Brooklyn Public Library
Lobbying client
Brooklyn Public Library is an independent nonprofit library system, not a city agency, that serves Brooklyn's roughly 2.6 million residents through about 61 branches and receives most of its operating budget from the city. It filed 15 lobbying disclosures since 2024, registered citywide across all 51 council districts through Yoswein New York, on city library funding.
- Council members lobbied
- 51 (citywide)
- Filings (since 2024)
- 15
- Lobbying compensation (since 2024)
- $349,500
- Industry (per city contracts)
- Construction Services
- City contracts (active)
- $96,770,660 · 4 contracts
- Awarded all-time
- $174,273,863 · 15 since 2012, incl. expired
- Paid to date
- $86,872,420
- Won without a fresh bid
- 100% of contract value · $174,273,863 · 15 contracts
- Discretionary funding (FY2009-FY2027)
- $92,578,462 · 111 awards
- Funding history
- Funded every year since FY2009 (19 years running)
- Top officer pay (FY2023)
- $684,473 · Linda E Johnson, President & CEO
Represented by lobbyist firms
- Yoswein New York, Inc. Lobbyist firm
Holds contracts at
- Department of Design and Construction City agency
- Department of Education City agency
Funded by these agencies
- Brooklyn Public Library City agency
- Department of Citywide Administrative Services City agency
- Department of Education City agency
What they lobbied on
subjects from their filings
- Budget - Library funding
City contracts
Registered city contracts, largest first by current contract value (not amount spent): running now, then registered to start later, then ended. Totals count every registered contract. Each line shows its Checkbook contract ID. The tag on each row is how it was awarded (“no-bid” = non-competitive).
- Brooklyn Public Library Central Branch Renovation, Phase 2 Department of Design and Construction · CT185020251418406 $56,437,166
- Renovation of the Canarsie Library Department of Design and Construction · CT185020261416967 $26,745,607
- Construction of the Walt Whitman Library Branch, Department of Design and Construction · CT185020261417057 $12,740,980
- My Library Services Department of Education · CT104020269658300 $846,907
- Brooklyn Central Library Renovation, BK Department of Design and Construction · CT185020191428981 · ended 2022 $34,730,771
- LBP18BHBR Fit-Out for Brooklyn Heights Library Department of Design and Construction · CT185020211426237 · ended 2024 $16,350,000
- LBM16GEEC - Library Pass Through Department of Design and Construction · CT185020181423632 · ended 2021 $13,997,919
- LBM19BPLB Brower Park Library Fit Out Department of Design and Construction · CT185020221414386 · ended 2025 $5,433,750
- LB20DUMBO Adams Street Library Fit Out Department of Design and Construction · CT185020221416082 · ended 2025 $4,534,460
- MyLibraryNYC Services for FY22-FY24 Department of Education · CT104020239350232 · ended 2024 $757,630
Largest payments, by purpose
The organization's largest individual city payments (roughly $25,000 and up), grouped by purpose, to show what recent money was for. This is NOT a total — smaller payments aren't listed; see “Paid to date” above for the complete amount paid against its contracts. Fiscal years 2020 and later.
- Brooklyn Central Library Renovation, BK Brooklyn Public Library · FY2021 · 2 payments $11,120,935
- Brooklyn Public Library Central Branch Renovation, Phase 2 Brooklyn Public Library · FY2026 · 2 payments $10,574,820
- Brooklyn Central Library Renovation, BK Brooklyn Public Library · FY2020 · 2 payments $9,636,239
- Brooklyn Central Library Renovation, BK Brooklyn Public Library · FY2022 $5,926,469
- LBM16GEEC - Library Pass Through Brooklyn Public Library · FY2020 · 2 payments $4,799,895
- LBP18BHBR Fit-Out for Brooklyn Heights Library Brooklyn Public Library · FY2023 $4,680,776
- LBM19BPLB Brower Park Library Fit Out Brooklyn Public Library · FY2024 $3,183,082
- Brooklyn Central Library Renovation, BK Brooklyn Public Library · FY2023 $3,063,325
- LBM16GEEC - Library Pass Through Brooklyn Public Library · FY2021 · 2 payments $2,589,913
- LBP18BHBR Fit-Out for Brooklyn Heights Library Brooklyn Public Library · FY2022 $1,500,578
- LB20DUMBO Adams Street Library Fit Out Brooklyn Public Library · FY2023 $1,425,000
- LB20DUMBO Adams Street Library Fit Out Brooklyn Public Library · FY2024 $1,379,170
- LBP18BHBR Fit-Out for Brooklyn Heights Library Brooklyn Public Library · FY2024 $1,256,222
- LBM16GEEC - Library Pass Through Brooklyn Public Library · FY2022 $1,020,238
- LBM19BPLB Brower Park Library Fit Out Brooklyn Public Library · FY2026 $819,076
- Brooklyn Central Library Renovation, BK Brooklyn Public Library · FY2025 $700,960
- MyLibraryNYC Services for FY22-FY24 Department of Education · FY2024 · 2 payments $382,492
- Provide and share resources through MyLibraryNYC - BPL Department of Education · FY2022 · 2 payments $350,034
- Provide and share resources through MyLibraryNYC - BPL Department of Education · FY2021 · 2 payments $329,644
- LB20DUMBO Adams Street Library Fit Out Brooklyn Public Library · FY2026 $273,851
Discretionary funding received
City Council discretionary (member-item) awards, largest first. Covers FY2009-FY2027.
- BPL Subsidy Restoration BPL Subsidy Restoration · Bpl · FY2012 $17,019,000
- FY2010 Partial PEG Restoration FY2010 Partial PEG Restoration · Bpl · FY2010 $11,870,000
- FY2011 Partial PEG Restoration-Libraries FY2011 Partial PEG Restoration-Libraries · Bpl · FY2011 $10,075,806
- BPL Subsidy Restoration BPL Subsidy Restoration · Bpl · FY2013 $6,138,000
- Brooklyn Public Library Brooklyn Public Library · Bpl · FY2016 $5,880,000
- FY2009 Partial PEG Restoration FY2009 Partial PEG Restoration · Bpl · FY2009 $4,413,000
- Fiscal 2023 Subsidy: Brooklyn Public Library Fiscal 2023 Subsidy: Brooklyn Public Library · Bpl · FY2023 $4,380,300
- Fiscal 2024 Subsidy: Brooklyn Public Library Fiscal 2024 Subsidy: Brooklyn Public Library · Bpl · FY2024 $4,380,300
- Fiscal 2025 Subsidy: Brooklyn Public Library Fiscal 2025 Subsidy: Brooklyn Public Library · Bpl · FY2025 $4,380,300
- Brooklyn Public Library Brooklyn Public Library · Bpl · FY2020 $3,906,000
- Fiscal 2022 Subsidy: Brooklyn Public Library Fiscal 2022 Subsidy: Brooklyn Public Library · Bpl · FY2022 $3,906,000
- BPL Subsidy Restoration BPL Subsidy Restoration · Bpl · FY2014 $3,556,000
- Brooklyn Public Library Brooklyn Public Library · Bpl · FY2021 $3,320,100
- Brooklyn Public Library Brooklyn Public Library · Bpl · FY2019 $2,250,000
- Libraries Libraries · Bpl · FY2015 $1,400,000
- City's First Readers City's First Readers · Bpl · FY2023 $438,114
- City's First Readers City's First Readers · Bpl · FY2024 $438,114
- City's First Readers City's First Readers · Bpl · FY2025 $438,114
- City's First Readers City's First Readers · Bpl · FY2026 $438,114
- City's First Readers City's First Readers · Bpl · FY2027 $438,114
Funded by these council members
City Council members who steered discretionary (member-item) money to this organization, largest first (FY2020 and later, where the sponsoring member is disclosed). Sitting members link to their page.
- Mercedes Narcisse FY2022 · 5 awards $75,000
- Shahana K. Hanif FY2022-2027 · 8 awards $65,500
- Maisel FY2020-2021 · 3 awards $45,000
- Brannan FY2020-2026 · 7 awards $35,000
- Lander FY2020-2021 · 5 awards $25,100
- Stephen Levin FY2020 · 1 award $5,000
- Susan Zhuang FY2024 · 1 award $5,000
- Lincoln Restler FY2027 · 1 award $5,000
- Kayla Santosuosso FY2027 · 1 award $5,000
- Alexa Avilés FY2027 · 1 award $5,000
Officer & key-staff pay
Reportable compensation from this organization's IRS Form 990 (Part VII), latest available filing (FY2023). Includes pay from related organizations where reported; an annual figure, not a running total. Source: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
- Linda E Johnson President & CEO $684,473
- Karen M Sheehan EVP Finance/CFO $341,394
- Nicholas L Higgins Chief Librarian $313,029
- David Woloch EVP Of External Affairs $306,984
- Laszlo J Orsos VP Of Arts And Culture $298,041
- Amadu Wagie VP Of Finance $290,813
Officer pay over time
Total officer pay changed +9% from FY2020 to FY2023. Top-officer reportable compensation by year (org-paid only), with each year's share of total revenue. Source: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer 990 filings.
- FY2020 Linda E Johnson · 1.68% of revenue $628,156
- FY2021 Linda E Johnson · 1.54% of revenue $626,087
- FY2022 Linda E Johnson · 1.83% of revenue $679,909
- FY2023 Linda E Johnson · 1.81% of revenue $684,473
Federal awards
Federal awards made directly to this organization in fiscal years 2023 through 2026. Each amount is what the federal government has OBLIGATED on that award as recorded on USAspending.gov as of 2026-08-31 — money committed, not money paid out. These are prime awards only: federal money this
- Institute of Museum and Library Services 45.313 Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program · Institute of Museum and Library Services · Grant $388,777
- Federal Communications Commission 32.009 Emergency Connectivity Fund Program · Federal Communications Commission · Direct payment $287,851
- Federal Communications Commission 32.004 UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND - SCHOOLS and LIBRARIES · Federal Communications Commission · Direct payment $280,542
- Federal Communications Commission 32.004 UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND - SCHOOLS and LIBRARIES · Federal Communications Commission · Direct payment $263,313
- Federal Communications Commission 32.011 Affordable Connectivity Outreach Grant Program · Federal Communications Commission · Grant $244,359
- Federal Communications Commission 32.009 Emergency Connectivity Fund Program · Federal Communications Commission · Direct payment $184,496
- Federal Communications Commission 32.004 UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND - SCHOOLS and LIBRARIES · Federal Communications Commission · Direct payment $167,378
- Federal Communications Commission 32.004 UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND - SCHOOLS and LIBRARIES · Federal Communications Commission · Direct payment $140,400
- Federal Communications Commission 32.004 UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND - SCHOOLS and LIBRARIES · Federal Communications Commission · Direct payment $131,761
- National Endowment for the Humanities 45.164 Promotion of the Humanities Public Programs · National Endowment for the Humanities · Grant $75,000
- Federal Communications Commission 32.009 Emergency Connectivity Fund Program · Federal Communications Commission · Direct payment $71,997
- Federal Communications Commission 32.009 Emergency Connectivity Fund Program · Federal Communications Commission · Direct payment $44,250
- Federal Communications Commission 32.004 UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND - SCHOOLS and LIBRARIES · Federal Communications Commission · Direct payment $28,717