The Multilingual Center is a public service division of the Central Library located on the first floor at Grand Army Plaza and houses Brooklyn's first centralized world languages collection including major languages of Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Hebrew and French Creole. Materials of fiction and non-fiction in Arabic, Bengali, Urdu, Japanese, Italian, Polish, Yiddish, Portuguese and Korean are also prominent among more than 30 languages represented in the collection. The Center is equipped with computer stations with software to enable learning in English, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, French and many other languages. In addition, the Center makes print and non-print materials for learning languages available to borrow.

To help newly arrived immigrants adjust to their new home, the Center conducts free conversations in English, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, French, Italian, Arabic, etc.; free computer training in major world languages; lectures and workshops on citizenship, job training, financial help and local social services. Through its cultural programs the Center presents lectures and readings, musical programs and exhibits that will increase awareness of the literary, performing and folk arts of our patrons' countries of origin. Book reading events in Spanish, French and Russian conducted by the Multilingual Center staff are very popular. Check our online calendar for upcoming programs and events.

In addition, significant collaborative programs with institutions inside and outside the library are coordinated and conducted by the Multilingual Center staff to meet the ever increasing needs of the immigrant community. The Center also recruits multilingual volunteers to assist with conversation roundtables.

For any details please call the reference desk of the Multilingual Center at 718-230-2417.