QPL Introduces New Mobile Library
Vehicle Will Be Stationed Each Wednesday in Breezy Point and Serve Communities Across Queens on Other Days
Breezy Point, NY_ Queens Public Library President and CEO Dennis M. Walcott, NYC Council Minority Leader Joann Ariola and community members today marked the launch of a new QPL mobile library and the start of weekly library service in Breezy Point with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a packed lineup of activities.
The event took place outside the Breezy Point Cooperative Activity Center at 17 West Market St., where the mobile library will be stationed every Wednesday from 10 AM to 5 PM.
“This fantastic vehicle will not only extend our reach. It will also offer a next-generation experience to everyone who steps inside, engaging individuals of all ages through its innovative features and inspiring programs,” said QPL President and CEO Dennis M. Walcott. “We are thrilled to introduce this mobile library in Breezy Point, where it will provide regular library access. We are deeply grateful to the Office of NYC Council Minority Leader Joann Ariola for funding this bookmobile, and we look forward to serving local residents right in the heart of this neighborhood.”
The 32-foot-long, 13-ton vehicle is equipped with an automatic wheelchair lift, a retractable exterior awning, a skylight, solar power technology, and two Wi-Fi-enabled TV screens. It also has 12 laptops, a printer, Wi-Fi access, a self-checkout machine, gaming systems, and a collection of 5,000 books and other materials for people of all ages.
The mobile library will offer storytimes, early literacy sessions, STEM activities, movies, arts and crafts workshops, book discussions, and more.
Customers can also sign up for library cards, check out, return and reserve materials, and access digital resources, databases, and reference services.
Manufactured by Farber Specialty Vehicles in Reynoldsburg, Ohio, and funded by the Office of NYC Council Minority Leader Joann Ariola, the $500,000 mobile library is wrapped in purple and features the Library’s logo and a map of its locations.
QPL has provided intermittent mobile service in Breezy Point over the years, including after Superstorm Sandy, which in 2012 flooded the waterfront neighborhood and caused a fire that devastated more than 100 homes. Now, Breezy Point residents will have access to regular library service in their community. The nearest QPL location is the Seaside branch in Belle Harbor, about 4.5 miles away.
“For too long, Breezy Point has gone without a library of its own,” said NYC Council Minority Leader Joann Ariola. “That's all changing. I'm proud to partner with the Queens Public Library to finally give residents here the resources they deserve. This mobile library will open the door for more learning and greater opportunities, and I look forward to its impact being felt for years to come.”
“On behalf of the Breezy Point Cooperative community we sincerely thank NYC Councilwoman Joann Ariola and Queens Public Library President and CEO Dennis M. Walcott for this wonderful opportunity to bring library services directly to our children, seniors and residents,” said Denise Lopresti, General Manager of the Breezy Point Cooperative.
“Reading is fundamental, and it's essential that underserved communities have equal access and opportunity to expand their minds,” said Community Board 14 District Manager Felicia Johnson. “I grew up visiting the bookmobile every summer, joining reading programs and contests. My 93-year-old mother, who holds a Master’s in Library Science, worked on our local bookmobile—she loved delivering not just books, but adventures to neighborhoods and their children. I’m thrilled to see this valuable resource return. Thank you to Queens Public Library for this wonderful gift.”
This mobile library is the first of three new vehicles that will hit Queens streets this year, bringing library services to shelters, senior centers, hospitals, and other locations. The new vehicles will complement QPL’s existing fleet of two mobile libraries, which will now primarily serve neighborhoods where branches are temporarily closed for renovations.
About Queens Public Library
Queens Public Library is one of the largest and busiest public library systems in the United States, dedicated to serving the most ethnically and culturally diverse area in the country. An independent, non-profit organization founded in 1896, Queens Public Library offers free access to a collection of more than 5 million books and other materials in 50 languages, technology, and digital resources. Each year, the Library hosts tens of thousands of online and in-person educational, cultural, and civic programs and welcomes millions of visitors through its doors. With a presence in nearly every neighborhood across the borough of Queens, the Library consists of 66 locations, including branch libraries, a Central Library, seven adult learning centers, a technology lab at the Queensbridge public housing complex, a community learning center at the Ravenswood public housing complex, and five teen centers. It also has two bookmobiles and two book bicycles.
CONTACT: Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska, ekern@queenslibrary.org
