History

Oakland Gardens consists of almost 20,000 acres that were deeded to European settlers in 1645. This area was originally referred to as the “alley”. The “alley” consisted of the marshes, fields, and trees south of the Little Neck Bay. The community developed its name from the Oakland Golf Course, which was created in the 1890s. The golf course later became home to Queensborough Community College, Benjamin Cardozo High School, and P.S. 203. The area further developed due to the addition of Long Island Rail Road service in the 1800s.

The population experienced a boom after WWII. The development of many of the major apartment complexes and single-family housing occurred between the 1940s and 1960s. Many of the people who came to settle in Oakland Gardens during this time period were from Brooklyn and the Bronx. The diversity in the population has grown in recent years.

The first library services in Oakland Gardens began through the efforts of the Library Sub-Committee of the Bell Park Gardens School Committee. They championed for library facilities for the community. The early efforts of the committee succeeded in obtaining a Book Bus stop for the Bell Apartments; however the committee continued their efforts to obtain a branch library.

The Windsor Park Branch Library had its grand opening on September 17, 1951 at 73-28 Bell Boulevard in a rented store space. The community discovered that a larger library facility was needed. In 1956, Windsor Park Branch Library moved to its current location of 79-50 Bell Boulevard. The branch experienced major renovations in 1976 as well as several minor building projects that contribute to the appearance of the library today.