BROOKLYN, NY.- Brooklyn Public Library is the first in the nation to host the Museum of Care, a tiny museum created by MICRO and exploring the past, present and future of care giving. Visitors can learn how people’s ability to care for each other drove human evolution; find about the skills required to provide care today through the life stories of care workers across the globe; and advocate for health equity.

Located inside Central Library’s Civic Commons at 10 Grand Army Plaza, the exhibition, which is free and open to the public, is one part of the Library’s ongoing public health initiative and follows special programming related to Health Literacy Month. Built by MICRO, an organization whose fleet of tiny museums engage communities in conversations about the natural world and supported by Johnson & Johnson’s Center for Health Worker Innovation, an initiative focusing on what individual health care workers need to thrive on the job, the Museum of Care is on view through November 30, 2021.

To complement the museum’s exhibits, BPL librarians have prepared a series of books for children and adults about caregivers and patient advocacy. The Library also offers a wide range of programs for caregivers and those in need including:

• Brooklyn Supports: Ongoing meet ups in branches around the borough for coffee, connection and access to housing, food, employment, health insurance, and mental health assistance, in a safe environment with BPL’s Social Work Project staff.

• Positive Aging: Courses in effective communication with dementia patients, fall prevention, understanding osteoporosis and more.




• Creative Aging: Courses in art, writing, current events and debate to help keep older adults connected and engaged.

• Community Outreach: Partnering with Test and Trace, community centers, houses of worship and other community partners to provide testing and information on staying safe during the pandemic.

• Healthy Communities Initiative: Free courses in healthy cooking and meal planning, maternal health and advocacy, and fitness and exercise including everything from Zumba to meditation.

“The museum is right in line with the outreach program at BPL, where every month is health literacy month for our staff” said Eva Raison, director of Outreach Services. “As we work in every neighborhood in the borough, we must consider the social determinates of health, health equity and care at the family and community level.”

The Museum of Care is the second MICRO museum hosted by Brooklyn Public Library. The Smallest Mollusk Museum, the very first exhibition of MICRO, had its world premiere at Central Library.

The Museum of Care was created with the guidance of an advisory team which included Joanne Peter, Director, Social Innovation, Center for Health Worker Innovation; Jerry Lewis Ong, Assistant Vice President, Temasek; Bolu Brea, Medic in General Practice Based in London, Social Media Activist, Founder of The Omo Yoruba Club; Annette Sampson, Registered Nurse, Warm Springs Health & Wellness Center; Lindsay Portnoy, Associate Professor, Northeastern University’s Doctor Of Education Program; Whitney Schreiber, Diabetes Outreach Nurse; Lisa Fitzpatrick, Physician, Medical Epidemiologist, and Founder at Grapevine Health, Madeline Ballard, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Community Health Impact Coalition; and Margaret Gurowitz, Chief Historian, Johnson & Johnson.

MICRO collaborated with HunterGatherer on graphic design for the Museum of Care. HunterGatherer, a multidisciplinary design studio, focuses on telling its clients’ stories in ways that are artful, intelligent, elucidating, and sometimes funny. The studio is based in Brooklyn, New York and specializes in art direction, illustration, animation, branding and experience design.