It's Mental Health Awareness Month, and QPL is highlighting the importance of mental health in the lives of all Americans at every age and stage of life.
Each year, we provide support and educate the public through our programs and services.
Join us for virtual and in-person programs, check out our booklists for adults, young adults, and children, and browse our recommended resources.
Mental Health Awareness Booklists
Upcoming Programs
click on each title for more information
Circle Of Transformation
Saturday, May 7, 12pm, Cambria Heights
Yoga for Everyone with Toya Williford
Saturdays, May 7, 14, 21, 28, 12pm, Virtual
Virtual Guided Meditation on Mondays
Mondays, May 9, 16, 23, 11am, Virtual
Caring Connections: Ageless Inspirations Social Group
Tuesdays, May 10, 17, 24, 1:30pm, Virtual
VA S.A.V.E. Training: Identifying And Responding To The Warning Signs Of Suicide
Tuesday, May 10, 6pm, Virtual
Color Therapy
Tuesday, May 10, 1pm, Rochdale Village
Telling the Story of You
Wednesday, May 11, 5pm, Virtual
Virtual Guided Meditation on Wednesdays
Wednesdays, May 11, 25, 11am, Virtual
Joselyn Smith Greene, Author of "The Gift of Knowing You"
Friday, May 13, 7pm, Virtual
Breathe and Flow: Chair Yoga for Everyone
Saturday, May 14, 12pm, Virtual
Root, Grow & Bloom Yoga Series
Saturdays, May 14, 21, 28, 3pm, Virtual
Wellness Wednesdays with Dr. Naika
Wednesdays, May 18, June 1, June 15, 12pm, Facebook Live/YouTube Live
The Art of Setting Boundaries
Thursday, May 19, 5pm, Virtual
Live Your Truth: Building Self-Esteem
Tuesday, May 24, 5pm, Virtual
Healing Learning Circle for Women! (in Bengali)
Thursday, May 26, 10:30am, Virtual
Mental Health Awareness Resources
Mental Health
Mayor’s Office of Community Mental Health: Resource Guides + Toolkits
Guides and toolkits providing information, resources, and skills to promote emotional well-being.
NY Project Hope: Coping with COVID (Emotional Support Helpline: 1-844-863-9314)
NY Project Hope provides an emotional support helpline, a provider directory, and online wellness groups (including grieving & healing and support & education) for COVID19-related stress.
NYC Well, 1-888-NYC-WELL (1-888-692-9355)
New York City's 24/7 helpline for confidential support, crisis intervention, and information, including referrals for mental health and/or substance abuse concerns. NYC Well is available through online chat or by phone, where someone who is in need of support may speak with a counselor, with interpreters available for 200+ languages.
Safe Horizon, 1-800-621-HOPE (1-800-621-4673)
Safe Horizon provides assistance, advocacy, and support to victims who have experienced domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault, stalking, human trafficking, youth homelessness, and other crimes.
Therapy for Black Girls
An online space dedicated to the mental wellness of Black women and girls; you can also use this resource to locate mental health professionals in your area.
Therapy for Black Men
A directory of mental health professionals and coaches that provide multiculturally-competent care for Black men.
Social and Emotional Health
National Institutes of Health: Social Wellness Toolkit
A toolkit for learning new strategies and ways to improve your social well-being.
NYC Department of Health: Social Emotional Development (Children)
Age-specific guides for caregivers of babies, toddlers, and school-age children, including a resource to find an Early Childhood Clinic in your area.
NYC Department of Education: Social-Emotional Wellness During COVID-19
Resource list for caregivers to instruct their children's social and emotional wellness and learning.
It's Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and we're excited to celebrate AAPI contributions to our nation's history and culture.
Check out our booklists for adults, young adults, and children, join us for our virtual and in-person programs, and more.
Queens Memory: Podcast and Cultural Programs
AAPI Books: Young Adult Fiction & Nonfiction
AAPI Books: Children's Fiction
AAPI Books: Children's Nonfiction
Queens Memory Podcast: "Our Major Minor Voices"
Season 3 of the Queens Memory Podcast features stories from our neighbors of Asian descent living here in Queens, in their own voices.
New episodes premiere every Monday at https://queensmemory.org/podcast, and you can also listen and subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, and other major podcast platforms.
Each episode will be followed by virtual cultural programs on Tuesdays and in-person listening parties on Thursdays.
Season 3 of the Queens Memory Podcast and its cultural programs have been made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom.
Queens Memory Podcast Cultural Programs (click on each title for more information)
Celebrate Eid with Pakistani Music
Tuesday, May 3, 6pm, Facebook Live (watch the replay)
What Gets Lost in Translation: Episode 4 Listening Party
Thursday, May 5, 6:30pm, Fresh Meadows Library
Experience the Richness and Diversity: Virtual Chinese Music Concert
Tuesday, May 10, 6pm, Facebook Live (watch the replay)
Invisible Homeless: Episode 5 Listening Party
Thursday, May 12, 6pm, Elmhurst Library
Confronting Stereotypes Through Artmaking
Tuesday, May 17, 6pm, Facebook Live (watch the replay)
Seeing Signs: Episode 6 Listening Party
Thursday, May 19, 6pm, Woodside Library
Tibetan Artist Techung Performs Traditional Tibetan Music: Nangma and Töshay
Tuesday, May 24, 6:30pm, Facebook Live
Mother Tongue: Episode 7 Listening Party
Thursday, May 26, 7pm, Elmhurst Library
From Bollywood to Bhangra Beats featuring DJ Rekha: A Live Virtual Presentation
Tuesday, May 31, 5:30pm, Virtual
Looking Ahead: Episode 8 Listening Party
Thursday, June 2, 6pm, Jackson Heights Library
AAPI Booklists
Adult Fiction
The Revolution According to Raymundo Mata by Gina Apostol
If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
Last Tang Standing by Lauren Ho
Whereabouts by Jhumpa Lahiri
The Bad Muslim Discount by Syed Masood
The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey
A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza
Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
Adult Nonfiction
Eat a Peach by David Chang
Funny in Farsi by Firoozeh Dumas
Fresh Off the Boat by Eddie Huang
Good Talk by Mira Jacob
The Loneliest Americans by Jay Caspian Kang
World of Wonders by Aimee Nezhukumatathil
Not Quite Not White by Sharmila Sen
Fairest by Meredith Talusan
Dear Girls by Ali Wong
Rise by Jeff Yang, Phil Yu, and Philip Wang
Crying in H-Mart by Michelle Zauner
Asian American Dreams by Helen Zia
Young Adult Fiction
We Are Not Free by Traci Chee
The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling by Wai Chim
Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa
A Pho Love Story by Loan Le
The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee
There's Something about Sweetie by Sandhya Menon
Not Here to Be Liked by Michelle Quach
Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous by Suzanne Park
Private Lessons by Cynthia Salaysay
Radha & Jai's Recipe for Romance by Nisha Sharma
Made in Korea by Sarah Suk
American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
Young Adult Nonfiction
The American Dream? by Shing Yin Khor
The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston
Uprooted by Albert Marrin
From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry by Paula Yoo
Children's Fiction
Dream, Annie, Dream by Waka T. Brown
Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani
I Am Golden by Eva Chen
Eyes That Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho
When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller
No Kimchi for Me! by Aram Kim
Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocca
Drawn Together by Minh Lê
A Big Mooncake for Little Star by Grace Lin
Ohana Means Family by Ilima Loomis
Finding Junie Kim by Ellen Oh
Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park
Home is in Between by Mitali Perkins
Omar Rising by Aisha Saeed
Watercress by Andrea Wang
The Dragon Path by Ethan Young
Children's Nonfiction
Awesome Asian Americans: 20 Stars Who Made America Amazing by Phil Amara and Oliver Chin
Seven Voyages: How China's Treasure Fleet Conquered the Sea by Laurence Bergreen
The Rise (and Falls) of Jackie Chan by Kristen Mai Giang
King Sejong Invents an Alphabet by Carol Kim
The Story of Olympic Diver Sammy Lee by Paula Yoo
Playing at the Border: A Story of Yo-Yo Ma by Joanna Ho
Niki Nakayama: A Chef's Tale in 13 Bites by Jamie Michaka & Debbi Michiko Florence
Mother Goose Goes to India by Kabir Sehgal
Between Two Worlds: The Art and Life of Amrita Sher-Gil by Meera Sriram
All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys Soccer Team by Christina Soontornvat
Tu Youyou's Discovery: Finding a Cure for Malaria by Songju Ma Daemicke
Desert Diary: Japanese American Kids Behind Barbed Wire by Michael O. Tunnell
Dear America: The Story of an Undocumented Citizen by Jose Antonio Vargas
Paper Son: The Inspiring Story of Tyrus Wong, Immigrant and Artist by Julie Leung
Queen of Physics: How Wu Chien Shiung Helped Unlock the Secrets of the Atom by Teresa Robeson
From the Tops of Trees by Kao Kalia Yang
Cultural Programs
click on each title for more information
Awakening the Japanese American Archives Through Art and Writing
Wednesday, May 4, 7pm, Virtual
A Musical Event Celebrating 75 Years of India’s Independence with Sanjukta Sen
Tuesday, May 10, 11am, Virtual
Hao Bang Ah! Tiger! Puppet Show
Friday, May 13, 4pm, Facebook Live/YouTube Live
Saturday, May 14, 1pm, Virtual
The Real and the Serial in Zhang Leping’s "Wandering Life of Sanmao" (1947-1948)
Saturday, May 14, 8pm, Virtual
Where In the World? Food!
Monday, May 16, 3:30pm, Richmond Hill Library
Monday, May 16, 5:15pm, Facebook Live
Know Your Rights and Bystander Intervention Techniques
Wednesday, May 18, 4pm, Lefferts Library
Mehndi Hands
Thursday, May 19, 3:30pm, Arverne Library
Celebrate AAPI Heritage Month with Korean Culture and Music
Thursday, May 19, 5pm, Facebook Live
Asian American Writers in Conversation
Thursday, May 19, 6pm, Virtual
Shadow Puppet Performance: “Tiger Tales”
Friday, May 20, 4pm, Facebook Live/YouTube Live
Celebrate Eid: Henna Hand Painting Workshop with Anowara Ahmed
Saturday, May 21, 1pm, Virtual
The Keyaki Tree: Shadow Puppet Theatre
Monday, May 23, 3pm, Virtual
Talking Drums with Brian Adler
Wednesday, May 25, 4pm, Facebook Live/YouTube Live
Mahiwaga: Magical Stories, Dance, and Kulintang Music
Thursday, May 26, 6pm, Facebook Live
Literary Thursdays: Soon Wiley, Author of "When We Fell Apart"
Thursday, May 26, 4pm, Virtual
AAPI Resources
Stop AAPI Hate
Resources and how to report hate incidents.
Stop Asian Hate Toolkit
A toolkit for addressing anti-Asian bias, discrimination, and hate.
Right to Be (formally Hollaback)
A key organization who creates Bystander Intervention Trainings to teach people how to stop harassment.
Asian Mental Health Collective
Mental Health resources for Asian communities worldwide.
Chinese American Planning Council
CPC’s mission is to promote the social and economic empowerment of Chinese American, immigrant, and low-income communities.
Heart of Dinner
A volunteer organization that helps deliver care packages and meals to Asian elders.
Korean Community Services of Metropolitan New York
This organization serves as a bridge for Korean immigrants and the wider Asian community to fully integrate into society and overcome any economic, health, and linguistic barriers.
SAYA (South Asian Youth Action)
SAYA aims to foster a strong sense of belonging in youth and provide them with tools to thrive academically, professionally, and personally.
South Asian Council for Social Services
This organization empowers underserved South Asians and other immigrants and integrates them into the civic and economic life of New York.
It’s National Volunteer Week! Service Takes Many Forms here at the Library, and this year we want to highlight the winners of the Friends of QPL Shining Star Award.
The Shining Star Award is given to individual Friends members that demonstrate exceptional leadership qualities that inspire and motivate others to action; and groups that exemplify a collaborative spirit and strive to work together to provide ideas, resources, and opportunities that uplift their community.
Here's our conversation with the staff of Cambria Heights Library, who received the Shining Star Staff Award for their work supporting the Cambria Heights Friends group.
Why are the Friends of QPL an asset to your community or neighborhood?
We have many community organizations in our neighborhood, from jazz collectives to domestic violence support groups to artists, writers, and beyond, so it’s essential that we have Friends who have contacts with these groups, and they do. They are very good at involving many aspects of our community and constantly pitching programs and organizations who can enrich our cultural spaces at the library. – Tejas Desai, Assistant Community Library Manager
What have been your proudest moments to date during your time working with the Friends of QPL?
My proudest moment was winning the Shining Star Award for Outstanding Staff Support! Also, the pandemic was so crazy, and the Friends really stepped up their virtual programming and were a major source of support. I remember when George Floyd was murdered: it was a tragedy. The Friends invited speakers to talk about police brutality, including a mother who founded an organization after she lost a family member to police violence. It was helpful to have an outlet to have a discussion about what was going on in the country. This was so invaluable during such a difficult time! The Friends are not just Friends, they’re also my friends! – Kacper Jarecki, Community Library Manager
Why was it important for your staff to remain actively involved with the Friends throughout the past two years during the height of the pandemic?
The Friends are in contact with and understand the soul of the community. Without them, we wouldn’t understand the needs and status of the community as much as we do. – Tejas Desai, Assistant Community Library Manager
Can you share your favorite memories of working with the Friends of QPL during the past two years?
- The Cambria Heights Friends sponsored a virtual poetry event in April 2020 that was well attended by the public and poets. We also had a painting event with Wanda Best, our Vice President (and artist). – Adrienne Hawthorne, Adult Services Librarian
- I really enjoyed tabling with Aletta Seales, Angela Sinclair, and others at various street fairs throughout southeast Queens where we promoted our programs, including Friends programs, and our library generally. – Tejas Desai, Assistant Community Library Manager
- My favorite memory is our collaboration on the Manga Madness series. – Amanda Aponte, Teen Center Site Coordinator
- My favorite memory is seeing them and hanging out with them! I love them so much! – Kacper Jarecki, Community Library Manager
With the world changed as a result of the pandemic, in what ways can the Friends (and the library) remain relevant and an asset to the community?
The world keeps changing, but we will always need each other!!! The library offers that human touch and human connection, and nobody exemplifies that better than the Friends!!! – Kacper Jarecki, Community Library Manager
For more information about joining an existing Friends group or starting your own chapter for your neighborhood library, visit https://volunteer.queenslibrary.org/qplfriends.
If you're interested in other ways of volunteering at Queens Public Library, you can visit https://volunteer.queenslibrary.org.
Posts in This Series
It’s National Volunteer Week! Service Takes Many Forms here at the Library, and this year we want to highlight the winners of the Friends of QPL Shining Star Award.
The Shining Star Award is given to individual Friends members that demonstrate exceptional leadership qualities that inspire and motivate others to action; and groups that exemplify a collaborative spirit and strive to work together to provide ideas, resources, and opportunities that uplift their community.
Here's our conversation with Shining Star Award recipient David Pecoraro, President of the Friends of Rosedale Library. Learn about his beginnings with the group, his experiences during his tenure, and what lies ahead for the Friends of Rosedale Library.
When did you first become involved with the Friends of QPL?
I was approached by the branch manager, Pat Eshun, to help form the Rosedale Friends since she saw me in the library frequently, and I became one of the two initial founders of the group.
What attracted you to becoming involved with the Friends of QPL?
I have been a Rosedale resident for over 56 years and have used this branch since we had a card catalogue and took out books using a photostat machine. My mother, the late community leader Sheila Pecoraro, helped save the branch by leading a sit-in during the 1970s NYC fiscal crisis. Later, the branch served as a place for reading for my sons Daniel and Samuel. It was just second nature to get involved when asked by Pat.
Why are the Friends of QPL an asset to your community or neighborhood?
Many of the working-class community of homeowners in Southeast Queens use this library for research, reading and video materials, and as a safe place for kids while their parents are at work. The Rosedale Friends have worked with our phenomenal staff and our great City Council Members—first Donovan Richards and then his successor, Selvena Brooks-Powers. With the discretionary funding they have provided, we have been able to set up events that have benefited the community, including our annual Jackie Robinson tributes and our annual Dream to Read events to honor Martin Luther King, Jr. Thanks to the efforts of our council members, we hope to see a needed branch expansion.
What have been your proudest moments to date during your time as a Friend of QPL?
Our January 2021 online storytime reading and Dream to Read Book Give-Away in celebration of the 59th Presidential inauguration were a pair of memorable events linked to important historical events and figures. Also, we organized a memorable LGBTQ+ Pride event in Rosedale when we invited the partner of civil rights and labor icon Bayard Rustin to explain his history and significance.
Friends of Rosedale Library President David Pecoraro (right) and Member-at-Large Clara Pecoraro (left) at the library's annual Jackie Robinson Day book giveaway.
Why was it important for you to remain actively involved with the Friends throughout the past two years during the height of the pandemic? In what ways did the Friends support the neighborhood during this period?
With the support of Council Member Brooks-Powers, we were able to organize multiple book giveaways and a COVID-19 vaccination van. There was a necessity to have events to maintain continuity, even when the branch was closed. We needed to keep the library and the community on the map.
What would you still like to accomplish as a Friend of QPL?
Our branch expansion and the continuation of programming for our hard-working community.
What are the benefits of working alongside other members to accomplish your goals as a Friend of QPL?
I am fortunate to be assisted by an incredible group of women, including Vice-President Jannie Downes-Charles, Secretary Lorraine Gittens-Bridges, Treasurer Stacey Osbourne, and my wife, Member-at-Large Clara Guillermo-Pecoraro. They have provided energy, wisdom, assistance, perspective, and suggestions that have made our events possible.
In what ways have the library staff supported your efforts during your time as a Friend of QPL?
The Rosedale Library staff have been there from day one to help us put our events together. There is no way we could have done all we have done without them.
For more information about joining an existing Friends group or starting your own chapter for your neighborhood library, visit https://volunteer.queenslibrary.org/qplfriends.
If you're interested in other ways of volunteering at Queens Public Library, you can visit https://volunteer.queenslibrary.org.
Posts in This Series
It’s National Volunteer Week! Service Takes Many Forms here at the Library, and this year we want to highlight the winners of the Friends of QPL Shining Star Award.
The Shining Star Award is given to individual Friends members that demonstrate exceptional leadership qualities that inspire and motivate others to action; and groups that exemplify a collaborative spirit and strive to work together to provide ideas, resources, and opportunities that uplift their community.
Here's our conversation with Shining Star Group Award recipient the Friends of Cambria Heights Library. Learn about their beginnings, their experiences, and what lies ahead for them.
When did you first become involved with the Friends of QPL?
I have been a member since 2008. The Education Committee of the Cambria Heights Civic Association started the Friends group. We saw a need for a teen center located in the basement of the new library building, which was being used for storage. We spoke to politicians, our councilman, and our assemblywoman about our wish to have the space in the basement of Cambria Heights Library turned into a teen center. Thus, our Friends group helped get the teen center created. The cost of the project was over $2 million. The Friends continued to lobby in Albany and advocate for the library. – Angelia Sinclair, President
Why are the Friends of QPL an asset to your community or neighborhood?
Cambria Heights is a diverse neighborhood of all ages, ethnicities, and creeds. With that being said, we all get connected through the Friends of QPL. Our outreach resources include tabling during street fairs to attract people and engage them in a discussion about the Friends' functions. For over two years of the pandemic, the Cambria Heights Friends have been able to come into our neighbors’ homes through virtual programs on various topics. Children learned about the environment and how to grow plants from seeds in their own living space. Adults loved the mental health program that helped them cope with any type of anxiety. Langston Hughes, the American writer and social activist, said "What happens to a dream deferred?" How about a Broadway actor conducting a Dream Coaching program, which was a motivational session to help people identify the next steps in their life plan? Other presentations focused on domestic violence and songwriting therapy and affirmation. And Wow! How could I forget our Open Mic Celebration during National Poetry Month? – Barbara Woodford, Member-at-Large
What have been your proudest moments to date during your time as a Friend of QPL?
During the pandemic, the Friends of Cambria Heights provided virtual children’s programs on topics like math and kitchen gardening. Children’s author Ama Karikari Yawson held a dramatic interactive reading of her book Sunne’s Gift. Prior to the pandemic, the Friends funded an after-school kids' program in the library about creating your own terrarium; the Queens Botanical Garden supplied a teacher and all the necessary materials. We had adult painting programs before and (virtually) during the pandemic. These programs were taught by our Vice President, Wanda Best. Ms. Best also hosts programs (both in person and virtually) each October about domestic violence awareness. We used the funding from a Citizen’s Gardening Grant for a variety of informational and entertaining virtual programs during the pandemic. Our April 2021 National Poetry Month Open Mic was very popular. It was our second virtual poetry program. We invited community members and our library staff to share their original poems, or ones by their favorite poets. We even had a young poet perform his spoken word poetry. – Angela Sinclair, President
Why was it important for you to remain actively involved with the Friends throughout the past two years during the height of the pandemic?
It was an opportunity to communicate with others virtually and provide a wellness check. – Aletta Seales, Secretary
What are the benefits of working alongside other members to accomplish your goals as a Friend of QPL?
There is an African saying: “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, take others with you.” My wish for the Friends is to go far into the future. Therefore, members need to work alongside each other. – Aletta Seales, Secretary
For more information about joining an existing Friends group or starting your own chapter for your neighborhood library, visit https://volunteer.queenslibrary.org/qplfriends.
If you're interested in other ways of volunteering at Queens Public Library, you can visit https://volunteer.queenslibrary.org.
Posts in This Series
It’s National Volunteer Week! Service Takes Many Forms here at the Library, and this year we want to highlight the winners of the Friends of QPL Shining Star Award.
The Shining Star Award is given to individual Friends members that demonstrate exceptional leadership qualities that inspire and motivate others to action; and groups that exemplify a collaborative spirit and strive to work together to provide ideas, resources, and opportunities that uplift their community.
Here's our conversation with Shining Star Award recipient Annette Tow, Treasurer of the Friends of Flushing Library. Learn about her beginnings with the group, her experiences during her tenure, and what lies ahead for the Friends of Flushing Library.
When did you first become involved with the Friends of QPL?
2001.
What attracted you to becoming involved with the Friends of QPL?
As a "book reader" and a "bookshelf browser" of "what can I learn today," I have an opportunity to pay back, as well as pay forward, by reinforcing the value and importance of a regional community library.
Why are the Friends of QPL an asset to your community or neighborhood?
The Friends offer an opportunity to have a voice in how/where the community will grow. Library personnel are not necessarily residents of the branch's community, so their values and how they view a community library can be different from a neighborhood resident.
What have been your proudest moments to date during your time as a Friend of QPL?
In 2003, I was able to coordinate an auditorium multicultural fashion show in Indian, Vietnamese, Mongolian, Korean, and Chinese. And in 2012, we held a successful summer STEAM program for 30+ elementary school-age children. During the program, 10 high school students were used as presenters. They learned practical task management, oral communication, and how to create effective visual presentations. Several business community leaders contributed funds as program sponsors.
Why was it important for you to remain actively involved with the Friends throughout the past two years during the height of the pandemic?
Pride in being a long-time Flushing resident and awareness of neighborhood changes, as there were repeated acts of building vandalism and vendor abuse in sidewalk market growth.
In what ways did the Friends support the neighborhood during this period?
A few members and I developed an informal survival "info" network and a Flushing Library service to select books for pick-up and return. We also helped with reporting any vandalism of library premises, supermarket shopping for food options, inventory, and hours.
With the world changed as a result of the pandemic, in what ways can the Friends (and the library) remain relevant and an asset to the community?
The Flushing neighborhood’s life cycle has changed, and because of its central location, the library can be a source of information to businesses, and offer employment, artistic/cultural, and educational opportunities as effective outreach, especially to immigrant families as well as long-time residents.
What are the benefits of working alongside other members to accomplish your goals as a Friend of QPL?
I have met a variety of people and had opportunities for personal friendships not ordinarily encountered, thanks to stepping outside of our personal spaces.
In what ways have library staff supported your efforts during your time as a Friend of QPL?
Library staff have advised us on what strategies would work and efficient operating methods or alternatives. Also, since the lockdown, building service employees have taken on taking care of the building's plants, which are a signature of Flushing Library.
What would you still like to accomplish as a Friend of QPL?
I'd like to see how the neighborhood and community have changed and how resilient we can be to grow and thrive in this "new normal"; to conduct a survey (public and business) to see how the community has changed and what we as Flushing Library Friends can promote as community outreach, so our residents can recover and move on in their lives.
For more information about joining an existing Friends group or starting your own chapter for your neighborhood library, visit https://volunteer.queenslibrary.org/qplfriends.
If you're interested in other ways of volunteering at Queens Public Library, you can visit https://volunteer.queenslibrary.org.
Posts in This Series
Flushing Library Set to Reopen to the Public With Full Service Beginning Monday, April 25
Flushing, N.Y. _ Flushing Library, the busiest branch in the nation, will welcome back customers beginning Monday, April 25, offering full service for the first time since it temporarily closed in March 2020 due to the pandemic.
Located at 41-17 Main Street, Flushing Library reopened in July 2020 for staff to process requests for books and other materials. It offered to-go service from November 2020 until March 2021, when the City began using it for its free COVID-19 vaccination site. Although Flushing became one of the City’s most visited vaccination locations, the City had to stop administering shots inside the branch in mid-June because the building’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system had failed. However, the City continued to use the site for storage to support the vaccination effort for several months.
The HVAC system breakdown came at roughly the same time as a previously planned closure of the library for the construction of a second elevator and the renovation of the existing elevator. Work on this project started in December 2021. The bulk of the work on the elevators will take place at night so the building can be open during the day to provide library service. For now, the existing HVAC system has been able to provide heat while a temporary chiller is set up in a trailer outside the building. A brand-new system will be installed within the next two years.
"Striking this balance has been an enormously complicated undertaking that involved a great deal of thought, time, and creativity," said Queens Public Library President and CEO Dennis M. Walcott. "Our team came up with a solution that enables us to carry out our mission as we work to provide greater access to all the resources Flushing offers, and the staff at Flushing have done an outstanding job making sure the library is as ready, inviting, and inspiring as possible when the public returns. They are very much looking forward to welcoming back our customers."
Flushing Library is a vital community resource and the first stop for many immigrants. In FY 2019, it drew 1.7 million visitors, circulated 1 million items and brought in 184,000 program attendees, who participated in its English classes, GED prep courses, technology workshops, job readiness classes, and a number of other programs. Many of its classes and cultural programming continued virtually throughout the pandemic.
The hours will be Monday through Thursday, 10 am. to 8 p.m., Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. A roster of virtual and in-person programs will be offered starting the 25th. Flushing’s Adult Learning Center will also reopen the same day with classes for the public. The ALC hours will be Monday, Tuesday, and Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For a complete schedule of QPL offerings, go here.
CONTACT: Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska, ekern@queenslibrary.org
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QPL President and CEO Dennis M. Walcott reading a STEM-focused book to kindergarteners
Queens Public Library Brings Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Resources to Queens Kindergarteners as Part of Its First-Ever Bookmobile STEM Tour
QPL’s Mobile Library Will Make Weekly Stops at Queens Elementary Schools for the Remainder of the School Year
Queens, NY_ Queens Public Library has launched its first-ever Bookmobile STEM Tour, stopping at schools in communities with the greatest need to provide free STEM resources and instructions to kindergarteners to help them learn STEM concepts, foster their natural curiosity and develop their scientific skills.
The Bookmobile Tour first hit the road in March, and it will continue making stops across Queens until the end of June.
On April 6, which is National Library Outreach Day, the QPL Mobile Library team, accompanied by the QPL Book Bike team, will stop at three elementary schools in South Jamaica, Queens -- P.S. 40, P.S. 48, and P.S. 160 -- offering STEM-oriented storytimes, STEM presentations and interactive science games to kindergarteners.
The Queens Public Library’s South Jamaica and Baisley Park branches have been working with elementary schools in the area since 2014 as part of the South Jamaica Reads partnership, which seeks to ensure that children enter school prepared to learn and stay on track for academic success.
During the Bookmobile Tour, science educators from Vinny Voltage Science Show will provide hands-on STEM activities, covering topics such as ecosystems, plants, animals, weather, seasons, energy, heat, space, engineering, robotics, and more.
At each stop on April 6, QPL President and CEO Dennis M. Walcott will welcome students aboard the bus and read STEM-focused books to them.
“As New York strives to emerge from the pandemic as a more equitable city, Queens Public Library is doing its part to reach out to our communities and help children develop STEM skills early on in their education,” said QPL President and CEO Dennis M. Walcott. “By encouraging STEM learning among young children, we hope to inspire the next generation of innovators and problem-solvers.”
The Bookmobile and Book Bike will offer carefully curated collections of STEM-focused books and resources for young children. Each student visiting the Bookmobile will receive a STEM to-go kit, consisting of books, science journals, pencils, tech toys and tools for exploration, such as magnifying glasses. In addition, students will be able to sign up for library cards as well as check out and return books. They will also get a chance to get familiar with library programs and services.
The STEM to-go kits and resources for the tour have been provided through City’s First Readers, the New York City Council’s early literacy initiative.
CONTACT: Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska, ekern@queenslibrary.org
“We are AI” series by NYU Tandon Center for Responsible AI and Queens Public Library helps citizen take control of tech
The Center for responsible AI at NYU Tandon, in partnership with Queens Public Library and P2PU, to launch an in-person five-week course “We are AI”, to give citizens a primer on AI and empower them to advocate for policies that prevent its abuses.
QUEENS, New York, March 14, 2022 – We Are AI is a five-week course run as a learning circle by Peer-to-Peer University (P2PU). The goal of the course, which kicks off on March 24, 2022 is to introduce the general public to the basics of artificial intelligence (AI), discuss some of the social and ethical dimensions of its use in modern life, and empower individuals to engage with how AI is used and governed. No math, programming skills, or existing understanding of AI are required!
The in-person We Are AI program is offered by the Center for Responsible AI (R/AI) in partnership with Queens Public Library. It will be led by Julia Stoyanovich, professor of computer science and engineering at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, professor of data science at the NYU Center for Data Science, and director of NYU R/AI; and Eric Corbett, a Smart Cities postdoctoral research associate at Tandon’s Center for Urban Science and Progress (NYU CUSP).
AI systems, whose decision making processes are invisible to the public, increasingly determine what we read, what we buy, the entertainment we are offered, where we work, what kinds of medical care we receive and more. For citizens to have any meaningful influence over how AI is used as a social tool, they must have some familiarity with how these technologies work, their flaws, and where they are deployed.
“Artificial intelligence is used to make high-stakes decisions that affect all of us,” said Stoyanovich. “But too few citizens are aware of the influence of AI in their lives — in fact many are not even aware of the existence of these systems. We partnered with Queens Public Library and P2PU to help citizens get informed, empowered and active in shaping the laws that can determine how these frameworks are used, and also to help us learn how to get even better at teaching these critical subjects.”
Those interested in participating are encouraged to sign up here.
Embedded within the five modules (What is AI, Learning from Data, Who Lives Who Dies Who Decides, All About That Bias, and We Are AI) are a series of 10-minute videos exploring such topics as defining AI, learning from data, ethics in AI, and bias in AI. There is also an innovative, engaging comic book series designed to make this highly complex matter comprehensible to virtually anyone.
The course uses everyday imagery and lay-friendly language to offer a primer on such topics as:
- Algorithms, and how machine learning systems make predictions about the world based on past experience encoded in the data
- Classifiers and how to design them
- Ethics in AI
- Racism and gender bias in decision making AI used in delivering online ads and hiring
“AI continues to profoundly transform the world we live in and it is essential for the public to have a deeper understanding of this powerful tool and the challenges it brings,” said Sharon Myrie, Vice President of Programs and Services at Queens Public Library. “We are thrilled to partner with the New York University Tandon Center for Responsible AI and Peer 2 Peer University to launch this relevant program, helping our customers navigate various aspects of this new technology.”
Press Contacts:
Karl Greenberg
NYU Tandon
646.519.1996
Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska
Queens Public Library
917 702 0016
About the New York University Tandon School of Engineering
The NYU Tandon School of Engineering dates to 1854, the founding date for both the New York University School of Civil Engineering and Architecture and the Brooklyn Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute. A January 2014 merger created a comprehensive school of education and research in engineering and applied sciences as part of a global university, with close connections to engineering programs at NYU Abu Dhabi and NYU Shanghai. NYU Tandon is rooted in a vibrant tradition of entrepreneurship, intellectual curiosity, and innovative solutions to humanity’s most pressing global challenges. Research at Tandon focuses on vital intersections between communications/IT, cybersecurity, and data science/AI/robotics systems and tools and critical areas of society that they influence, including emerging media, health, sustainability, and urban living. We believe diversity is integral to excellence, and are creating a vibrant, inclusive, and equitable environment for all of our students, faculty and staff. For more information, visit engineering.nyu.edu.
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 125 years ago, QPL offers free access to a collection of more than 5 million books and other materials in multiple languages, technology and digital resources, and more than 80,000 educational, cultural, and civic programs annually. QPL consists of 66 locations across the borough, including branch libraries, a Central Library, seven adult learning centers, a technology center, and two teen centers, and attracted more than 11 million visitors in 2019.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, February 25, 2022
Contact: Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska, ekern@queenslibrary.org
Queens Memory Presents “Queens COVID Remembrance Day” Exhibit at Elmhurst Library
The Exhibit Features 270 Portraits of Queens Residents Lost to COVID
Elmhurst, NY - Queens Memory - a community archiving program supported by Queens Public Library and the Queens College Library – today announced the opening of “Queens COVID Remembrance Day” exhibit at Elmhurst Library. The branch, at 86-07 Broadway, is located in a neighborhood that was the “epicenter of the epicenter” of COVID-19 during the height of the pandemic.
The exhibit, presented on the two-year anniversary of pandemic shutdowns across New York City, will be on view from March 1 through April 30. It consists of 270 portraits of Queens residents who died from COVID-19. The 12”x 18” images suspended inside a structural glass reading room were created by 17-year-old artist Hannah Ernst who began drawing portraits of COVID-19 victims after the loss of her grandfather, Calvin “Cal” Schoenfeld, in May 2020.
Ernst’s work has become an iconic symbol in the COVID-loss community. With the help of her mother Karen, she created a Facebook community named Faces of COVID Victims, featuring over 2,500 portraits drawn by her. Elegantly capturing the spirit of lost loved ones, Ernst worked with their families to accentuate unique details: a favorite baseball cap, glasses, or a carefully shaded salt-and-pepper beard.
The first Queens COVID Remembrance Day, a solemn day of pause and reflection to ensure that loved ones have not been forgotten amid the ever-rising toll of the pandemic, was held on May 1, 2021. It was organized by a committee of borough residents who lost family members to COVID-19 and featured portraits of Queens residents drawn by Ernst, placed on the empty benches of Forest Park as a visual representation of the tremendous loss endured by the borough’s community.
The display at Elmhurst Library will serve as a site for collective remembering – a community memorial honoring and celebrating all those lost to COVID-19.
“We have experienced time passing in new ways during the pandemic. This month-long exhibit, held two years after our city was thrown into an emergency response to COVID-19, is an opportunity to hold both space and time to acknowledge all we have lived through, and those we have lost,” said Natalie Milbrodt, QPL’s Coordinator of Metadata Services and the founding Director of the Queens Memory Project. “We are proud to work with our community partners to plan the exhibit and are grateful to the team at Elmhurst Library for hosting this evocative memorial.”
“What began as one young artist’s endeavor to capture the essence of her grandfather inside a framed portrait sparked a viral movement that first traveled online and now offline in public spaces inaccessible during the pandemic,” said J. Faye Yuan, Queens Memory Curator. “Now hung across a library’s reading room, this community memorial is a testament to the healing powers of public art – art that empowers us to witness grief as an artifact of love. Together.”
“The pandemic has left an indelible mark on the lives of so many families who lost a loved one to COVID-19. We organized the first Queens COVID Remembrance Day during a time when those families needed a space for healing, acknowledgement and support,” said EmyLou A.S. Rodriguez, Co-Chair of the Queens COVID Remembrance Day Committee. “We are grateful to Faces of COVID Victims and Queens Public Library for creating this memorial space to continue to honor the memory of those we've lost, especially now that the world tries to move on to some semblance of normalcy. For those of us who suffered loss, our lives will never be the same.”
Queens Memory invites the public to contribute to this community memorial. Customers can use the below QR code or visit queenslib.org/queensmemorial to upload their photos and the story of someone they wish to memorialize. The Queens Memory Project will share these contributions on their website: queenslib.org/covid.
The exhibit serves as a continuation of the Queens Memory’s efforts to document the experiences of borough’s residents during the pandemic, which began in April 2020 as part of its COVID-19 Project.
About Queens Memory
Queens Memory is an ongoing community archiving program supported by Queens Public Library and Queens College, CUNY. We engage with Queens residents in our two-fold mission to (1) push local history collections out to the public through programming and online resources, and (2) pull new materials into our collections from the diverse communities of Queens. The goal is to raise awareness and a sense of ownership in the production of our shared historic record and our dream is that any Queens resident who visits these collections feels his/her experiences and perspective are represented. Queens Memory also provides training and materials for anyone wishing to contribute oral history interviews, photographs, or other records of his/her neighborhoods, families, and communities. These materials get a permanent home in the Archives and are shared back with the public on a variety of platforms including Aviary, Urban Archive, our podcast series, Instagram, and in the archival repositories of Queens Public Library and Queens College’s Rosenthal Library. Queens Memory was founded in 2010 and has been honored with the 2014 Archivists Round Table Award for Educational Use of Archives and the 2019 New York State Archives’ Debra E. Bernhardt Annual Archives Award for Excellence in Documenting New York’s History.
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 125 years ago, QPL offers free access to a collection of more than 5 million books and other materials in multiple languages, technology and digital resources, and more than 80,000 educational, cultural, and civic programs annually. QPL consists of 66 locations across the borough, including branch libraries, a Central Library, seven adult learning centers, a technology center, and two teen centers, and attracted more than 11 million visitors in 2019.