When Life Asked for Cloth: Generational Repair at the Brooklyn Public Library

On Thursday, August 13, Repair Café El Barrio founder Rocío Salceda will participate in the first public session of the Repurposeful Ancestry Lab at the Flatbush Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library.

The Repurposeful Ancestry Lab is a free, creative community space dedicated to exploring the traditions of repair, reuse, and resourcefulness passed down through families and communities. Through storytelling, hands-on workshops, a community materials library, and a digital map of Brooklyn’s repair practices, the project celebrates the often-unrecognized artists and caretakers who give objects—and traditions—a second life.

Rocío will present When Life Asked for Cloth: A Story of Generational Repair, tracing how four generations of women transformed abandonment and scarcity into resourcefulness, creativity, and care. Through family photographs, sewing, clothing, and her mother’s croquetas—which she will share with the community—Rocío explores inherited skills, the overlooked value of women’s labor, and the personal journey that ultimately led her to create Repair Café El Barrio.

Event Details

Repurposeful Ancestry Lab: First Public Session
Thursday, August 13, 2026
Flatbush Library, Brooklyn Public Library
Free and open to the public

Participants are invited to bring a broken or repaired object with a meaningful story. To learn more, contact repurposefulancestry@gmail.com or follow @repurposefulancestry on Instagram.