Finding Free Literary Resources: Community

This link goes directly to the website's research guides to provide ideas about what is available within the Brooklyn Public Library collection. These research guides provide a mix of what's freely accessible online and in library use only.

Located in Brooklyn, NY, a central part of its function is to serve as a lending library and reading room. Its mission is to "encourage people to read and value fiction and to support and celebrate its creation and enjoyment." The website informs readers of local events, including author readings, reading groups and writing workshops. Of interest to readers everywhere are authors' essays and videos of authors' talks and discussions. It also provides access to essays and it its e-journal the Literariean as well as a series Syntax/Synapse which holds events and posts essays relating to the intersection between fiction and neuroscience.

Digitized scans of rare art, books, manuscripts, and sketchbooks from within the Morgan Library collection.

Digitized collections gathered from over 430 archives, cultural institutions, libraries, and museums throughout the state of New York. A visitor can browse by contributing organization, which includes Hofstra University.

The NYPL digital collection contains over 1,000,000 digitized items and includes art, books, manuscripts, maps, and photos. A little under half of the collection is within the public domain, but many of the items that are copyright protected can still be downloaded.

This library holds over 70,000 poetry books, but only some of the literature held by Poets House is digitized and available for viewing. However, the library keeps a record of past programs and interviews accessible for free.

Learn more about the local history of Queens, Brooklyn, and Nassau and Suffolk counties. A fantastic feature on the Queens Public Library website includes the Queens Name Explorer, a digital map that allows one to learn the name origins for various streets and public spaces across the Queens borough.