Guy-Clement describes Center for Brooklyn History formation
Guy-Clement explains that the Center for Brooklyn History was formed in 2020 by merging Brooklyn Public Library and the Brooklyn Historical Society. It holds tens of thousands of books, 1,600 archival collections, and hundreds of thousands of photographs.
Brooklyn is not just a place with a remarkable history.
It is a place whose history has shaped New York City and the country.
The Center for Brooklyn History exists to make sure that history is collected, preserved, studied, and accessible to the public.
In 2020, Brooklyn Public Library and the then Brooklyn Historical Society joined together,
bringing the borough's two most significant historical collections about Brooklyn under one roof and creating the Center for Brooklyn History.
The partnership paired the Historical Society's deep archival holdings with BPL's Brooklyn collection and the reach of a 62-location public library system, with the goal of making Brooklyn's history more accessible to everyone.
Today, the Center for Brooklyn History holds tens of thousands of books, more than 1,600 archival collections, hundreds of thousands of photographs, maps, artifacts, paintings, newspapers, and oral history interviews.