QPL Celebrates Its 130th Anniversary with Free, Instant Access to 15 Popular eBooks
The Library also invites customers to explore all QPL locations with a system-wide trading card scavenger hunt
QUEENS, NY_ Queens Public Library is celebrating its 130th anniversary with a series of initiatives highlighting its rich history and collections—including limited-time instant access to 15 of its most popular eBook titles, with no waiting lists, through the Libby app and OverDrive platform.
The campaign will run from March 19 at 10 a.m. through March 20 at 11:59 p.m. and will feature recent customer favorites and trending titles including: Rachel Reid's Game Changers series (including Heated Rivalry), Katabasis by R. F. Kuang, The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins, The Astral Library by Kate Quinn, We Are All Guilty Here by Karin Slaughter, Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell, The God of the Woods by Liz Moore, Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt, James by Percival Everett, and Kin by Tayari Jones.
Children’s and teens titles include Dog Man: Big Jim Believes by Dav Pilkey, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Partypoopers by Jeff Kinney, Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins and A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas.
Another digital celebration is taking place on Queens Memory’s Name Explorer website, with a registry of individuals who have worked for, supported, or in other ways impacted QPL and our communities.
Beginning March 19, customers can also join a system-wide scavenger hunt to collect limited-edition library trading cards showcasing each location’s hidden treasures—from rare books and WPA murals to unique artworks and standout architecture. Visitors who complete a brief activity at a specific location will receive a trading card representing that library.
"For 130 years, our libraries have opened doors to opportunity for the people of Queens," said QPL President and CEO Dennis M. Walcott. "Growing from one location in Long Island City to 66 branches across the borough, we have continually evolved, expanding beyond books and beyond our walls to offer everything from children's storytimes and ESOL classes for new Americans to free Wi-Fi, computer access, job skills workshops, and other essential services that meet the changing needs of our diverse communities."
Queens Public Library was founded March 19, 1896, when the Long Island City Public Library received its charter from the New York State Board of Regents. Its first location — the Nelson Branch in Hunters Point — opened on August 3, 1896. The Steinway Free Circulating Library became its second branch later that year, following the death of its founder, William Steinway, whose father, Henry E. Steinway, established the renowned piano company, Steinway & Sons. Its third branch, Astoria, opened in a rented storefront on Fulton Avenue in February 1898. Elsewhere in Queens around that time, other efforts were underway to merge several private libraries into a single public institution to further their missions. The system was renamed Queens Borough Library, reflecting its commitment to serving communities across the borough. Today, QPL has 66 locations throughout Queens, with most of its 2.4 million residents living within a mile of a library.
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 five bookmobiles and two book bicycles.
CONTACT: Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska, ekern@queenslibrary.org