Your newsroom @ your library

The Library Newsroom Project is a partnership-driven effort, involving not only the library and its community but also other institutions that are vital to the neighborhood.

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What we do

We transform libraries into dynamic spaces of creativity and action. By bridging the gap between community and information, and by leveraging partnerships and shared knowledge, it creates a replicable model for libraries everywhere to engage their communities in new and meaningful ways.

Invite

We create a welcoming and accessible entry point for everyone in the community. Through personal outreach, partnerships with local organizations and inclusive promotional efforts like multilingual flyers and social media, we actively bring residents into the fold. Events such as community dinners and story circles provide safe, engaging spaces for participation. By extending a warm invitation, we build trust, reduce barriers and help residents view the library as a vital hub for connection and shared action.

Listen

We ensure that community voices guide every step of the process. Structured conversations, surveys and informal dialogues help us gather insights into residents’ experiences, challenges and aspirations. Activities like community mapping or story circles uncover untold stories and overlooked needs. Listening strengthens trust and ensures that our work reflects the lived realities of the people we serve, laying the groundwork for meaningful collaboration.

Co-created

We transform insights into action by collaborating with residents and library staff to design avenues for sharing like hyperlocal bulletins or other programming that address shared challenges. Workshops and brainstorming sessions combine community expertise with library resources to create tools that connect and empower. Co-creation builds ownership and pride, producing tangible outcomes—like a bilingual bulletin—while fostering a culture of collaboration and civic engagement.

Our Projects

Sunset Park Library (current)

Building a community newsroom and monthly community bulletin in partnership with residents at Brooklyn Public Library’s Sunset Park branch.

Open Newsroom (2019-2021)

A partnership between THE CITY, a nonprofit newsroom, and Brooklyn Public Library, that created useful information on tenant and unemployment benefits in New York City.

Civic Newsroom (2021)

A partnership between THE CITY, a nonprofit newsroom, and Brooklyn Public Library, that created accessible information on voting and civics to communities with low voter turnout.