Lincoln Branch Library

About Us

The Lincoln Branch Library is located at 851 Joseph Avenue at the intersection of Joseph Avenue and Avenue D. The library opened in May 1994 on the site of a former factory. The one-story renovated structure is the largest city branch library with over 11,800 square feet and houses approximately 40,000 items.

The Lincoln Branch serves a population of approximately 25,000. Its neighborhood is predominately African-American, with a growing number of Spanish-speaking people and Asians, as well as a remnant of the Russian-Jewish, Polish, and Ukrainian populations that were once dominant.

The Lincoln Branch provides a wide range of library services to its ethnically diverse community. In addition to Lincoln's Hispanic collection which includes Spanish-language books, videos, and music, special collections include a Black Studies collection, a career and civil service test collection, a child care collection, and a popular video collection (VHS and DVD).

The Lincoln Library building also houses the Toy Resource Center, which offers for loan about 5,000 toys appropriate for children ages 0-8. The library works closely with neighborhood groups and agencies, as well as area daycare, elementary, and secondary schools. Over 45% of the population in the Lincoln service area is under 18 years of age.