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Queens Library History

Early History and Organization
The first library in Queens was organized in 1858 in Flushing on a subscription basis. Incorporated in 1869, it became a free circulation library in 1884. In the 1890s, several other communities started local library service - Steinway, Hollis, Queens Village, Richmond Hill, Ozone Park, Long Island City, and Astoria. These seven libraries formed the nucleus of the present Queens Library. Three (Long Island City, Steinway, and Astoria) were members of the Long Island City Public Library, chartered in 1896. The Queens Borough Public Library was incorporated in 1907.
 
The city contributed support to most of the seven libraries. Preferring to deal with one group rather than seven, the city held several conferences to consider consolidating the administration of these independent units. In January 1901, all of the libraries except Flushing joined to form the Queens Library. The charter granted to the new system by the Regents of the State of New York was worded to extend the service area of the old Long Island City Public Library to the entire borough. Operating funds were provided by the City of New York.
 
Shortly after the formation of the system, Flushing joined, as did a new library founded in College Point. Funds totaling $240,000 donated by Andrew Carnegie were used for the construction of seven new libraries in the most heavily--populated areas of the borough. Five of these buildings (Astoria, Elmhurst, Poppenhusen, Richmond Hill, and Woodhaven) are still in use.
 
In 1906, a traveling library office was set up to extend library service to under-served, less-densely populated areas. Its primary function, at first, was the placement of collections of from 100 to 600 volumes in various Queens locations. These locations were chosen on the basis of the ability of the owner of the facility to provide space, to administer the collection, and to insure use by the public. By 1910, use of these collections had grown to such an extent that a Traveling Libraries Department was established. In addition to collections, stations were established in stores and offices, and trained librarians were on hand to provide service to the public. In 1914, stations were established in schools, and by 1915, prison service was also offered through a station.
 
The Department of Work with Children was created to supervise and direct all aspects of children's work in the agencies. Training classes, story hours, and radio programs were developed. In 1919, the Department of Branches and Apprentices was created, combining responsibility for work with children, management of staff, and supervision of branches. In addition, the department head was responsible for operating the Library's Training School. By 1923, this new department ceased to function and the Department of Work with Children was reinstated. In 1926 the Traveling Library Department became the Extension Department and its service units were re-classified as sub-branches, school stations, community stations, and collections.
 
In order to provide library service to the many areas still without it, bookmobile service was added in 1930. Hospital service began in 1933 and was further extended in 1937 when shut-in service was inaugurated. Meanwhile, service to schools had grown so that it became necessary, in 1930, to create a Department of School Libraries. By 1934, collections were supplied to 16 schools, and trained librarians were on duty at all times. This service continued until 1944 when staff shortages and lack of funds forced its elimination.
 
The Queens Library has shown a longstanding concern for the welfare of its employees. On June 25, 1937, with the City of New York, it elected to have its staff covered by the New York State Employees' Retirement System. On July 9, 1945, employees were covered by the New York City Career and Salary Plan. The Library has been unionized since April 16, 1969. Library staff may choose to be represented by District Council 37, Local 1321, of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, A.F.L.- C.I.O.
 
The Extension Department and the Department of Branch Administration merged in 1956 to form the Extension Services Department with responsibility for the development of all public services outside of the Central Library building. All sub-branches were raised to full branch status. Professional staffs were assigned, hours of service expanded, book collections enlarged and cataloged, and other steps taken to place all branches on an equal-service footing. A review of the new department's activities led to the elimination of collections in schools and gradual discontinuance of the use of bookmobiles for school service. The name was changed to Community Library Services in 2005 to better reflect the full-service capability of each library.
 
LIBRARY BUILDINGS AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS
Central Library
The original Central Library on Parsons Boulevard in Jamaica was opened in 1930 and expanded with WPA funds in 1941. It was a splendid four-story Renaissance Revival building. In spite of its elegance, it was too small for the demand and was replaced by a new, more spacious facility in 1966, through the persistent efforts of the Library Director, Harold W. Tucker. The city-owned building at 89-11 Merrick Boulevard, Jamaica, has the distinction among the three city library systems of having most public services on one floor. The building was renovated and expanded in 1989. A multi-year phased renovation project will begin in 2010 to keep up with growing demand for library services.
 
Part of the Central Library expansion will be the Children’s Library Discovery Center, a 14,000- square foot Children’s Library which will concentrate on math and science topics. It will include hands-on exhibits and library materials that entertain while they educate in a child-friendly environment. The Children’s Library Discovery Center is scheduled to open late in 2010.
 
Community Libraries
Although not the first Queens Library facilities, the Carnegie-financed libraries which were built between 1904 and 1924 were unquestionably the most distinctive. The $240,000 donated by Andrew Carnegie was used for the construction of seven new libraries in the most heavily--populated areas of the borough. Five of these buildings (Astoria, Elmhurst, Poppenhusen, Richmond Hill, and Woodhaven) are still in use. They are characterized by their stately solidity and expensive decorative details. The Carnegie-era Flushing Branch was razed to make way for a more modern building in the 1950s, and the Far Rockaway Branch was destroyed by fire in 1962.
 
Library branches were added slowly as the borough’s population expanded. By 1946, Queens Library had 44 branches plus the Central Library and a very active bookmobile.
 
The 1965 federally-funded Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA) spurred an ambitious capital building program by making federal funds available to build libraries in communities that were underserved. LSCA only provided 10% seed money. The balance required City funding. The City was in a serious fiscal crisis which persisted throughout the administration of Mayor Lindsay (1966-1973). Many new libraries that had been approved under Mayor Wagner's administration (1954-1965) remained unbuilt, unfinished or unopened until the late 1970s or early 1980s. In 1965, twelve branches were on the list that had been approved but could not be built. Cost-consciousness when those branches were eventually built reduced them to the most spare, utilitarian design, branding them with the derisive name of "Lindsay boxes." In the mid 1960s, additional LSCA funds were granted on an emergency basis to finish the new Central Library and the Flushing and Far Rockaway Branches, which were desperately needed but stalled because of lack of funding.
 
The 1990s began a truly successful renaissance in library building, thanks in large part to the support of Borough Presidents Claire Shulman and Helen Marshall and the City Council. Unwavering support to literacy and education resulted in the funding and opening in 1998 of the 76,000-square foot Flushing Library. The flagship facility houses a branch library, an Adult Learning Center, the International Resource Center, a state-of-the-art auditorium and exhibit space. It is the busiest branch library in New York State. In 1999, new Langston Hughes and South Jamaica Branches opened for customer service. Additionally, the Borough President’s office and the City Council provided funding for new branches in Cambria Heights (opened 2006) and Long Island City (opened 2007).
 
Following the terrorist attack on New York City in 2001, the City’s revenues plummeted, forcing a severe reduction in all City-funded services, including library hours. In spite of fewer library hours, demand for services continued to grow, underscoring their importance in the community. In FY 2008, funding permitted the restoration of six-day-a-week library service. Legislators at all levels of government allocated more money for capital library construction in the three years 2003 – 2006 than had been allocated in the previous 19 years put together, more than $100 million. It will allow the library to renovate and expand sorely overcrowded and outdated facilities. New library buildings are being planned for Glen Oaks, Elmhurst, Far Rockaway and the new communities near the East River.
 
INNOVATIVE SERVICES TO CHILDREN AND YOUTH
One of Queens Library's major innovations was the establishment of its "Operation Head Start" program which began in March 1965. Made possible with federal funding through LSCA (the Library Services and Construction Act, later changed to LSTA), it was designed to introduce preschoolers to books. Staff provided picture book hours and parent programs in community libraries in educationally disadvantaged areas. In 1967, the library inaugurated "Library-Go-Round", a bus that made designated stops in areas where children were unlikely to be taken to a library, offering much the same service as "Operation Head Start". It was expanded to include the "Tell-a-Tale Trailer" for older children and the "Teenmobile" for young adults, which also served prisons and drug rehabilitation centers. Cuts in federal support ended "Operation Head Start" in 1972 and all vehicular special services were discontinued in 1976 until the Bookmobile re-emerged in 2006. Queens Library, however, continued innovative programs to promote childhood literacy with Toddler Learning Centers and family literacy programs. In October of 1994, the Connecting Libraries and Schools Project (CLASP) began in School District 30, eventually expanding throughout the borough. Its job was to form a close liaison between schools and libraries. In Fiscal Year 2001, CLASP served 156,300 students. CLASP was suspended following severe budget cuts in 2001.
 
In 1989, Queens Library piloted a Latchkey Program in response to the growing problem of unattended children in the library, apparently sent there after school because parents perceived the library to be a safe haven with adult supervision. Latchkey and Homework Assistance Programs were given in approximately half of Queens Library locations. Major funding for monitors, homework help materials and recreational programs came from corporate and institutional donors. The concept was folded into an upgraded BOOST (Best Out of School Time) program in 2005. BOOST provides a framework for better trained Activity Assistants in the community libraries, as well as more enriching activities for the children. All Queens Library locations participate in the BOOST program. Online one-on-one tutoring provided inside the library is a feature of the enhanced BOOST program, and a big boon to the borough’s students.
 
Inventive outreach initiatives for young adults was a hallmark of the first years of the millennium, particularly to teens at risk. Queens Library formed strategic relationships with law enforcement agencies and community stakeholders to bring teens into the library. Federally-funded Juvenile Justice grants provided youth counselors, who work in some community libraries full time to engage the teens and help them stay in school. A contracted social worker is available part-time to refer more profound social problems. The library made an effort to enhance teen library collections and to carve out dedicated teen areas in every library it renovated.
 
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY POWERS LIBRARY BUSINESS OPERATIONS
Queens Library has been a leader in using technology to improve both information delivery to customers and back-office operations. In 1978, Queens Library had the City's first computerized circulation system. Computer Output Microfilm (COM) catalogs supplanted the card catalog. Later, standalone CD-ROM catalogs became the norm. In 1990 a second generation circulation system was installed. With a newer data communications network, a few reference databases such as the World Book Enclyclopedia were provided to the branches as early as 1991. In 1992, the circulation system was linked to a network of other, similar systems for the purpose of exchanging cataloging records. The library's catalog became available on the Internet in May, 1993, and was accessible from anywhere in the world. In September, 1993 a text-based Online Patron Access Catalog (OPAC), dubbed InfoLinQ™, was installed in Central Library to test its feasibility. Support by the City Council made it possible to expand the OPAC system-wide. Preparations are underway to switch to a new generation of Integrated Library System in 2007. In addition to supporting enhanced catalog features, it will pave the way for improved customer service features.
 
The face of information delivery changed with the expansion of the Internet. In celebration of Queens Library's Centennial on March 19, 1996, the Library unveiled its own web site with its web based OPAC. It permitted access to the library's catalog, commercial research databases, fast links to select Internet sites and more. The catalog was available with English, Spanish, Chinese and Korean interfaces. Every Queens Library had internet access by the end of the fiscal year. In November of 1996, a new service of selected international Internet sites was made available for customers who speak languages other than English through WorldLinQ™, which was developed through a grant from AT&T. Electronic information delivery has continued to progress. By 2006, wireless Internet access was available in every library location, as well.
In 2007, library customers can access Queens Library's catalog and research databases from their homes, schools or offices; can take workshops in computer and software use can read a selection of electronic books ("e-books") in English or Chinese without ever coming into the library, download music and videos and more.
 
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY EMPOWERS CUSTOMERS
In January 1999, the Cyber Center opened at the Central Library. It features 48 workstations for customer use, closing the gap between technology "haves" and "have-nots" in Queens. Partnering with corporations and foundations permitted expansion of this valuable service throughout the system. Grants from the Gates Foundation, for instance, funded the Far Rockaway Small Business Resource Center which opened in 1997, as well as smaller Cyber Centers in other community libraries. In 2007, customer-use computers are among the most popular library services. 
 
In 2003, Queens Library began experimenting with a new way to serve its customers. By allowing technology to take over much of the repetitive clerical work, such as checking out of materials, staff were freed up to spend more time interacting with customers and helping them locate and use the library’s resources. In 2005, Queens Library developed proprietary self-service kiosks, which operate using Radio Frequency Identification chips (RFID) that are embedded into each library item and into the library borrower’s card. The kiosks allow customers to check out all types of library materials, pay fines and fees by cash, check or credit card, check their library accounts and multiple other routine business functions without staff intervention. The new system cut lines in libraries dramatically. The self-service system is being rolled out and will be deployed in all Queens Library locations over the next few years. Additionally, 24-hour self-service check-in units are being installed, beginning late in 2010. They will be installed all over Queens in the coming years. As engaging as the self-service kiosks are, the important change is that it frees staff to do what they do best: serve customers, act as Information Guides to the library’s electronic and print resources, help with school work, and interact with the community.
 
MORE THAN BOOKS
 The Queens Library has continued its long history as a leader in developing specialized services that meet identified community needs, as the following examples illustrate:
· Free literary, cultural and informational programs are favorites with library customers. From author talks to puppet shows to flamenco dancers to classical concerts, some 435,000 customers attended 21,000 programs in 2006.
· The importance of global information was emphasized further with the opening of the International Resource Center in 1998, as part of the Flushing Library. It houses information on the economy, geography and culture of the world, with a special emphasis on economics.
· The Langston Hughes Community Library and Cultural Center was the realization of a grass-roots effort to create a community library that would reflect and celebrate the heritage of African-Americans. The Library Community Action Committee of Corona-East Elmhurst approached Queens Library for help in obtaining an LSCA grant, and Langston Hughes opened its doors in April 1969. In 1987 the library came under the system's aegis and is funded through the Library's expense budget. A new state-of-the-art building opened for public service in 1999.
· The New Americans Project (NAP), established in the early 1970s to assist new immigrants through popular collections of materials, programs, and services in their native languages, has served as a model for other libraries. NAP's first formal collection was in Spanish, begun in 1986. Chinese was added in 1988; Korean in 1991; six Indic languages in 1994; and Russian in 1996. Smaller collections in 19 other languages, such as Haitian Creole or Polish, are purchased for branches where the need exists.
In 1998, the first Queens Directory of Immigrant-Serving Agencies was compiled and published by the Library’s New Americans Program. It is the only resource of its kind, listing available social and human services and cross-indexing them with their linguistic capability, so a library customer can find legal advice or medical testing or child care in his preferred language. A Database of Community Service, listing similar services for all residents, was also compiled. Subsequently, both directories were made available electronically. They were joined by www.bienvenidosaqueens.org, an online directory to immigrant services for Spanish speakers.
· ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) classes, originally administered by NAP but part of the Adult Learner Program since 2001, have been received with special enthusiasm in this rapidly-changing borough. More than 3,000 students annually receive free, formal classroom instruction, while many more use the Adult Learning Centers for self-study and to practice English conversation with volunteer tutors.
· In 1977, Queens was the first public library in New York City to establish a literacy volunteer program (the Adult Literacy Program), which provides free individual and group instruction to persons 16 and older who read below the fifth grade level, or who want to improve their fluency in English in dedicated Adult Learning Centers. Pre-GED classes are also available, as are combined ESOL/Literacy classes. Family Literacy Programs and Health Literacy became part of the Adult Learner Program in 2002. They represent new approaches to teaching English to speakers of other languages, along with practical, instructional content and vocabulary.
· Since 1981, the Library has maintained special services (including materials, equipment, programs, and information/referral) for senior citizens and people with disabilities through a state-funded operation, Library Services to Older Adults and Library Services to Person with Disabilities. In 1991, these units were combined and renamed Special Services, a division of the Programs and Services Department. Special services provides library service to people who cannot access it in traditional ways. Collections of large print books are rotated to nursing homes. Books are mailed to the homebound by request. Multi-lingual books on select topics are made available to prison libraries throughout New York State via interloan.
· In 1995, the Queens Gallery opened in the Central Library. Several major exhibitions are on display year incorporating cultural, historical and cultural themes. An exhibit of special interest to children is installed during the summer.
  
SERVING THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY
Queens Library is committed to the global exchange of information, to facilitate collection development, and to serve the information profession as a whole. Queens Library signed agreements of interlibrary cooperation with the Shanghai Library in 1996 and the National Library of China in 1997. Other international library partnerships include the Bibliothèque publique d'information, Paris, France and the Biblioteca Pública y Complejo Cultural Mariano Moreno, Bernal, Argentina. They permit the exchange of personnel, library materials, and exhibits and greatly facilitate collection development in languages other than English. Queens Library was named a Sister Library with the August Cesarec Library, Zagreb, Croatia by the White House Millennium Council. Queens Library is also a Sister Library with the Mayakovsky Central City Public Library in St. Petersburg, Russia.
 
ENSURING A STRONG FUTURE
Queens Library views fulfilling its role as a primary destination and information as extending beyond merely lending books and other library materials. An ever-changing roster of needed programs currently includes hiring high school and college students to help library customers use technology or to tutor children, providing expanded literacy services to adults, after-school programming, museum-worthy Gallery exhibits and more. These special programs fall outside the scope of the public funding stream. In 1986, the Queens Library Foundation was established to raise supplementary funds from private, corporate and foundation sources. In 2006, the Queens Library Foundation raised more than $1.8 million.
 
Planning to serve future generations of Queens residents is an integral part of library operations. Five Year Plans had been in effect at Queens Library for many years -- a useful, but static, way to plan. A formal strategic planning process was begun in Fiscal Year ’95. The process incorporates staff from all levels of the library's operations. Its purpose is to drive library operations in a concerted way across all levels, to analyze potential threats and to maximize opportunities so that Queens Library can continue to serve its customers to the best of its ability, in the present and future, while at the same time being flexible enough to respond to quickly-changing circumstances. In 2009, a dynamic initiative to optimize customer service was undertaken.   
 
 
HOW QUEENS LIBRARY EXCELS
Queens Library has been first in circulation in New York State since 1985, the Library maintained the highest circulation of any city library in the country since 1985 and among the highest circulations of any library in the nation since 1987. Factors responsible for this growth have included technological innovation, use of merchandising techniques, and strong outreach programs, and the development of community library collections relevant to the needs of individual neighborhoods. The system serves a population of 2.2 million through its Central Library and sixty-two community libraries.
Queens Library's circulation has continued to increase exponentially:
 

1896 - 1905
1,305,982
1906 - 1915
9,164,234
1916 - 1925
18,586,436
1926 - 1935
29,198,858
1936 - 1945
35,651,185
1945 - 1954
36,180,736
1955 - 1964
71,392,548
1965 - 1974
73,888,353
1975 - 1984
61,355,977
1985 - 1994
123,313,971
1995 – 1999
78,492,243
2000 - 2005
2006 - 2010          
84,500,000
110,000,000

In Fiscal Year 2006, Queens Library broke all records by circulating more than 20 million items in a single year, topping it with 21 million in Fiscal Year 2007.
 
As new methods of information delivery technology develop, however, circulation will be only one of several indicators of the quantity and quality of public library service Queens Library provides.
 
Throughout its history, Queens Library has innovated ways of serving the information needs of its publics, as the Borough itself changed. Staff and administration, under the leadership of the Board of Trustees, have every expectation of continuing that tradition. Queens Library will be as relevant in the next century as it was in the past century.
 
ADDENDUM A: RECENT AWARDS
 
Queens Library has been recognized nationally as a role model and innovator, earning it many recognitions and awards. They include:
      2010, Marshall Cavendish Award for Excellence in Library Programming for Queens Library HealthLink, given by American Library Association 
     2010, Elizabeth Futas Catalyst for Change Award given to Loida Garcia-Febo, Assistant Coordinator, New Americans Program & Special Services 
     2009, Library Journal’s Library of the Year Award
     2009, Finalist, E Pluribus Unum Award for programs encouraging the integration of immigrants. Given by the Migration Policy Institute.
     2008, Multicultural Award for Outstanding Service to Immigrant Communities, given by the Ethnic Services Round Table, NY Library Association, to Fred Gitner, Coordinator.
     2008, Joseph F. Schubert Award for Library Excellence (first runner-up), for Queens Library HealthLink
     2008, Excellence in Design Awards, new Glen Oaks and Elmhurst community Libraries.
     2007, NYC Art Commission Award for the design of the new Queens Library at Glen Oaks. 
     2007, Nylink Achievement Awards in two categories for a program to bring multilingual library materials to inmates in New York State Correctional facilities through Interloan 
     2007, WebFeat President’s Award for Innovation for integration of WebFeat with DRA Classic
     2006, Webby Award from International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences for homeworkNYC.org, a homework help website
     2006, WebFeat President’s Awards for Innovation nominee
     2005, Nylink Achievement Award for MARC:Detrans, software that machine-translates catalog records from transliteration into Cyrillic 
     2005, Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies, American Library Assocation’s Exceptional Service Award, for service to multilingual populations in Department of Corrections custody.
     2003, Lewis Howard Latimer Fund Award for Continuous Support and Commitment, to the Long Island Division
     2002, AIA New York State Award of Excellence, for the Flushing Library’s design and architecture.
     2002, Dun & Bradstreet Award for Outstanding Service to Minority Business Communities, for a variety of programs in support of business.
     2002, 3rd Place IFLA 3M Marketing Award, International Federation of Library Associations, for the opening of the Flushing Library 
     2001, Gale/EMIERT Award, ALA-Ethnic and Multicultural Information Exchange round Table, to Queens Library Strategic Workteam on Children and Teens, for publication of "Open the Books and See All the People"
     2001, 2nd Prize for Exhibition Catalogs, American Assn. Of Museums, to Visible Traces Exhibit Catalog, Museum Publications Design Competition
     2001, AIA Award for Architecture, American Institute of Architects, to Polshek & Partners/Queens Library, for excellence in architectural design - Flushing Library
     2000, National Award for Library Service, Institute of Museum and Library Service, to Queens Library, national recognition of community service
     2000, Digital Steppingstone Project, Tomás Rivera Policy Institute, to Queens Library, for being an outstanding example of how a community library can bridge the "digital divide"
     2000, Earth Day Top Ten Award, American Institute of Architects, to South Jamaica Branch, for sustainable energy design
     1999, ALA/Information Today Library of the Future Award, ALA, to Queens Library, for multilingual customer training programs for electronic information resources in four languages
     1999, Groundbreaker Award, Transitional Services for NY, to Gary E. Strong, for leadership
     1999, Sister Libraries designation, U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Informational Science, to Queens Library, for international partnerships
     1999, ALA/AIA Award of Excellence, ALA & American Institute of Architects, to Queens Library & Polshek & Ptrs., for distinguished accomplishment in library architecture - Flushing Library
     1999, Library Site of the Month, Hot Spot, to WorldLinQ, for outstanding contribution to the library community online
     1998, RUSA/ALA Gale Research Award for Excellence in Reference and Adult Library Services, ALA, to Queens Library/New Americans Program, for Queens Directory of Immigrant-Serving Agencies
     1998, Joseph E. Schubert Library Excellence Award, NY State Regents Advisory Council on Libraries, to Queens Library, for WorldLinQ
     1998, Recognition, Queens County Builders & Contractors Association, to Queens Library, for excellence in design and construction - Flushing Library
     1997, John Cotton Dana Award for Library Public Relations, ALA/LAMA, to Queens Library, for Centennial year celebration and entry onto worldwide web
     1997, PLA/Highsmith Library Innovation Award, PLA, to Queens Library, for WorldLinQ
      1994, Governor's Award for African-Americans of Distinction, to Andrew Jackson, Executive Director of the Langston Hughes Community Library, for educational outreach programs
     1991, Leonard Wertheimer Multilingual Award, PLA, to Adriana Acuan Tandler, for the New Americans Program
     1987, Pura Belpré Award for Achievement, ALSC/REFORMA, to New Americans Program for "Say Sí: promotional campaign
     1983, Winifred Fisher Award, N.Y. Adult Education Council, to QBPL, for skill in assisting the handicapped