Each year, approximately one million people walk through Central Library's majestic 50-foot high entryway, and countless others access its unique services online. Located at the intersection of Flatbush Avenue and Eastern Parkway on Grand Army Plaza, Central Library contains over one million cataloged books, magazines, and multimedia materials. In addition, its local history division, the Brooklyn Collection, holds millions of individual items including photographs, maps, manuscripts, Brooklyn Dodgers memorabilia and other ephemeral items. The landmarked facility boasts the S. Stevan Dweck Center for Contemporary Culture, which hosts lectures, readings, musical performances and other events for people of all ages. The recently renovated plaza hosts concerts throughout the summer and is Brooklyn's favorite outdoor destination for free wireless internet access.

Opened on February 1, 1941, the Central Library is the major reference center for BPL's 60-location system. The library's notable architecture was created to resemble an open book, with the spine on Grand Army Plaza and the building's two wings opening like pages onto Eastern Parkway and Flatbush Avenue.