The lobby of the Brooklyn Public Central Library’s Central Library at Grand Army Plaza buzzed with budding engineers as they competed in the annual BKLYN Library Robotics League championship on Jan. 25.
This year’s top honors went to the team Irving Hawks of the Washington Irving Library, who claimed the coveted 2023 champion title, beating more than a dozen teams from libraries across the borough.
Second and third place went to Clarendon and Kings Bay Libraries, respectively. All three teams will advance to a citywide tournament later this year.
This year’s theme, “Unearthed,” challenged participants to prepare months in advance in collaboration with NYC FIRST, an organization that empowers students from diverse communities across New York City to engage with STEM and robotics.
Using LEGO SPIKE robotics and creative problem-solving, participants aged 9 to 17 built robots to remove topsoil and uncover hidden treasures, excavate heavy objects, recover artifacts, and reconstruct statues and other structures. Along the way, they learned valuable communication skills, including teamwork, conflict resolution, respect, and empathy.
The library system, which houses five teen tech centers at Kings Highway, Saratoga, Adams Street, Crown Heights, and Bay Ridge Libraries, offers the BKLYN Robotics League as part of a broader suite of programs. Patrons of all ages can explore science and technology through programs such as T4, a technology internship for teens; free computer basics courses; and advanced workshops in motion graphics, audio editing, 3D printing, AI, and more.
BPL President and CEO Linda Johnson thanked the parents, volunteers, librarians, and staff who helped the teams thrive, praising the “inventive” participants.
“The BKLYN Robotics League provides children and teens the opportunity to not only learn about building and programming robots, but also to develop their collaboration and communication skills,” Johnson said.
BPL, one of the nation’s largest library systems and among New York City’s most democratic institutions, has provided innovative library services for more than 125 years. The system supports personal advancement, fosters civic literacy, and strengthens the fabric of community for the more than 2.6 million people who call Brooklyn home.
Through initiatives such as Books Unbanned, BPL offers teens across the U.S. access to its online catalog. The system provides nearly 65,000 free programs each year with writers, thinkers, artists, and educators from around the corner and around the world — giving patrons millions of opportunities to enjoy one of life’s greatest satisfactions: the joy of a good book.
