Branch Detailed Info | Queens Library

Free computer access is available at all the libraries.

The Broad Channel Community Library has:

4 public computers
Free Internet access
Microsoft Office software
Limited free printing

Queens Library Public Internet Use Policy.

TBD

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Each branch of the Queens Library provides for general and local needs by collecting both general interest materials and more specialized materials in English and other languages.

Special Interest/Noteworthy Collections at the Broad Channel Community Library include:

Broad Channel Historical Collection

Child Care / Preschools
Community Board
Community Organizations & Services
Fire Department
Local Hospitals

Local Newspapers
Parks and Playgrounds
Police Department
Post Office
Public Elementary Schools

Public High Schools
Senior Centers
Elected Officials
History
Special Services

Child Care / Preschools
Rockaway Child Care Center 14-66 Beach Channel Drive Far Rockaway NY , 11691 phone: (718)327-1384	Rockaway Community Neighborhood Head Start Program 72-05 Beach Channel Drive Far Rockaway NY , 11691 phone: (718) 945-3077	Hammels Child Care Center 82-10 Rockaway Beach Blvd Rockaway Beach NY , 11693 phone: (718) 474-3162

Community Board
American Legion Post 1404 209 Crossbay Blvd. Broad Channel NY , 11693 phone: (718) 474-5029

Community Organizations & Services
American Littoral Society North East Chapter Meetings are held on the 1st & 3rd Fridays of the month 28 West 9th Rd Broad Channel NY , 11693 phone: (718) 474-5029	Broad Channel Athletic Club P.O. Box 1 Broad Channel NY , 11693 phone: (718)318-0600	Broad Channel Civic Association P.O. Box 4 Broad Channel NY , 11693 phone: (212) 530-7774
Broad Channel Historical Society The collection is housed in the Broad Channel Library c/o Broad Channel Civic Association P.O. Box 4 Broad Channel NY , 11693 phone: (718) 474-1127	Iroquois Yacht Club 1004 Church Rd Broad Channel NY , 11693 phone: (718) 474-9668	North Channel Yacht Club 1622 Church Rd Broad Channel NY , 11693 phone: (718) 634-5106
Prince-Wynn VFW Post 260 713 Shad Creek Rd Broad Channel NY , 11693 phone: (718)327-1384	Shad Creek Association, Inc. 529 Crossbay Blvd Broad Channel NY , 11693

Fire Department
FDNY- Engine 266 92-24 Rockaway Beach Blvd. Far Rockaway NY , 11693	Broad Channel Volunteer Fire Dept.& Ambulance Corps. Emergency Phone: (718) 474-8888 15 Noel Rd. Broad Channel NY , 11693 phone: (718) 474-6888

Local Hospitals
Peninsula Hospital Center 5115 Beach Channel Dr Far Rockaway NY , 11691 phone: (718) 734-2000

Local Newspapers
The Wave Located off Crossbay Blvd. 1½ miles Joseph Addabbo Sr. Bridge (Formerly North Channel Bridge) Look for the brown Parks Dept. sign P.O. Box 930097 Rockaway Beach NY , 11693 phone: (718) 634-4000

Parks and Playgrounds
Gateway National Park Jamaica Bay National Wildlife Refuge Floyd Bennett Field Brooklyn NY , 11234 phone: (718) 318-4340	Playgrounds Gene Gray Park East 9th Road and Crossbay Blvd NY ,	Seventeenth Road Playground Seventeenth Road and Crossbay Blvd NY ,

Police Department
100th Precinct 92-24 Rockaway Beach Blvd Far Rockaway NY , 11693 phone: (718) 318-4200

Post Office
Post office 90-14 Rockaway Beach Blvd Rockaway NY , 11693

Public Elementary Schools
P.S. 47 Chris Galas School (Preschool–8) 9 Power Rd Broad Channel NY , 11693 phone: (718) 634-7167

Public High Schools
410 Beach Channel High School 100-00 Beach Channel Dr Far Rockaway NY , 11694 phone: (718) 945-6900

Senior Centers
Queens Community Board # 14 19-31 Mott Avenue Far Rockaway NY , 11691 phone: (718) 471-7300	Hammel Senior Center United Irish 90-01 Rockaway Beach Blvd. Far Rockaway NY , 11693 phone: (718) 634-4047	Rockaway Senior Service Center 90-01 Rockaway Beach Blvd. Far Rockaway NY , 11693 phone: (718) 634-1215

Elected Officials
NYC Council Hon. Eric Ulrich EUlrich@council.nyc.gov
District Office Address 93-06 101st Avenue Ozone Park NY, 11416 phone: (718) 738-1083 fax: (718) 738-1918	Legislative Office Address 250 Broadway, Suite 1555 New York NY, 10007 phone: (212) 788-7069
NYS Assembly Hon. Stacey Pheffer Amato AmatoS@nyassembly.gov
District Office 95-16 Rockaway Beach Boulevard Rockaway Beach NY, 11693 phone: (718) 945-9550 fax: (718) 945-9549	Albany Office LOB, Room 827 Albany NY, 12248 phone: (518) 455-4292 fax: (518) 455-4723
NYS Senate Hon. Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. Addabbo@nysenate.gov
District Office 159-53 102nd Street Howard Beach NY, 11414 phone: (718) 738-1111 fax: (718) 322-5760	Albany Office Room 613, Legislative Office Building Albany NY, 12247 phone: (518) 455-2322 fax: (518) 426-6875
US Congress Hon. Gregory W. Meeks
District Office 153-01 Jamaica Ave., 2nd Floor Jamaica NY , 11432 phone: (718) 725-6000 fax: (718) 725-9868	Legislative Office 2234 Rayburn House Office Building Washington DC, 20515 phone: (202) 225-3461 fax: (202) 226-4169
Boro President Hon. Melinda Katz Info@queensbp.org

Mayor Hon. Bill de Blasio

History

Broad Channel is a small close knit community, two miles long and three blocks wide. In the 1640’s the area was sold to the Dutch. The land was granted to Hempstead settlers and became part of the Town of Jamaica.

In 1881, it became a stop on the Long Island Railroad. The railroad allowed Broad Channel to become a summer hot spot for city travelers. Over 3 million people traveled by train each year to the Rockaway beaches and the Broad Channel hotels. Hotels grew and seasonal bungalows popped up. Residents paid $25 in rent each year to the city’s Dock Department.

Around 1900, Jamaica Bay became part of New York City. By 1907, there were an estimated 300 homes and businesses in Broad Channel. Fishing was a big industry there until 1921 when the bay became too polluted to continue to fish. The completion of Cross Bay Boulevard in 1925 allowed Broad Channel to change from a seasonal area to a year round residence.

In 1938, Robert Moses tried to have the residents evicted and the whole area made into wildlife refuge and recreational park. The plan was too expensive, and in 1950, after the train trestle burned down, the Metropolitan Transit Authority took over train service. Several small islands were connected by filling in part of the bay for the construction of the new A train. The area that was filled in became the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. The 9,155 acre refuge was opened in 1953. Today more then 325 species of birds have been found there.

This was not the first or the last time the residents were facing eviction, including by a JFK runway expansion plan and a plan to make Broad Channel part of Gateway National Park. During this whole time residents were fighting to purchase their land from the city. Finally in 1995 the battle was won and residents were able to buy the land their homes were built on.

Broad Channel is the home to one of New York City’s ten remaining volunteer fire departments. The Broad Channel Volunteer Fire Department has been serving the community for over 100 years.

The community was served for many years by a weekly Bookmobile, which was withdrawn during the city’s fiscal crisis in the mid-1970’s. After some years of community pressure for the reinstatement of library service, Queens Library decided to provide library service by means of a pre-fabricated Porta-Branch, the first to be erected in Queens. Serving a population of 2,500 people, the Broad Channel Library opened on July 17, 1990.

Sources:

Broad Channel Historical Collection

Home Town Long Island by Newsday with Forward by Billy Joel

The Other Islands of New York City: a History and Guide by Sharon Seitz and Stuart Miller

Special Services

Return all Queens Library books, videos, music at Queens Library at Broad Channel. Use the self-service book return, available every day and every night. Receipts given for your security.