Greenpoint Library
🏢 Brooklyn Public Library · Brooklyn, New York
Greenpoint Library
Opened in October 2020, the LEED Gold-certified Greenpoint Library and Environmental Education Center is Brooklyn's most sustainable branch — a three-story Marble Fairbanks-designed landmark at 107 Norman Avenue whose solar canopy, rainwater cistern, rooftop demonstration garden and three Eco Labs deliver more than 300 environmental programs a year in Brooklyn's historic 'Little Poland' neighborhood.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 10am–6pm |
| Tuesday | 1pm–8pm |
| Wednesday | 10am–6pm |
| Thursday | 10am–8pm |
| Friday | 10am–6pm |
| Saturday | 10am–5pm |
| Sunday | 1pm–5pm |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 107 Norman Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11222
Phone: (718) 389-4394
Website: bklynlibrary.org
Plus Code: 87G8P2GX+CP (Brooklyn, NY)
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Point your phone camera at the code to open turn-by-turn directions in Google Maps.
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📖 About Greenpoint Library
The Greenpoint Library traces its roots to 1906, when Brooklyn's eighth Carnegie branch opened at this same Greenpoint address — a Classical Revival brick-and-limestone hall designed by R. L. Daus at a cost of $75,000. That original building was demolished in the early 1970s and replaced by a one-story structure in 1973. In 2017 the 1973 building was torn down and construction began on the current three-story facility, funded in large part by a $5 million grant from the Greenpoint Community Environmental Fund — itself seeded by a $25 million Exxon Mobil settlement over the historic Newtown Creek oil spill — plus $1.8 million from the NY State Education Department and more than $14 million in Library and City capital funds. Designed by Brooklyn-based Marble Fairbanks Architects with landscape architects SCAPE, the nearly $23 million building opened to the public in October 2020 and achieved LEED Gold certification for its displacement-ventilation HVAC, solar panels, rainscreen insulation, calibrated solar-window sundials, bioswale, rainwater cistern and pollinator green roof. The branch doubles as a hands-on environmental classroom, housing three Eco Labs, a rooftop Demonstration Garden with raised beds, a second-floor Reading Garden and a large divisible community room, all serving Greenpoint's vibrant Polish-American community and growing waterfront population.
⭐ What makes this library special
- LEED Gold-certified building (2020) designed by Marble Fairbanks + SCAPE — features a solar canopy, rainwater cistern, four solar-window sundials and a pollinator green roof
- Three fully equipped Eco Labs with sinks, stainless steel countertops and refrigerators — used for gardening, mycology, foraging, composting and household energy workshops
- Rooftop Demonstration Garden with raised beds and second-floor Reading Garden open to the public, plus a Leonard Street bioswale filtering stormwater runoff
- More than 300 environmental education programs a year in partnership with local advocacy groups — from eco-book clubs to soil-cycle and birding workshops
- Built on the legacy of Brooklyn's eighth Carnegie library (1906), designed by R. L. Daus — the site has hosted public reading for more than 118 years
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Greenpoint cardholders access free digital collections through Brooklyn Public Library and New York State:
📚 Services
- Three Eco Labs for hands-on environmental workshops (sinks, refrigerators, stainless countertops)
- Rooftop Demonstration Garden with raised beds and second-floor Reading Garden
- Large divisible community room plus 6-8-person meeting rooms
- Public computers, printing and free Wi-Fi
- Library card registration and renewal (valid at all 60 BPL branches)
- Hold pickup and book returns
- Environmental Justice Coordinator on staff for community advocacy programs
🎸 Programs
- Environmental education workshops: gardening, birding, foraging, mycology, herbalism
- Soil cycles, solar energy and household energy efficiency classes
- Composting, textile mending and eco-book club programs
- Children's storytime and Read & Play sessions
- Greenpoint Environmental History Project — oral history archive and brownfield documentation
📍 Nearby Libraries in Brooklyn
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Greenpoint Library Environmental Education Center, and what can I do there?
The full name of the branch is the Greenpoint Library and Environmental Education Center — a designation that reflects the building's three Eco Labs, rooftop Demonstration Garden and second-floor Reading Garden, all designed for hands-on environmental learning. The library runs more than 300 programs a year covering gardening, birding, foraging, composting, mycology and herbalism, delivered in partnership with local advocacy and education groups. You can browse the calendar at bklynlibrary.org/locations/greenpoint or contact the branch at (718) 389-4394.
Was there a Carnegie library at this address before the current building?
Yes. Brooklyn's eighth Carnegie library opened at this Greenpoint address in 1906, designed by architect R. L. Daus in Classical Revival style at a cost of $75,000. The building deteriorated and was demolished in the early 1970s; a one-story replacement opened in 1973. That 1973 building was itself torn down in 2017 to make way for the current LEED Gold three-story facility, which opened in October 2020 — meaning public library service has continued on this site for more than 118 years.
How was the new Greenpoint Library funded, and what does the Exxon settlement have to do with it?
The nearly $23 million project was funded through multiple sources: the largest single grant came from the Greenpoint Community Environmental Fund (GCEF), a nonprofit that manages a $25 million settlement Exxon Mobil paid in 2010 for contaminating Newtown Creek — just blocks from the library — with one of the largest petroleum spills in U.S. history. The GCEF contributed $5 million specifically for the library's environmental education spaces. Additional funding came from $1.8 million from the New York State Education Department and more than $14 million in Brooklyn Public Library and City of New York capital funds.
Which nights is Greenpoint Library open late, and what are the weekend hours?
The branch is open until 8pm on Tuesday and Thursday. Monday, Wednesday and Friday run 10am–6pm. Saturday hours are 10am–5pm and Sunday 1pm–5pm. Hours can shift around holidays — check bklynlibrary.org/locations/greenpoint or call (718) 389-4394 before visiting.
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