The Sketchbook Project

The Sketchbook Project, located in The Brooklyn Art Library, houses a unique collection of art: a collaborative library of sketches.

Open to visitors, each sketchbook is cataloged and has a unique barcode that makes browsing easy. The Sketchbook Project is home to over 30,000 sketchbooks from over 70,000 contributors from 135 countries.

People who are interested in contributing to the project can sign up on the library’s website.

For those who can’t visit the physical library, digital copies of many sketchbooks are available online. The Brooklyn Art Library also offers a traveling version of their library collection.

The Toy Museum of New York

The Toy Museum of New York is based in downtown Brooklyn, and offers workshops, performances and webinars.

The Toy Museum, which opened in 1999, has entertained and educated over 100,000 students. The museum is an educational institute chartered by The University of the State of NY Education Department, a NYC Department of Education Vendor and a registered charity.

The museum offers a traveling educational outreach program that visits schools and provides workshops for children, adults and seniors.

After 20 years of educating about the history of toys, The Toy Museum of NY is producing a new children’s television show. The pilot episode launched in February and features classic toys, new toys and their inventors.

The Brooklyn Bird Club

The Brooklyn Bird Club has been active for more than 100 years! Originally founded in 1906 by Dr. Edward Vietor, the club aims to “promote conservation and birdwatching in Brooklyn and beyond.”

The Brooklyn Bird Club hosts spring and fall early morning bird walks and organizes birding trips within the tri-state area. They present lectures on a variety of topics including bird song, nature photography and warbler identification.

A focus on conservation—how to maintain a natural environment within an urban setting—is a priority for The Brooklyn Bird Club.

Upcoming events include “Gulls Galore.” Together with Prospect Park Alliance, this is an opportunity to explore the park’s nature trails and discover the different species of gulls in the park.