If you’ve always wanted to learn a musical instrument — and you happen to be a Brooklyn resident — get yourself to the Brooklyn Public Library.
Starting Wednesday, the BPL became the first public musical instrument lending library in New York City, enabling adult library patrons to rent — for free — a violin, acoustic guitar, ukulele, electronic keyboard, drum pad or music stand for a period of two months from the Central Library.
“As a diverse and creative borough, Brooklyn is home to many aspiring musicians,” Jesse Montero, director of the Central Library, told Metro. “Still we know many people, both amateur and advanced musicians, cannot always afford to purchase the musical instruments they need to begin or advance their musical education. We are delighted to partner with the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music to provide access to all of the borough’s talented performers.”
And if you want to learn to play that instrument if you don’t already know how, as a special launch promotion, the first 20 BPL members to borrow a musical instrument will receive two free private lessons from the Conservatory if they purchase three lessons.
The musical instrument lending library is available to any adult patron with a current BPL card and less than $15 in fines. They’ll be able to check out one instrument at a time, as well as a music stand.
To borrow from the musical instrument lending library, patrons should email musicloan@bklynlibrary.org to see if an instrument is available. If it is, BPL staff will contact them to schedule an appointment to check it out. Patrons will need to fill out a loan agreement form.
All musical instruments will be available for pick up and return at the reference desk in the Art & Music Division on the third floor of Central Library at 10 Grand Army Plaza.
