Leonard Library

1908 - present

The Leonard Library branch was one of the original Carnegie libraries built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Sitting on the well-shaded corner of Devoe Street and Leonard Street, this one story brick building is home to 10,000 sq ft of space, and has a history of running popular children’s programming for its largely residential neighborhood. During its recent closure due to renovations that began in 2022, the Leonard Library has been running off-site programs at neighboring establishments, such as Library on Tap at Talea, a local bar, and a Pop up Library at Here BK, a nearby coffee shop. While the building’s exterior remains similar to how it was built initially, ongoing repairs on its interior have been prominent in its history and the present moment. In literary culture, the Leonard Library was often visited by the protagonist, Francie, in Betty Smith’s renowned semi-autobiographical book A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, which was published in 1943. Leonard Library was designated as a literary landmark in 2018, upon the 75th anniversary release of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

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Details

Category
Library
Audience
All Ages
Founder(s)
Andrew Carnegie
Corporate Body
Brooklyn Public Library
Tags
afterschool, budgetcuts, landmark, literacy, neighborhood, renovations

Location

  • 81Devoe St, Brooklyn, NY 11211, USA
    ? - ?

References

  1. “Literary Landmark: Brooklyn Public Library (Leonard Branch) - Betty Smith.” American Library Association. Accessed May 13, 2025. https://www.ala.org/united/products_services/literarylandmarks/landmarksbyyear/2018/betty_smith.
  2. “Leonard Library - History.” Brooklyn Public Library. Accessed May 13, 2025. https://www.bklynlibrary.org/locations/leonard/history.
  3. Kliger, Hannah. “A Look inside the Brooklyn Public Library’s Efforts to Improve Public Access.” CBS News, November 26, 2023. https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/inside-the-brooklyn-public-librarys-efforts-to-improve-public-access/.
  4. Brooklyn Public Library. Handbook. Brooklyn, NY: Brooklyn Public Library, pp.8-9. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiug.30112042823762&seq=3.