Blog posts

It’s back...the mobile library will be touring Queens.

Visit the mobile library’s walk-up window to sign up for a library card and more! Learn about how to attend virtual programs, how to reserve a book, and how to chat with a librarian. Get a free gift!

For your health and safety, there is no browsing on the bus and the bus is not accepting book returns at this time. 

Mobile Library Schedule: 

Thursday, October 29, 1:30-4pm: Beach 116th Street (Near the Beach) 
Thursday, November 5, 1:30-4pm: Queens County Farm Museum (Little Neck Parkway & 71 Avenue) 
Tuesday, November 10, 1:30-4pm: Queens Bridge Park (Vernon Blvd. & 41 Avenue) 
Tuesday, November 17, 1:30-4pm: Brookville Park (Brookville Blvd. & Mayda Road)
Wednesday, November 18, 1:30-4pm: La Jornada/Together We Can Food Pantry at the Queens Museum (Queens Museum North Parking Lot, Flushing Meadows Corona Park)  
Thursday, November 19, 1:30-4pm: Juniper Park (Juniper Blvd. South & 80th Street) 
Tuesday, December 1, 1:30-4pm: Jamaica Colosseum Mall (Jamaica Avenue & 165th Street)  

All Queens Public Library locations providing to-go service will be closed on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

Although the Library will be closed, several of our branches will still serve as polling sites that day.

Queens residents will cast their votes at the Briarwood, Central, East Elmhurst, Elmhurst, Forest Hills, Kew Gardens Hills, Lefferts, Lefrak City, North Forest Park, Peninsula, Ridgewood, St. Albans, and Seaside libraries, from 6AM to 9PM.

In addition, our Jackson Heights branch is an early voting site from now through Sunday, November 1st.

Is your library where you should vote? Please visit https://nyc.pollsitelocator.com/search or call 866-VOTE-NYC (866-868-3692) to confirm the correct location for you to vote in your neighborhood.

If you have other questions about voting, please visit our special voting FAQs blog post.

Please make sure that your voice is heard—make sure that you vote!

Update: October 23, 2020, 8:30PM

Forest Hills and Rego Park Will Reopen Monday, October 26

We are pleased to share that Forest Hills Library, located at 108-19 71 Avenue, and Rego Park Library, located at 91-41 63 Drive, will reopen to the public for to-go service on Monday, October 26.

With to-go service, you can reserve materials and pick them up at a library branch. Call 718-990-0728, visit our website, or use our mobile app to request materials. We are now taking requests for these locations.

For more information, visit our reopening website.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Queens Public Library

 

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Update: October 14, 2020, 5:00PM

Ozone Park Library Opening for To-Go Service October 19

We are excited to announce that Ozone Park Library, located at 92-24 Rockaway Boulevard, will be opening on Monday, October 19 for to-go service and returns. Customers can start selecting Ozone Park now as a pickup location for their future requests.

To-go service allows you to request materials in advance through our app, website, or by phone at 718-990-0728 and pick them up at the designated library.

Visit our reopening website for more information and to see a list of all QPL branches open for to-go service and returns.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Queens Public Library

 

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Update: October 7, 2020, 5:00PM

Forest Hills and Rego Park Branches Closed Until Further Notice

Forest Hills Library, located at 108-19 71 Avenue, will be closed until further notice for to-go service and returns in response to heightened concerns about the spread of COVID-19.

Rego Park Library, located at 91-41 63 Drive, will be closed until further notice for to-go service in response to heightened concerns about the spread of COVID-19. You can still return library materials at this branch.

Please visit our website or call 718-990-0728 for assistance.

Thank you for your understanding. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Queens Public Library

 

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Update: October 4, 2020, 10:00PM

Kew Gardens Hills Library Closed Until Further Notice

Kew Gardens Hills Library, located at 72-33 Vleigh Place, will be closed until further notice for to-go service and returns in response to heightened concerns about the spread of COVID-19.

Please visit our website or call 718-990-0728 for assistance.

Thank you for your understanding. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Queens Public Library

 

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Update: September 21, 2020, 5:00PM

More QPL Branches Opening for To-Go Service September 28; No Fines or Fees Until January 2021

We are excited to announce that seven more branches will be opening on Monday, September 28 for to-go service. In total, 22 QPL branches will be open when these seven reopen.

The seven branches are:

• Arverne Library
• Auburndale Library
• Forest Hills Library
• Fresh Meadows Library
• Hillcrest Library
• Langston Hughes Library
• Sunnyside Library

On Tuesday, September 22, customers can start selecting these branches as pickup locations for their future requests, but they will not be open for to-go service until September 28.

Starting Monday, September 21, you can return your library materials to Fresh Meadows, Langston Hughes, and Sunnyside, but they will not be open for to-go service until September 28.

The branches that are currently open for to-go service are:

• Astoria Library
• Bayside Library
• Bellerose Library
• Cambria Heights Library
• East Elmhurst Library
• Jackson Heights Library
• Kew Gardens Hills Library
• Laurelton Library
• Long Island City Library
• Peninsula Library
• Queensboro Hill Library
• Rego Park Library
• Ridgewood Library
• South Ozone Park Library
• Whitestone Library

To-go service allows you to request materials in advance through our app, website, or by phone at 718-990-0728 and pick them up at the designated library.

We are also happy to announce that there will be no fines and fees on any library materials checked out this year until January 4, 2021 at the earliest. Additionally, all blocks on library cards with fines and fees of $15 have been lifted until further notice.

For more information, visit our reopening website, where you can watch videos about how to-go service works and how we are keeping our customers safe, read about our reopening plan, and get answers to frequently asked questions.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Queens Public Library

 

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Update: August 3, 2020, 12:00PM

To help keep our customers informed, we’ve compiled this list of print and electronic books in English, Chinese, and Spanish about the history of pandemics and the current COVID-19 crisis. We also have a list of health websites and research articles for you to explore.

And remember: 15 QPL branches are now open for to-go service!

 

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Update: July 27, 2020, 2:00PM

More QPL Branches Opening for To-Go Service August 10

We are excited to announce that eight more branches will be opening on Monday, August 10 for to-go service. In total, fifteen QPL branches will be open when these eight reopen.

The eight branches are:

• Astoria Library
• Cambria Heights Library
• Jackson Heights Library
• Queensboro Hill Library
• Rego Park Library
• Ridgewood Library
• South Ozone Park Library
• Whitestone Library

UPDATE 8/27: We’re pleased to report that, after necessary maintenance, Whitestone Library is now open for to-go service!

The branches that are already open for to-go service as of July 13 are:

• Bayside Library
• Bellerose Library
• East Elmhurst Library
• Kew Gardens Hills Library
• Laurelton Library
• Long Island City Library
• Peninsula Library

To-go service allows you to request materials in advance through our app, website, or by phone at 718-990-0728 and pick them up at the designated library. For libraries opening for to-go service on August 10, you may begin to request materials on August 4. You may also return materials to locations offering to-go service.

For more information, visit our reopening website, where you can watch a video about how to-go service works, read about our reopening plan, and get answers to frequently asked questions.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Queens Public Library

 

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Update: June 25, 2020, 10:00AM

QPL’s “To-Go” Service Starts July 13 at 7 Branches

Dear Queens Public Library Customer,

I am very pleased to announce that Queens Public Library will reopen seven branches across the borough with “to-go” service and returns six days a week, starting on Monday, July 13. Nine additional locations will accept returns around the clock, seven days a week.

These initial steps to gradually reopen our physical locations while protecting the health and safety of our staff and the public are part of the Library’s reopening plan, QPL’s Path Forward in the Era of COVID-19.

The following seven branches will provide to-go service for customer pickup of materials in a designated area of each building and will accept returns at their exterior return machines. Materials can be requested online, through the QPL app, or by phone, starting July 6.

• Bayside Library
• Bellerose Library
• East Elmhurst Library
• Kew Gardens Hills Library
• Laurelton Library
• Long Island City Library
• Peninsula Library

The hours at each of these locations will be: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday (with a one-hour closure from 1 to 2 p.m. for cleaning); 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday; and 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday (with a one-hour closure from 3 to 4 p.m. for cleaning).

In addition to their geographic location, the seven sites were selected for their size, layout, and condition as we assess whether and how the new service model and operating procedures, including physical distancing and other safety measures, would work in other libraries.

The following group of nine locations will accept returns at external return machines or book drops but remain closed to the public. They will be open to staff for fulfilling materials requests and supporting our other functions.

• Astoria Library
• Cambria Heights Library
• Central Library
• Flushing Library
• Jackson Heights Library
• Queensboro Hill Library
• Rego Park Library
• Ridgewood Library
• South Ozone Park Library

In addition, our Mail-a-Book home delivery service will resume.

Each of the buildings that will be in use during this stage will undergo extensive cleaning, and spaces will be configured for physical distancing. In accordance with expert recommendations, all returned materials will be set aside, or “quarantined,” for 96 hours before they are put back into circulation.

All staff and visitors will be required to wear masks and practice physical distancing. Hand sanitizer will be available at all open branches. At this time, there will be no on-site public programs, browsing, meeting room availability, seating, public computers, or in-person reference service, and book donations will not be accepted.

Customers can check out materials without accruing fines until October 1, 2020 at the earliest, and fine-based library card blocks will be temporarily lifted. Applications for library cards will be accepted online only, and cards can be picked up at one of the locations offering to-go service.

Depending on the experiences of the initial locations and as circumstances allow, we will gradually and carefully open more branches and provide additional services. In the meantime, we remain committed to offering virtual programs, eBooks, and other online resources, which we know have been vital for many of you.

Thank you for your support and understanding as we navigate our new realities together. The Library’s incredible staff are working hard to prepare for this next step, and we look forward to welcoming you back safely.

Best wishes,
Dennis M. Walcott
President and CEO, Queens Public Library

P.S. You can also visit our Reopening website to watch our instructional video about to-go service, get answers to frequently asked questions, and find out how we’re protecting everyone’s health and safety.

 

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Update: June 4, 2020, 11:00AM

A Plan to Reopen Our Physical Locations

Dear Customers,

In the past three months, New York City has endured unprecedented heartache, economic hardship, and turmoil as we confront the COVID-19 pandemic and the manifestations of racial injustice across the country and here at home. It is at times like these when we especially miss being able to offer a welcoming physical place where people can gather, connect and celebrate the richness of our diversity, and where we can look them in the eye and ask what we can do to help.

It seems that the world now demands even more of us than the one we left behind when we temporarily shut the doors of our 66 locations on March 16. Since then, we have strengthened our resolve to meet our mission, delivering critical services and resources remotely and offering everyone, no matter who they are or where they come from, the chance to realize the promise of their lives.

At the same time, we have been thoughtfully and carefully formulating a plan for our locations’ eventual reopening, keeping at the forefront of our minds the health and safety of the public and our staff.  While we are still working through many of the details, I would like to share with you how and when in-person service is expected to resume.

We, along with the Brooklyn and New York public library systems, aim to start reopening our physical locations in mid-July, barring unforeseen circumstances. Our plan will be continuously refined as we open each branch, and informed by city, state and federal guidance, executive orders, and laws, information and recommendations from public health authorities and the experiences of other organizations around the world.

The Library will reopen its locations for public service in stages, starting with six to eight branches where customers can make returns and pick up requested materials in a designated area of each building.

Prior to their reopening, the buildings will undergo extensive cleaning, and our staff will configure spaces for social distancing. In accordance with the latest guidance, all returned materials will be set aside, or “quarantined,” for a period of time based on national standards before they are put back into circulation.

All visitors will be required to wear masks, and we will provide masks to people who do not have them. All Queens Public Library staff also will be required to wear masks, and hand sanitizer will be available at all open branches. At this time, there will be no public programs, browsing, meeting room availability, chairs and tables for public use, public computers, or in-person reference service. Book donations will not be accepted.

We will continue to increase our collection of ebooks and other digital resources, and to offer virtual programs, services, activities, and events on our social media channels and other platforms. As we learn from the initial branch reopenings, we will gradually open other locations and expand services. Again, I want to reinforce that the health and safety of our customers and our staff are our top priorities, and we are undertaking this process slowly and with the utmost caution.

We realize that there are many questions and issues that still need to be addressed, and we will share more details and updates with you as soon as we have them. Until then, we look forward to seeing you again as we face—and rebuild—this new world together.

Take good care, and thank you for being part of the Queens Public Library community.

Best wishes,
Dennis M. Walcott
President and CEO, Queens Public Library

 

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Update: March 15, 2020, 5:00PM

To the Queens Public Library Community,

Starting Monday, March 16 and until further notice, Queens Public Library will be closed to the public in order to help slow the spread of COVID-19 and protect the health and safety of our staff and the public we serve.

To ensure you can continue to learn and grow with the library, we are expanding our collections of digital materials, which are always available, including thousands of free eBooks, audiobooks, eMagazines, songs, movies, and videos.

We ask that you keep the items you have checked out until we reopen or announce other options. Note that all due dates will be automatically extended and late fees will be suspended during the closure.

Please keep checking the QPL website and social media channels for new content as well as for updates about our plans to reopen.

We know how much our communities depend on our libraries and thank you for your understanding during this challenging time.

Dennis M. Walcott, President and CEO, Queens Public Library

 

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March 12, 2020

Queens Public Library is suspending all programs, events, classes, community room requests, and workshops from Friday, March 13 through at least the end of the month.

We, along with the Brooklyn and New York public libraries, are taking this step to limit the number of public gatherings throughout our respective systems in an effort to help the City slow the spread of the coronavirus.

QPL continues to carefully monitor the rapidly evolving information and guidance about COVID-19 from the New York City Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help you, your families, and our staff stay informed and healthy, and to respond to the situation as needed.

To limit the spread of the coronavirus, we have

• Significantly increased the frequency of cleaning and disinfecting surfaces like door handles and knobs, tabletops, counters, check-out and check-in machines, elevator buttons, and computer equipment at all of our locations.
• Stepped up the number of times we service our public restrooms each day.
• Removed all toys from the children’s areas in our libraries.
• Encouraged our customers, staff, and the public to wash their hands properly, get the flu vaccine, cover coughs and sneezes, avoid touching their faces, stay at home if they feel sick, and contact their medical provider if they have traveled to certain countries.

We also are purchasing substantially more eBooks, audiobooks, and streaming films. If you would prefer not to visit our locations in person at this challenging time, you can reach one of our librarians over the phone or online through our Ask-a-Librarian service.

If you do visit, we ask that you consider practicing “social distancing” and limiting contact with others by:

• avoiding handshakes
• using our check-out machines
• giving yourself ample space in our computer and seating areas
• sharing your library card number verbally instead of providing your physical card.

There is a great deal of false information on social media and certain online news sites about how COVID-19 is transmitted and who has been affected. Below are reliable sources of the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and how to stay safe during this difficult time.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
The federal agency, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, provides updates about the government’s response, answers to frequently asked questions, and resources and guidance for employers, schools, households, and travelers.

New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
The mayoral agency is monitoring the City’s response to the outbreak and updating the public about symptoms, prevention, and the number of cases in the five boroughs.

New York State Department of Health
The state agency is monitoring the spread of the disease across the state of New York and its response to the outbreak.

World Health Organization
The United Nations agency monitors public health around the world and educates people how to achieve good health.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as the situation with COVID-19 unfolds. Please visit this page for updates. We are more committed now than ever to serving our communities and the people of Queens and beyond, no matter who you are or where you are from.

Happy National Friends of Libraries Week! It’s the annual celebration of library Friends groups and everything they do for their neighborhood libraries.

In honor of Friends of Libraries Week, we asked the staff at our branches to talk about the special relationship they have with their Friends groups, and how their Friends have supported them and their communities, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Visit our blog all week to read their stories!

Hear from our elected officials about the importance of our Friends groups!

Click here if you would like to join an existing Friends group, or send an email to friends@queenslibrary.org to start your own chapter for your neighborhood library.

Thank you again to all the Friends of Queens Public Library!

 

Ridgewood Friends

The Friends of Ridgewood Library (FORL) is an amazing and inspiring group. Being proud Queensters, they don’t let anything stand in their way, including COVID-19. When it hit, they found several clever and powerful ways to continue their mission serving the community.

First, staying true to their mission of connecting the library with the community, they quickly moved their meetings online. But they also knew they weren’t reaching everyone; some don’t have computers, some don’t have Internet access, so how do you reach everyone?

Even while working remotely, they created one of the most professional, interesting, and informative newsletters I have come across in my many years of professional life. It has an interesting mix of photos and stories and news, and it has been a lifeline to get information out to everyone. However, they knew they were still not reaching everyone. What about those without computers? The FORL has been working on distributing the newsletter in print version and they have been looking into creating a phone tree to make sure all their members are aware of programming and FORL business as well as what is going on at the branch.

They didn’t stop with the newsletter; they have also been a key communication channel to reach our community members with their presence on social media. When COVID-19 hit, Ridgewood rapidly transitioned to virtual programming, running storytimes, trivia, open mics, Spanish classes, ESOL conversation groups, and computer programming. The FORL helped promote these programs through social media, letting our community know what we were making available for them.

Their work didn’t stop with expanding communication—the FORL understands that without a thorough Census count, we can’t provide adequate services to our community. Current FORL president Michaeline Von Drathen stepped up to be a Census Navigator to bridge the gap and make sure community members were aware of the importance of being counted. Also, the FORL members promoted the Census in their newsletters and through social media. Nothing can replace person-to-person contact, which prompted FORL members to volunteer at our Census sidewalk outreach events.

Even while the Ridgewood branch was closed to the public, the FORL kept an eye on the building and property. We maintained our weekly meetings, but they also let me know immediately if there were items left outside the library or if they noticed the return machine was down.

The FORL are the epitome of an engaged community group; they are dedicated, connected, passionate, and motivated to make our community the best it can be. They push us to do our best, they care intensely about what is happening in the neighborhood, and they are willing to adapt and change as situations change.

I hope I have explained a little about how lucky Ridgewood is to have our Friends group, and how lucky the community has been to have them on their side during the COVID-19 pandemic. To the FORL: thank you for being such an amazing group to work with. We’re so lucky to have you on our team!

Thomas Maxheimer, Manager, Ridgewood Library

 

Rosedale Friends

Since the inauguration of our Friends group a few years ago, they have helped to bring our community to the library through various programs that they have offered thanks to the funds provided them by NYC Council Member Donovan Richards.

Before the pandemic, they had so many programs scheduled but alas!—these could not be put in place. However, Friends President David Pecoraro and his executive members have been helping to promote the Library’s programs through their email blasts.

Also, our Friends regularly provide information from community leaders/organizations and local and national politicians to both our library staff and the rest of the Rosedale community. They have been promoting the importance of the 2020 Census and the coming elections (including the website where you can obtain absentee ballot forms), as well as vital information pertaining to the pandemic and how to take care of oneself, through their community emails.

E. Patricia Eshun, Manager, Rosedale Library

 

St. Albans Friends

Reminiscing, remembering old times, times of joy and times of challenges. It takes me back to my childhood village, when, in normal times of harvest or in times of disaster, neighbors came together and gave a lending hand. The village carried on, planting collective seeds of wisdom and reaping hope that carried us through the hard times.

During the pandemic, I periodically telephoned members of the St. Albans Friends. In this time of gloom and devastation, a routine phone call took an added dimension, neighbor reaching out to neighbor. I got to know some members of the Friends on a deeper level, beyond the normal routine of a general membership or Executive Board meeting.

One member reminisced about the old neighborhood and places she had lived. She offered wisdom and comforts from the days of yesteryear when times were simpler. The death rate from March has significantly decreased and now an ordinary phone call may seem to be just ordinary. However, during the months of the raging pandemic, the words of wisdom and comfort from Friends who have given decades of service to the Saint Albans Library gave this manager an invaluable perspective of glimpses of hope.

Michael Brice, Manager, St. Albans Library

Happy National Friends of Libraries Week! It’s the annual celebration of library Friends groups and everything they do for their neighborhood libraries.

In honor of Friends of Libraries Week, we asked the staff at our branches to talk about the special relationship they have with their Friends groups, and how their Friends have supported them and their communities, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Visit our blog all week to read their stories!

Hear from our elected officials about the importance of our Friends groups!

Click here if you would like to join an existing Friends group, or send an email to friends@queenslibrary.org to start your own chapter for your neighborhood library.

Thank you again to all the Friends of Queens Public Library!

 

Lefrak City Friends

The staff of Lefrak City would like to thank the Friends for their continued support of the Lefrak City Library and community. During the past six months, the board members of our Friends group have devoted countless hours to helping residents and local businesses. Despite the fear during the peak of the pandemic, board members volunteered their time to distribute masks to local businesses, including delis, supermarkets, laundromats, and pharmacies. Business leaders were very appreciative of this kind gesture.

With assistance from elected officials, our Friends group board members were able to deliver meals to seniors and homebound residents on numerous occasions. The Board members went above and beyond to distribute masks to every tenant in the Lefrak City complex. Each building consists of 1,000 apartments, and two masks were presented to each household, bringing the grand total of masks distributed to 10,000.

Friends Board members also conducted wellness checks on the parents of our registered Spellabration and Teen Trivia participants. During phone conversations, Friends Board members reminded Lefrak City’s residents about the virtual programs that are being offered by Queens Public Library.

Considering that many individuals are now faced with uncertainties and daunting challenges, the Friends of Lefrak City Library have done their due diligence by staying connected to the seniors, adults, and youths in their community and have done so without demur.

Sharon Diamond-Velox, Assistant Manager, Lefrak City Library

 

Long Island City Friends

In January, at their rechartering ceremony, the LIC Friends of the Library pledged to advocate for the library and to support the staff, LIC/Astoria's growing homeless population, and library programs. They maintained this pledge throughout the year, especially during the pandemic.

When the library was open before the pandemic closure, the LIC Friends supplied staff with lunch following monthly staff meetings. After the library reopened, they ordered takeout or desserts once a week to encourage onsite workers. Plus, the Friends president donated additional PPE face shields to increase the comfort level of the onsite team. The Friends attended an employee's virtual graduation and supported other workers who have gone back to school.

Our homeless members of the Friends group informed the board that many hotel shelters were popping-up in LIC/Astoria as a result of social distancing. The new sites did not have enough support for security personnel or social services. So, the Friends group reached out to Long Island City Partnership, Queens Public Library, and public officials to solicit support for this exploding population.

The Friends had two programs this year, Black History Trivia and a Reuseable Bag Giveaway. During the pandemic, they have supported the library branch's podcast series, storytime, and STEM summer programs by posting them on their Facebook page. The LIC Friends also rewarded staff with $35 Amazon gift cards for providing the LIC/Astoria community with engaging virtual programs and timely information. During our Census 2020 campaigns, the Friends volunteered at a tabling event, circulated Be Counted flyers, and encouraged LIC/Astoria co-ops like North Queensview to robocall residents to remind them to complete their census surveys.

Tienya Smith, Manager, Long Island City Library

 

Maspeth Friends

Our thanks and gratitude to the Friends of the Maspeth Library for doing such great work for our community and library. Since their chartering in March 2019, the core team—Crystal Wolfe, Deborah Cox, Pamela Perrotta, Diane Irwin, and Gosia Lewandowska—have worked tirelessly to hold events and advocate for funding for the betterment of our community and library. They met once every month to brainstorm ideas for events and fundraisers. The most successful event was the Holiday Festival in December 2019 with many activities during the day and an attendance of around 200 customers. Other successful programs include many author talks. Programs were scheduled for this spring/summer but unfortunately did not materialize due to the pandemic.

Our Friends advocated and received funds/donations from politicians and other sources. A special “shout-out” to Pam Perrotta for personally raising $1000 for programs. The group has also attended street fairs to promote the library and solicit membership. It is wonderful to have our Friends group and we appreciate all they do for us.

Usha Pinto, Manager, Maspeth Library

 

Pomonok Friends

Not long after I started with the Queens Public Library in 2016, I came to see just how big a part a Friends group plays in a public library’s success. In Pomonok’s case, in addition to generally advocating for the library, our Friends group is good at getting a number of great programs into the branch.

These programs, especially the musical concerts, usually bring a lot of people into our library. In some cases, these people are new patrons and after coming to a show here they are more likely to come back. This is no doubt a good thing for the library.

We can only hope that once the Pomonok Library reopens after the pandemic, people will come back to the library and in a big way. No doubt the Pomonok Friends have been a big part of helping us out in the past and I look forward to having them do the same in the future.

Andrew C. Gibson, Manager, Pomonok Library

Happy National Friends of Libraries Week! It’s the annual celebration of library Friends groups and everything they do for their neighborhood libraries.

In honor of Friends of Libraries Week, we asked the staff at our branches to talk about the special relationship they have with their Friends groups, and how their Friends have supported them and their communities, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Visit our blog all week to read their stories!

Hear from our elected officials about the importance of our Friends groups!

Click here if you would like to join an existing Friends group, or send an email to friends@queenslibrary.org to start your own chapter for your neighborhood library.

Thank you again to all the Friends of Queens Public Library!

 

Hollis Friends

Just some of the Friends of Hollis Library’s activities before the pandemic:

• Hollis Library Friends Group Book Fair: The Friends sponsored the first Book Fair at Hollis Library in over 25 years this past December, encouraging the community's love of reading by offering inexpensive books in English and other languages for children and adults. The goal of the Book Fair was twofold: to raise funds that will supplement the library’s programming budget and to promote the joy of reading within the community.
• Caribbean Arts Festival: The Friends of Hollis Library sponsored and served on the planning committee for Migration of Colors, QPL’s celebration of Caribbean art and culture from November 2019 through January 2020 at nine QPL branches. The Friends group also sponsored two Festival-related programs at Hollis Library: a Caribbean Cooking Workshop with local chef and author Catherine C. Moore and a West Indian Labor Day Parade Mask Creation Workshop with artist Diane Ifill.

The Friends of Hollis Library’s activities during these difficult times:

• During the Library’s closure, Friends group members have actively supported and participated in the library’s virtual programs, including our Book Club, Poetry Workshops, and Knitting & Crochet Group. Friends member Judi Raines has been particularly generous to the Knitting & Crochet group by donating several bags of yarn to group members unable to shop for their own supplies.
• Our Friends group is very concerned with the hardships brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. Members are arranging to meet virtually to discuss the ways they can offer help and support to the Hollis community.

Abdullah Zahid, Manager, Hollis Library

 

Hunters Point Friends

After waiting for years to have an open library, the Hunters Point Friends group worked hard to support their library through recruiting new Friends members and providing sponsorship for our programs. While this active support was short-lived because of the COVID-19 closure, our Friends group has continued to be supportive of Hunters Point during this pandemic.

As a manager who does not live in the immediate neighborhood of her library, I’ve been fortunate to have a proactive Friends president, Mark Christie, who has been keeping a watchful eye on our library. Whether it’s helping us ensure that the lawn is kept neat and that overflowing garbage is disposed of, or alerting us to a broken light fixture, Mark has been keeping me and QPL staff apprised of the state of our building and grounds. These tireless efforts show how vested our Friends are in our libraries and have given me a renewed sense of appreciation and admiration for the Hunters Point Friends. And I eagerly await the day when we can all greet each other in person.

Euni (Eun Young) Chang, Manager, Hunters Point Library

 

Kew Gardens Hills Friends

COVID-19 has been the most challenging and difficult time we have ever faced as a country. But despite our distressing times, the Kew Gardens Hills Friends group still remains active and resilient. I feel a tremendous gratitude for still keeping in touch with active members. Ethyl Haber, Trudy Garfunkel, Barbara Noel, Jennifer Martin, Zina Zimmerman, Barbara Richter, Phyllis Gellman, and all others have taken the time and dedication to come up with program ideas and stay connected.

What I love about the Kew Gardens Hills Friends is their care and support of one another. Every member I've met is so patient, kind, and sweet. President Ethyl Haber had done tremendous work coming up with engaging programs for the community at Kew Gardens Hills even before the pandemic hit, and she is working endlessly to come up with new virtual program ideas this year. We are hoping to launch a new program on memoir writing during these unprecedented times we are facing. Ethyl and her members have maintained a positive attitude on how we will get through this one day at a time.

I can only wish for better days where I can see them physically and share ideas in our monthly Friends board meeting, but we still maintain virtual communication each month. I am so proud to have this group of women in my life and I feel very fortunate to have their support and care.

Susan Paredes, Manager, Kew Gardens Hills Library

Happy National Friends of Libraries Week! It’s the annual celebration of library Friends groups and everything they do for their neighborhood libraries.

In honor of Friends of Libraries Week, we asked the staff at our branches to talk about the special relationship they have with their Friends groups, and how their Friends have supported them and their communities, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Visit our blog all week to read their stories!

Hear from our elected officials about the importance of our Friends groups!

Click here if you would like to join an existing Friends group, or send an email to friends@queenslibrary.org to start your own chapter for your neighborhood library.

Thank you again to all the Friends of Queens Public Library!

 

Flushing ALC Friends

The Friends of the Flushing Adult Learning Center is a very tight-knit group of students and professionals who are dedicated to helping our Adult Learner population achieve their goals. Before the pandemic, our Friends group continued fundraising activities that included our annual holiday card and craft sale. In addition, the Friends sponsored special educational field trip projects and provided funding for materials for events like our Family Literacy workshops. Up to February 2020, our Friends were very active in the community. They participated in annual Friends conferences, Library Day in Albany, and National Night Out. Also, two of our board members participated in an ongoing community forum designed to assist low-income residents of Flushing.

Nevertheless, since we've gone virtual, our Friends group continues to be a bridge that connects our staff to students and patrons. The Friends of Flushing ALC have assisted with virtual Census outreach and helped students improve their technology and English skills in our virtual ESOL classes. Furthermore, they were integral in virtually recruiting students to our online classes. Finally, they have represented our student populations at various virtual presentations for our library and community partners. We are very thankful to continue our collaboration in this virtual world.

Gary J. Beharry, Flushing Library Literacy Center Manager

 

Flushing Friends

Since the library closed in March, we have had several virtual Friends meetings. In each meeting, we usually checked in on each other, including the members who were not able to attend the meeting, and I would give an update on library programs, services, and any specific issues near the Flushing Library building or in the community.

The Friends expressed their support and how much they care about the library. For example, they want to make sure that someone has been taking care of and watering the plants in the library. On several occasions, our Friends contacted us to make sure that we knew about problems with our book return on Kissena Blvd., to ask about donating books, and to offer their opinions about how to keep our library building safe and secure during the pandemic closure.

Our Friends discussed the possibility of fundraising for the library, even though many of them are seniors and some of them have their own health problems. They are truly the eyes and ears of the library in our community. I feel that, although we are not meeting each other in person, we are closer and communicate more frequently than ever before. Friends strengthen the library with their support, their care, and their advocacy. We greatly appreciate the support from the members of our Friends group.

Yang Zeng, Director, Flushing Library

 

Fresh Meadows Friends

The Friends of the Fresh Meadows Library group, although newly chartered, has been in the works for about two years. We’ve been fortunate enough to gather a wonderful Board comprised of business people and community leaders who keep us informed and engaged with the neighborhood.

Pre-pandemic, our members were eager to be of service to their community and to work with the manager and assistant manager to supply programs and services to Fresh Meadows. Now, the Board has set out to plan online events and hopefully in-person programs when we are all able to resume our “normal” lives. Also during this time, the FM Friends were able to sponsor a New York author reading her children’s book on QPL’s Facebook page!

The Board is also aiming to have a general membership meeting online soon and hope to increase our number of members using an online platform. We had the unusual honor of being the first Friends Group to be chartered in an online event. It featured the Board members—Jim Gallagher Jr. (President), Alan Ong (Vice President), Adrian Peters (Treasurer), Michele Bowles (Secretary), and Norman Cohn (Member-At-Large)—as well as Councilman Barry Grodenchik, Assembly Member Nily Rozic, and QPL President and CEO Dennis M. Walcott and took place on August 12. We see a bright and hopeful future for our Friends group! Hope as well as many other wonderful things lives at our local libraries!

Nancy Weiss, Assistant Manager, Fresh Meadows Library

Happy National Friends of Libraries Week! It’s the annual celebration of library Friends groups and everything they do for their neighborhood libraries.

In honor of Friends of Libraries Week, we asked the staff at our branches to talk about the special relationship they have with their Friends groups, and how their Friends have supported them and their communities, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Visit our blog all week to read their stories!

Hear from our elected officials about the importance of our Friends groups!

Click here if you would like to join an existing Friends group, or send an email to friends@queenslibrary.org to start your own chapter for your neighborhood library.

Thank you again to all the Friends of Queens Public Library!

 

Corona Friends

The Corona Friends are normally a vibrant, active part of our Corona community, but they have outdone themselves during the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine.

Our Vice President, Gianina Enriquez, has been an active part of QPL’s Facebook Live programs, performing her incredible, interactive Spanish storytimes, and she's been going into the community to bring diapers and groceries to homebound families. Our Corona Friends came together to organize #CoronaCuenta, an online celebration of Corona that also emphasized to our viewers the importance of filling out the 2020 Census, particularly for neighborhoods like Corona.

The Corona Friends group is at the heart of our Corona community.

Rosemary Kiladitis, Assistant Manager, Corona Library

 

Douglaston/Little Neck Friends

The Friends of Douglaston/Little Neck Library organized the following programs and participated in many activities in the past year prior to the COVID-19 closure:

• AARP Fraud Watch workshop last November
• They gave the branch $100 for our Arts and Crafts programs
• They hosted a program on bees and beekeeping
• On a regular basis, the Friends donated various arts and crafts supplies that we requested: crayons, wine glasses and mason jars, pinecones, beads, ribbons, etc.
• They participated in QPL's system-wide Caribbean Arts Festival, Migration of Colors, and were very active representing Douglaston Library
• They are very involved in the renovations plans for Douglaston Library and invited QPL management to their monthly meetings to update them.

The Friends of Douglaston/Little Neck are an active and helping group and we hope we will see them soon once QPL re-opens fully.

Milena Nenova, Manager, Douglaston/Little Neck Library

 

Cambria Heights Friends

As a library manager, I love being able to offer programs and events to the community. Programs offer common experiences that bring people together—often resulting in interesting dialogues, an exchange of ideas, and even friendships! And to put it simply, they are fun!

The Cambria Heights Library Friends group has been really excellent during the pandemic, going above and beyond—every day! They have stepped up their game to offer innovative and amazing online programs ever since we closed our doors. Even though Cambria Heights Library is open to the public now, we still have limited services, so we will continue to offer online programs for the time being—thanks to our Friends, led by President Angela Sinclair!

So what have they done so far? To start off, in the spring, Aletta Seales, our Friends Secretary, , organized two amazing Poetry Open Mics that got great attendance! They were wonderful events that brought people together online, after we were stuck at home for so long being quarantined. I was so happy to see my friends and colleagues from the library once again—except this time from my computer at home in Brooklyn. The poetry was so beautiful, and I loved seeing and listening to everyone!

Then our Friends Vice-President Wanda Best organized some amazing online events as well! She was a presenter at an "Elder Abuse Information Session," “Self-Care During COVID-19," and “Healthy Interpersonal Relationships.” These were informative sessions, and Ms. Best is always such a warm person and she reminds us how important self-care and self-love are, now and always!

Ms. Best also recruited speakers to talk about an important event that weighed heavily on all of us—the murder of George Floyd. She was the moderator of a Police Accountability Discussion, which brought in a lot of people online. She also helped facilitate “Our Stories, Our Voices: Black Men Speak Their Truth,” another amazing online program, for Father’s Day!

And our Cambria Heights Friends group is not resting at all! They are working hard to continue to offer online events! October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and on October 31st, Wanda Best will be hosting a Healthy Relationships vs. Unhealthy Relationships program. In November, the Cambria Heights Friends will host a program on Relationship Fraud with speaker Adan Welligton. And in December, author Ama Karikari Yawson will do an storytime featuring her book Sunne's Gift.

Cambria Heights Library is so lucky to have such a wonderful group of Friends! Now that we do events online, our community has expanded to the whole world because everyone is welcome to attend, no matter where they are! If you are interested in attending our future events, or if you’d like to communicate with our Friends group, or make a donation to help them continue their work, please feel free to e-mail me and I’ll put you in touch! Be safe, wear your masks! See you online!!!

Kacper Jarecki, Manager, Cambria Heights Library

   Every Thursday at 4pm, as part of its series Literary Thursdays, the library hosts an author to discuss their book. On Thursday, October 8, Connor Town O’Neill spoke about the process of writing Down Along with That Devil’s Bones: A Reckoning with Monuments, Memory, and the Legacy of White Supremacy. The book, which traces the struggle in four cities with four monuments to notorious but revered Civil War general and Ku Klux Klan leader Nathan Bedford Forrest, began in a cemetery in Selma in 2015, where the Friends of Forrest were preparing to install a statue to the war criminal and slave trader. It was the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday in Selma and, among the magnolias and Spanish moss, O’Neill wondered what this juxtaposition said about the country. 

    O’Neill began following campaigns to take down statues to Nathan Bedford Forrest, believing such statues are “double-jointed,” reflecting the times they go up in as much as the history they represent. The activists lobbying for the statues’ removal were taking on systems of power and people that turned on questions of whiteness and for O’Neill this began a process of personal reckoning as he scrutinized the role of race in the United States. 

    The statue in Selma first went up in 2000, when Selma’s first black mayor, Reverend James Perkins, Jr., was in office. Perkins told O’Neill it was a “pronouncement of war.” The 400-pound bust was stolen in 2012. O’Neill believes that what happens in Selma is a harbinger of what is to come in the rest of the nation – it is “revealing and prophetic,” he says. For example, in the 1990s Selma went through an intense battle over school desegregation that later played out around the country. 

    Another campaign O’Neill followed addressed the Forrest building on Middle Tennessee State University’s campus, which housed its ROTC program. Students staged a burial of an effigy of Nathan Bedford Forrest in 2015, later leaving his body on the stoop of his hall. One-third of MTSU’s student body is black. Student activists alleged that the Forrest name represents white supremacy, given Forrest’s history as a slave trader and his prominent role in the KKK, while others asserted that Forrest was the savior of the town by driving out the Union in 1862. “His spirit has always been close at hand,” was said when the building was dedicated mid-twentieth century. Memories, says O’Neill, are polarized. 

    We remember, he says, by forgetting, which allows white southerners to rally behind the phrase “heritage not hate.” White Americans, O’Neill believes, have a selective history about a war that was waged based on the notion of blacks’ inferiority. 

    O’Neill also related the story of Memphis, where the city government came up with a clever plan to remove the Nathan Bedford Forrest monument – by selling the statue to a non-profit, which wasn’t prohibited from taking it down. One of the longtime protesters remembered crossing the street to the park the night the statue was taken down and how the street seemed wider than an ocean. 

     O’Neill shared that victors in wars often have an interest in removing symbols of the losing side. The fact that so many monuments to Confederate leaders from the Civil War exist suggests to O’Neill that “they didn’t lose as much as we thought,” as their ideology is still alive. The author asked if it is possible to create an equal society if we haven’t reckoned with the consequences of the Civil War. He explained the role that race has played in his own life, from housing laws that favored his white family to his family’s ability to use that collateral to take loans for his education. “The main driver of American wealth is driven by race,” he says, referring to home ownership. 

    We need, says O’Neill, to get over the notion that the past matters to remind us how great we are. And, he spoke against the notion that racism is somehow a problem only for black people, indicating that it impacts us all. 

    Confederate statues, he says, gesture to the present in an electric way. If you think such a statue is repugnant, ask yourself why and what implications that might have for your life and society at large. While O’Neill believes that campaigns against symbols of white supremacy will continue, he hopes such efforts will draw us into changing policies and into deeper conversations that are waiting for us.

     Check out the eBook here. 
    

This October, Queens Public Library is teaming up with Local Voices Network (LVN) to offer you the chance to be heard in advance of the 2020 election. The Queens Memory Project is partnering with the Local Voices Network (LVN) to record neighborhood conversations on important local topics. You can participate whether or not you'll be voting. We have opportunities for teens, young professionals, and Spanish speakers. LVN NYC collaborates with organizations throughout New York City to record meaningful conversations with under-heard communities. They've co-hosted dialogues on public health, employment, and community gardening (to name just a few examples).

Here’s how it works:

        Step one: You’ll join a small group recorded conversation, facilitated by QPL staff. You’ll share real concerns, stories, and ideas connected to your experience living in NYC.
        Step two: Our recorded conversation will then be transcribed, keyworded, and posted on a website to be shared with media outlets, local decision-makers, and other neighborhood stakeholders with the goal of offering a new window into issues that are important to our community.

Together, we’ll create a platform where everyone is invited to be heard. 

Election 2020: A Community Conversation for Teens

Whether you will be voting in this year’s election or not, you can engage in public conversation about civic engagement and the issues you believe most important to your community. As critical decisions are being made about resources, health care, and public safety, it is more important than ever for journalists and policymakers hear personal stories from our lived experiences. Let’s build connections to improve our communities and understanding of one another, while keeping physical distance to protect public health.
We all have a voice. 

Please note that if you are between the ages of 14 and 18, you must have your guardian’s consent to participate in this program. Children aged 13 or younger may not participate in this program.

Register here with our partner organization: Tuesday, October 20, 4pm

 

Election 2020: A QPL @ Night Community Conversation

Before you vote in this year’s elections, you are invited to participate in public conversation about civic engagement and the issues you believe most important to your community. As critical decisions are being made about resources, health care, and public safety, it is more important than ever for media, elected officials, and other decision-makers to hear personal stories from our lived experiences.

Register here for Wednesday, October 14, 7pm

Register here for Wednesday, October 21, 7pm 

 

Election 2020: Community Conversation (in Spanish) / Elecciones 2020: Una conversación con la comunidad

We all have a voice. Whether you will be voting in this year’s election or not, you can engage in public conversation about civic engagement and the issues you believe are most important to your community. You'll join a small group recorded conversation, facilitated by QPL staff. You will register with our partner, Local Voices Network. 

Si usted piensa votar en estas elecciones o no piensa hacerlo, usted puede participar en conversaciones públicas acerca de la participación cívica y otros temas que usted cree que son importantes en su comunidad. Decisiones criticas van a ser tomadas sobre recursos, cuidado de salud y seguridad pública. Esto es mas importante que nunca para periodistas y políticos poder escuchar estas historias personales de nuestras experiencias. Vamos a construir conexiones para mejorar nuestras comunidades y entendernos los unos a los otros mientras mantenemos distanciamiento social y física para proteger la salud publica.

¿Esta buscando usted una empresa y conexiones que van mas allá de Twitter -o -historias de Instagram?  ¿Quiere compartir sus esperanzas, preocupaciones y reflexiones con otros? ¡Únase a Si usted piensa votar en estas elecciones o no piensa hacerlo, usted puede participar en conversaciones públicas acerca de la participación cívica y otros temas que usted cree que son importantes en su comunidad. Decisiones criticas van a ser tomadas sobre recursos, cuidado de salud y seguridad pública. Esto es mas importante que nunca para periodistas y políticos poder escuchar estas historias personales de nuestras experiencias. Vamos a construir conexiones para mejorar nuestras comunidades y entendernos los unos a los otros mientras mantenemos distanciamiento social y física para proteger la salud publica.

Así es como trabaja:

Primer paso: Usted se juntara con un grupo  de conversación grabada, facilitada por los empleados de la Biblioteca de Queens. Usted compartirá sus preocupaciones, historias –e- ideas conectadas a sus experiencias de su vida en New York. 
Segundo paso: Nuestras conversaciones grabadas van ser  transcritas, palabras claves, y publicadas en un sitio web que va ser compartido con los medios de comunicación, políticos locales, y otros representantes de los vecindarios con el propósito de ofrecer nuevas soluciones hacia problemas que son importantes en nuestra comunidad.

Thursday, October 22/ jueves, 22 de octubre, 6pm:  Registrarse aqui. 

Thursday, October 29/jueves, 29 de octubre, 6pm:  Registrarse aqui.