Brooklyn Public Library Now Lets You Borrow Hundreds Of Vinyl Records

Bookworms and, eh, earworms unite! If your eyes can squint at text no longer, you can now enrich your browsing experience by borrowing a vinyl record at the Brooklyn Public Library (BPL).

On Tuesday, the library opened the Vinyl Lending Library, bringing access to 400 records to the masses. These titles were curated by the establishment’s own librarians at record stores, and run the gamut from classical and hip-hop genres to rock, country, and show tunes.

Notably, librarians ensured artists who were strongly associated with New York formed the backbone of the vinyl collection. It took about a year to bring this selection to life.

According to Hyperallergic, BPL was compelled to make vinyl records available following a revival of interest for the retro collectibles.

Patrons can “browse” these non-textual resources via the new listening stations on the first floor before checking them out with just their library cards. Vinyls can be on loan for up to three weeks.

BPL is already the first public lending library of its kind to let visitors borrow musical instruments—such as violins and ukuleles—and sheet music for up to a month. With vinyl records on its playbook playlist, the library hopes to nurture the public’s cultural understanding beyond the realm of books.

In line with this vision, the establishment is also lining up programs to introduce patrons to audio production, DJ-ing, sampling, and music coding.

To kickstart the project, BPL will host August Lunch Beats at the central lobby, where employees will spin records, at noon every Thursday. In addition, DJ Face Control will head a jamming session on Tuesday, August 30.

[via Hyperallergic and Time Out, cover image via Rawpixel.com / Adobe Stock]