bklynlibrary.org/calendar/organizing-occupy-wall-greenpoint-eco-lab-1-20231107

Organizing Occupy Wall Street: Author Talk Join us for an author talk with Marisa Holmes, an organizer, filmmaker, writer, and educator based in Brooklyn, NY. Currently, she teaches courses on social movements and media at Rutgers University and Fordham University. Her first book, Organizing Occupy Wall Street: This Is Just Practice is just....

Join us and Audubon NY for a fall migration bird walk in McCarren Park, this Saturday, Nov. 4th, 10am-11:30am.

Binoculars will be provided for patrons who need them. Feel free to bring your own. All are welcome.

Register in Bio. Meet in McCarren Park near th corner of Lorimer and Driggs.

Pic Credit: Wild View

Death in Chicago. A Conversation with Grzegorz Dziedzic THE PROGRAM TAKES PLACE AT THE POLISH SLAVIC CENTER AT 176 JAVA STREET, BROOKLYN, NY The Brooklyn Public Library and the Polish-Slavic Center invite you to a conversation with Grzegorz Dziedzic about his two books published recently: "Żadnych bogów, żadnych panów" and "Gangway". Both of Dziedzic...

Patrons - join us October 19th, 5:30pm-7:30pm for a free Narcan and overdose response training.

Free Narcan and Overdose Response Training Join VOCAL-NY, Brooklyn Harm Reduction Outreach Cooperative, FDNY and Brooklyn Public Library for an evening of harm reduction. The evening will begin with a CPR demonstration from FDNY. We'll then learn about the overdose crisis with a peer educator from VOCAL-NY, followed by a training on how to r...

Clean out your yarn stash and join us on December 12th, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. for our monthly Fiber Arts and Sewing Circle and a Yarn Swap.

You do not need to bring yarn to participate.Just come.

Our group meets the 2nd Tuesday of each month. The next meetup is Nov. 14th 5:30pm-730pm.

Registration encouraged.

This Saturday October 14th is City of Forest Day.

Celebrate this citywide celebration of our urban forest by swinging by Greenpoint Library to pickup:

-Greenpoint Tree Bingo Card
-Bag of Daffodil Bulbs
-NYC Street Tree Guide
-Street Tree Bed Care Guide

11am-5pm while supplies last!

Join us to learn about our fine feathered friends in these children's workshops for ages 5-10 years old.

Link to register in bio.

More lottery housing is coming to Greenpoint at 85 Commercial St. This lotttery is open until Nov. 27th.

Housing is an environmental justice issue and we want to make sure all our patrons know about these options in the midst of a major housing crisis.

Link to lottery in bio.

We have a few more seats open for our seed saving workshop with Roots Unbound tomorrow night 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Register here:
https://www.bklynlibrary.org/calendar/seed-saving-workshop-greenpoint-demonstration-20230928

Yesterday, GEEC Marched to End Fossil Fuels with our community.

It was a powerful event, further cementing the call to our leaders about what they are doing to responsibly de-invest in fossil fuels, how they should be thinking big picture on renewable energies for jobs and infrastructure, and the reality of such a major shift.

Additionally, what are they doing get out of the pocket of companies preventing positive change so our country can move forward to pivot in how we operate in this country and protect the climate and planet?

Let's see what happens at Climate Week here in NYC Sept. 17-23.

Today we March to End Fossil Fuels.

Thanks to 350BK for holding their monthly meeting at GEEC to create posters and artwork for the march.

We also heard from our local environmental organizations, Newtown Creek Alliance, North Brooklyn Neighbors, Java Street Community Garden, and McCarren Demo Garden.

https://www.endfossilfuels.us/

Come ro the Friends of Greenpoint Library epic book sale tomorrow:

Saturday, September 9th, 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

All books are $1! The raffle items are bananas! See the list of generous local businesses who contributed.

Come join us and help support your library

Great Food Preservation workshop with Roots Unbound.
We pickled vegetables from the roof, talked about preservation systems, and our rooftop plants.

Join us next month for a Seed Saving Workshop
Sept. 7th and Sept. 28th, 6pm-7:30pm (they are the same workshop so sign up for just one.)

Join us tomorrow 8/17, 6pm, for a Food Preservation Workshop with Roots Unbound.

Learn how to preserve summer veg and promote self sufficiency skills.

Link in bio.

Great night cooking with neighbors and summer mushrooms, as we focus on plant based recipes here at the GEEC.

We made Dan-Dan Noodles and feasted together. Great way to spend a summer evening. Here is the fabulous recipe if you'd like to make it too.

Mushroom Dan-Dan Noodles

Ingredients:

3 packages mushrooms, finely chopped
½ cup vegetable oil
3 T soy sauce
2 T Chinkiang black vinegar (or equal parts OJ, rice vinegar, and Worchestershire sauce)
¼ cup tahini
2T sugar
6-12 T roasted chili oil w sediment
¼ cup fermented chili broad bean paste/sauce
¾ cup finely chopped canned Sichuan mustard root or 1 small bunch of greens
6 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup Shaoxing wine
2 pounds Chinese wheat noodles, or thin spaghetti, cooked
2 cups pasta water
½ to 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced



Directions:

Toss mushrooms in oil and add to cold pan on medium high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes, until mushrooms are shrunken and browned.

Meanwhile, stir together soy sauce, vinegar, tahini, sugar, chili oil, and broad bean sauce in a bowl.

Add garlic and greens to mushroom pan and stir fry until greens wilt. Stir in Shaoxing wine and allow to evaporate.

Transfer mushroom mixture to bowl with sauce. Stir in pasta water.

Put noodles in bowl and top with mushroom sauce. Garnish with cilantro and scallions. Can be eaten hot or cold.

Artists! Join Greenpoint Library for an exhibit on Greenwashing.

Exhibition Date: September 9 - October 31st, 2023

Submission Deadline: September 7th, 5pm

Share your artistic interpretation of how corporations manipulate the truth, misrepresenting their actions and impact on the environment and climate emergency.

Exhibition Location: Greenpoint Library and Environmental Education Center

107 Norman Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11222 USA

Artists may submit up to two images of artworks for consideration via e-mail to [email protected]. Artists must deliver or mail artwork by submission date.

In email:

--Include your name and contact information. All ages welcome.

--All artwork must be original and centered on the theme of Greenwashing.

--No nudity or profanity.

--Art forms may include painting, ceramics, drawing, printmaking, mixed media, photography and digital art.

--Artists are encouraged to provide a short artist's statement (max 150 words).

Works must fit in display case.

Display Case Size
Shelves are 58" long, with top two shelves at 14 3/4 deep and bottom shelf 16 3/4 deep. All shelves have 15" height.

What is Greenwashing?
Greenwashing is the act of making false or misleading statements about the environmental benefits of a product or practice. It can be a way for companies to continue or expand their polluting as well as related harmful behaviors, all while gaming the system or profiting off well-intentioned, sustainably minded consumers.

This exhibition will coincide with Climate Week in NYC.

Photo Credit:1&2: Brandalism.ch. 3. Pioneers.io

Info in Bio.

Meet one of the Green Goats who landscapes our city parks through defoliating and eliminating invasive species.

You must come! There is going to be a goat in Greenpoint Library!

That's a first.

Sat. July 22nd, 11am-1pm
All ages.

Great Plant Sensory Workshop last week with Roots Unbound.

Next Plant Sensory Workshop 7/20, 6-730pm. Registration opens 7/15, 9am.
Link to register in bio

Join us with Roots Unbound for our summer gardening series.

Workshops will be in English and Spanish (except July 6, no Spanish).

Registration required.

6pm-7:30pm

July 6th, 20th
Plant Sensory Workshop

Aug. 3rd, 17th
Food Preservation Workshop

Sept. 7th, 28th
Seed Saving Workshop

Roots Unbound (RU) is an abolitionist grassroots organization based in Brooklyn offering nature-based programming centered around food justice, therapeutic horticulture and ecological disinvestment to people in the NYC area with a focus on supporting and uplifting people impacted by the carceral system.

Saturday, July 1, 12:30-2pm

Join us for a workshop with Stephanie Fox to learn how to harness the potential of the NYC Climate Dashboard, a one-stop-shop webpage for all things climate and environmental information related in NYC.

The Dashboard aims to help New Yorkers hold the City accountable to its climate goals, to mitigate the threats of climate crisis, advance a just transition to renewable energy and a green economy, and build a city that’s more resilient in the face of rising seas and temperatures. This training will give communities the knowledge they need to use this data in their community and advocacy work.


Stephanie Fox is the Strategic Organizer for Environmental and Climate Justice at the Office of the New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, where they work in the intersection of policy and public engagement on all issues climate. Prior to this, they spent three years at the Office of the NYC Public Advocate, where they led climate organizing for the office. They come to public service after nearly a decade in both climate advocacy and the private renewables industry where they lead customer engagement and business development projects across the country for companies like NRG and Alphabet.

Thanks to beekeeper Matthew for sharing his deep knowledge of bees with our Kids Garden Club.

Not only did they learn about bees, they tasted honey not 20 minutes out of a hive, seen here.

Matthew also shared honey made soaps and lip balms as a take away.

Come share your history at Greenpoint Library’s Archival Scanning Event.

Fri. June 23, 1pm-4pm

In honor of the Center for Brooklyn History’s reopening, we’re kicking off Brooklyn is..., an exhibition that celebrates the people and neighborhoods of our diverse, richly textured borough—and you’re invited to participate! Your memory will become part of thr archive.

There will be 🍕.

Bring photos, maps, letters, and journals that document your Greenpoint and Brooklyn.

Maximum item size is 8.5x11 in.

Please no 3D items, slides, or negatives.

Come archive our neighborhood with us.

Huge thanks to our Cookmobile Librarians who taught our Kids Garden Club how to make summer roles, using vegetables from our rooftop garden.

Summer veg is coming out!

Join us for bird ID walks with Audubon NY the next two Saturday mornings.

Register in Bio.

McGolrick Park, Sat. June 17th, 10am-11:30am
Meet at the winged statue in the park's center

McCarren Park, Sat. June 24th, 10am-11:30am
Meet at the corner of Driggs and Lorimer.

Are you a kid who is practicing your reading? Come to the Greenpoint library to read to a supportive and non-judgmental audience, a certified therapy dog!

This program happens on Saturdays from 1-2pm, signups are first come first served. Sign up at the information desk!

https://www.bklynlibrary.org/calendar/read-therapy-dog-greenpoint-library-20230610

This Tuesday, June 13th, 5-7pm: Free Criminal Record Sealing Clinic with Legal Aid

Register here:

Record Sealing Clinic with Case Closed Join staff from The Legal Aid Society's Case Closed Project to learn about the different forms of relief for people with conviction records. We will help you request your rap sheet, understand what's on it, and determine whether you are eligible to seal past convictions. If eligible, we will connect...

The INSANE air quality today was the perfect background for our Parenting in the Time of Climate Change panel.

Thank you 350 BK and Climate Families NYC and our patrons for sharing experiences of direct action on climate emergency, parenting dilemmas, anxiety about getting it right, and how we can work together to create real change in our world.

Brooklyn Grange! Thank you for hosting BPL and showing us what rooftop gardening and green roofs can achieve in NYC.

What if every roof had a garden or solar panel? How our city's energy needs would change.