Queens Borough Public Library
Encyclopedia
The Queens Library, also known as the Queens Borough Public Library, is the public library
for the Borough
of Queens
and one of three library systems serving New York City
. It was the No. 1 library system in the United States by circulation, having loaned 21 million items in the 2007 fiscal year.
It was named “2009 Library of the Year” by Library Journal
. According to its website, the library holds about 6.6 million items, of which 1.2 million are at its central library in Jamaica, Queens.
Dating back to the foundation of the first Queens library in Flushing
in 1858, QL has become one of the largest public library systems in the United States
, comprising some 62 branches throughout the borough. Since 1994, it has had high annual circulation, and it is the second largest library in the country in terms of the size of its collection. QL serves Queens' population of more than 2.2 million, including one of the largest immigrant populations in the country. Consequently, a large percentage of QL's collections are in non-English
languages, particularly Spanish
. QL is separate both from the New York Public Library
, which covers Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island, and the Brooklyn Public Library
, which covers that borough alone.
The first library in Queens was founded in 1858 in Flushing
as a subscription service. It became a free circulation library in 1869.
In the late 19th century, several local libraries were founded in western Queens. The libraries in Astoria
, Long Island City
and Steinway
formed the Long Island City Public Library in 1896, becoming Queens' first multi-branch library.
In 1901, shortly after the consolidation of Queens into New York City
, the city government proposed a new charter joining all libraries in Queens into the Queens Borough Public Library. All of the public libraries signed on, except for Flushing, which remained independent until 1903.
Due to the wide variation in population density in Queens, in 1906, the QL established small branches in store-fronts and shopping areas under the Traveling Library program. With these branches QL grew swiftly, eventually opening major branches in almost every Queens neighborhood.
The original Central Library on Parsons Boulevard in Jamaica was opened in 1930 and expanded with WPA funds in 1941. It was a splendid four-story Renaissance Revival building. In spite of its elegance, it was too small for the demand and was replaced by a new, more spacious facility in 1966, through the persistent efforts of the Library Director, Harold W. Tucker.
$240,000 donated by Andrew Carnegie
was used for the construction of seven new Carnegie libraries
between 1904 and 1924 in the most heavily—populated areas of the borough. Five of these buildings (Astoria, Elmhurst, Poppenhusen, Richmond Hill, and Woodhaven) are still in use. They are characterized by their stately solidity and expensive decorative details. The Carnegie-era Flushing Branch was demolished for a more modern building in the 1950s, and the Far Rockaway Branch was destroyed by fire in 1962.
Library branches were added slowly as the borough’s population expanded. By 1946, Queens Library had 44 branches plus the Central Library and a very active bookmobile
.
Many additional branches had been approved to be built between 1954–1965, but were not completed due to a New York City fiscal crisis. Additional funds were given to the library system by the federal Library Services and Construction Act
to finish the Central Library, Flushing and Far Rockaway branches. In the 1990s interest in completing the proposed branches was revived. In 1998, the revamped Flushing library was opened, and 4 other branches were opened between 1999-2007. The Queens Library has been allocated more than $100 million in funds between 2003-2006.
and the Borough President
of Queens. The mayor, borough president, the New York City Comptroller
and the New York Public Advocate
sit on the board as ex officio members. The library is funded by the City, state
and federal grants, and through private philanthropy
. The current director of the Queens Library is Thomas Galante.
Queens Library has 62 locations, seven Adult Learning Centers, two Family Literacy Centers, and a Bookmobile.
The Queens Library’s online catalog, InfoLinQ (Information online at Queens Library) was unveiled at the Central Library in October 1993. In January 1999 the Cyber Center opened at the Central Library. The Cyber Center has 48 computers for customer use, allowing access to the Internet and word processing.
Central Library includes the following divisions:
61 community libraries are located in Queens.
, Chinese
, French
, Gujarati
, Hindi
, Italian
, Korean
, Portuguese
, Punjabi
, Russian
, Spanish
, and Urdu.
Library is home to the Black Heritage Reference Center, which contains materials "written by, about, for, with and related to Black Culture." It is the largest collection of materials dedicated solely to Black culture in New York State.
partnership between schools and libraries.
(serving The Bronx
, Manhattan
and Staten Island
), and the Brooklyn Public Library
(serving Brooklyn
).
Public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...
for the Borough
Borough (New York City)
New York City, one of the largest cities in the world, is composed of five boroughs. Each borough now has the same boundaries as the county it is in. County governments were dissolved when the city consolidated in 1898, along with all city, town, and village governments within each county...
of Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
and one of three library systems serving New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. It was the No. 1 library system in the United States by circulation, having loaned 21 million items in the 2007 fiscal year.
It was named “2009 Library of the Year” by Library Journal
Library Journal
Library Journal is a trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey . It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional practice...
. According to its website, the library holds about 6.6 million items, of which 1.2 million are at its central library in Jamaica, Queens.
Dating back to the foundation of the first Queens library in Flushing
Flushing, Queens
Flushing, founded in 1645, is a neighborhood in the north central part of the City of New York borough of Queens, east of Manhattan.Flushing was one of the first Dutch settlements on Long Island. Today, it is one of the largest and most diverse neighborhoods in New York City...
in 1858, QL has become one of the largest public library systems in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, comprising some 62 branches throughout the borough. Since 1994, it has had high annual circulation, and it is the second largest library in the country in terms of the size of its collection. QL serves Queens' population of more than 2.2 million, including one of the largest immigrant populations in the country. Consequently, a large percentage of QL's collections are in non-English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
languages, particularly Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
. QL is separate both from the New York Public Library
New York Public Library
The New York Public Library is the largest public library in North America and is one of the United States' most significant research libraries...
, which covers Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island, and the Brooklyn Public Library
Brooklyn Public Library
The Brooklyn Public Library is the public library system of the borough of Brooklyn in New York City. It is the fifth largest public library system in the United States. Like the two other public library systems in New York City, it is an independent nonprofit organization that is funded by the...
, which covers that borough alone.
History
Flushing, Queens
Flushing, founded in 1645, is a neighborhood in the north central part of the City of New York borough of Queens, east of Manhattan.Flushing was one of the first Dutch settlements on Long Island. Today, it is one of the largest and most diverse neighborhoods in New York City...
as a subscription service. It became a free circulation library in 1869.
In the late 19th century, several local libraries were founded in western Queens. The libraries in Astoria
Astoria, Queens
Astoria is a neighborhood in the northwestern corner of the borough of Queens in New York City. Located in Community Board 1, Astoria is bounded by the East River and is adjacent to three other Queens neighborhoods: Long Island City, Sunnyside , and Woodside...
, Long Island City
Long Island City, Queens
Long Island City is the westernmost neighborhood of the borough of Queens in New York City. L.I.C. is notable for its rapid and ongoing gentrification, its waterfront parks, and its thriving arts community. L.I.C. has among the highest concentration of art galleries, art institutions, and studio...
and Steinway
Ditmars, Queens
Ditmars is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. Ditmars is in northwestern Queens bounded by Bowery Bay to the north, LaGuardia Airport to the east, 23rd Avenue to the south and the East River on the west. The neighborhood is often considered to be within Astoria...
formed the Long Island City Public Library in 1896, becoming Queens' first multi-branch library.
In 1901, shortly after the consolidation of Queens into New York City
City of Greater New York
The City of Greater New York was a term commonly used originally to refer to the expanded city created on January 1, 1898 by the incorporation into the city of Richmond County, Kings County, Queens County, and the eastern part of what is now called The Bronx...
, the city government proposed a new charter joining all libraries in Queens into the Queens Borough Public Library. All of the public libraries signed on, except for Flushing, which remained independent until 1903.
Due to the wide variation in population density in Queens, in 1906, the QL established small branches in store-fronts and shopping areas under the Traveling Library program. With these branches QL grew swiftly, eventually opening major branches in almost every Queens neighborhood.
The original Central Library on Parsons Boulevard in Jamaica was opened in 1930 and expanded with WPA funds in 1941. It was a splendid four-story Renaissance Revival building. In spite of its elegance, it was too small for the demand and was replaced by a new, more spacious facility in 1966, through the persistent efforts of the Library Director, Harold W. Tucker.
$240,000 donated by Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, and entrepreneur who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century...
was used for the construction of seven new Carnegie libraries
Carnegie library
A Carnegie library is a library built with money donated by Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. 2,509 Carnegie libraries were built between 1883 and 1929, including some belonging to public and university library systems...
between 1904 and 1924 in the most heavily—populated areas of the borough. Five of these buildings (Astoria, Elmhurst, Poppenhusen, Richmond Hill, and Woodhaven) are still in use. They are characterized by their stately solidity and expensive decorative details. The Carnegie-era Flushing Branch was demolished for a more modern building in the 1950s, and the Far Rockaway Branch was destroyed by fire in 1962.
Library branches were added slowly as the borough’s population expanded. By 1946, Queens Library had 44 branches plus the Central Library and a very active bookmobile
Bookmobile
A bookmobile or mobile library is a large vehicle designed for use as a library. It is designed to hold books on shelves so that when the vehicle is parked the books can be accessed by readers. It usually has enough space for people to sit and read books inside. Mobile libraries are often used to...
.
Many additional branches had been approved to be built between 1954–1965, but were not completed due to a New York City fiscal crisis. Additional funds were given to the library system by the federal Library Services and Construction Act
Library Services and Construction Act
The Library Services and Construction Act, enacted in 1962 by the U.S. Congress, provides federal assistance to libraries in the United States for the purpose of improving or implementing library services or undertaking construction projects.-Aim:...
to finish the Central Library, Flushing and Far Rockaway branches. In the 1990s interest in completing the proposed branches was revived. In 1998, the revamped Flushing library was opened, and 4 other branches were opened between 1999-2007. The Queens Library has been allocated more than $100 million in funds between 2003-2006.
Administration
Queens Library is governed by an 18-member Board of Trustees, which are appointed by the Mayor of New York CityMayor of New York City
The Mayor of the City of New York is head of the executive branch of New York City's government. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and enforces all city and state laws within New York City.The budget overseen by the...
and the Borough President
Borough president
Borough President is an elective office in each of the five boroughs of New York City.-Reasons for establishment:...
of Queens. The mayor, borough president, the New York City Comptroller
New York City Comptroller
The Office of Comptroller of New York City is the chief fiscal officer and chief auditing officer of the city. The comptroller is elected, citywide, to a four-year term and can hold office for three consecutive terms. The current comptroller is Democrat John Liu, formerly a member of the New York...
and the New York Public Advocate
New York Public Advocate
The office of Public Advocate for the City of New York is a citywide elected position in New York City, which is first in line to succeed the Mayor. The office serves as a direct link between the electorate and city government, effectively acting as an ombudsman, or "watchdog," for New Yorkers...
sit on the board as ex officio members. The library is funded by the City, state
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and federal grants, and through private philanthropy
Philanthropy
Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...
. The current director of the Queens Library is Thomas Galante.
Branches
Central Library
Central Library was the first major branch of an urban library to place all public services on one floor. The library cost $5,700,000 and contained 195000 square feet (18,116.1 m²) of floor space. The library was renovated and expanded in 1989. Additional renovation and expansion has begun and is expected to be completed in the next few years, and will include the new Children’s Library and Discovery Center.The Queens Library’s online catalog, InfoLinQ (Information online at Queens Library) was unveiled at the Central Library in October 1993. In January 1999 the Cyber Center opened at the Central Library. The Cyber Center has 48 computers for customer use, allowing access to the Internet and word processing.
Central Library includes the following divisions:
- Business, Science & Technology
- Central Circulation Services
- Fine Arts and Recreation / Media Center
- Information Services
- Literature and Languages
- Archives at Queens Library (formerly the Long Island Division)
- Social Sciences
- Youth Services
Community Libraries
- Arverne
- Astoria
- Auburndale
- Baisley Park
- Bay Terrace
- Bayside
- Bellerose
- Briarwood
- Broad Channel
- Broadway
- Cambria Heights
- Central Library
- Corona
- Court Square
- Douglaston/Little Neck
- East Elmhurst
- East Flushing
- Elmhurst
- Far Rockaway
- Flushing
- Forest Hills
- Fresh Meadows
- Glen Oaks
- Glendale
- Hillcrest
- Hollis
- Howard Beach
- Jackson Heights
- Kew Gardens Hills
- Langston Hughes
- Laurelton
- Lefferts
- Lefrak City
- Long Island City
- Maspeth
- McGoldrick
- Middle Village
- Mitchell-Linden
- North Forest Park
- North Hills
- Ozone Park
- Peninsula
- Pomonok
- PoppenhusenCollege Point, QueensCollege Point is a working-middle class neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. It is located north of Flushing on Flushing Bay and the East River and is part of the Queens Community Board 7. Willets Point Boulevard and the Whitestone Expressway are often the neighborhood's...
(College Point) - Queens Village
- Queensboro Hill
- Rego Park
- Richmond Hill
- Ridgewood
- Rochdale Village
- Rosedale
- Seaside
- South Hollis
- South Jamaica
- South Ozone Park
- St. Albans
- Steinway
- Sunnyside
- Whitestone
- Windsor ParkHollis Hills, QueensHollis Hills is an affluent neighborhood in the north-east section of the borough of Queens in New York City. As with most neighborhoods in New York City its existence is not official nor its boundaries fixed but Springfield Boulevard is commonly taken at the eastern boundary, Grand Central Parkway...
- Woodhaven
- Woodside
International Resource Center
The Flushing Library is home to the International resource Center (IRC). It contains books, magazines, Cds and DVDs that represent cultures from all over the world. Flushing library has collections in many languages, including BengaliBengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
, Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, Gujarati
Gujarati language
Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...
, Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
, Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
, Korean
Korean language
Korean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
, Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
, Punjabi
Punjabi language
Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...
, Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, and Urdu.
Black Heritage Reference Center
The Langston HughesLangston Hughes
James Mercer Langston Hughes was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist. He was one of the earliest innovators of the then-new literary art form jazz poetry. Hughes is best known for his work during the Harlem Renaissance...
Library is home to the Black Heritage Reference Center, which contains materials "written by, about, for, with and related to Black Culture." It is the largest collection of materials dedicated solely to Black culture in New York State.
Bookmobile
The Bookmobile was a bus filled with books that traveled to and from schools and community library locations that had closed down for renovations. Bookmobile service began in 1930 and ran until 1976. It was recently revived in 2006 until it was halted in mid-2008 due to budget cuts. It was again used in late 2010 to early 2011 at the Windsor Park Library to supply people with books while the library was under renovations.Archives at Queens Library
The Archives at Queens Library, formerly known as the Long Island Division, is a special collection in the Central Library building that focuses on the history of Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk counties. It consists of books, publications, current and historical newspapers, family manuscripts and genealogical material, historical maps and atlases including Belcher Hyde and Sanborn Company maps, late 19th- and early 20th-century photographs, as well as other archival material.Programs and Services
Queens Library has created a variety of services to aid children and teens. In the 1960s, the QL instituted 2 programs: "Operation Head Start," which helped to introduce children to books, and "Library-go-Round," a bus which would travel to children in underprivileged areas. In 1994, the Connecting Libraries and Schools Program (CLASP) aimed to create apartnership between schools and libraries.
BOOST
All Queens Library branches participate in the BOOST program, Best Out Of School Time. Originally "Branch Out of School Time", "Branch" was changed to "Best" when all "branch" libraries were renamed to "community" libraries. The program aims to provide homework materials, homework tutors, and monitors. Each branch also provides an assortment of enriching activities and clubs for children and teens daily.Other New York City library systems
Queens Library is one of three separate and independent public library systems in New York City. The other two are the New York Public LibraryNew York Public Library
The New York Public Library is the largest public library in North America and is one of the United States' most significant research libraries...
(serving The Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
, Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
and Staten Island
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
), and the Brooklyn Public Library
Brooklyn Public Library
The Brooklyn Public Library is the public library system of the borough of Brooklyn in New York City. It is the fifth largest public library system in the United States. Like the two other public library systems in New York City, it is an independent nonprofit organization that is funded by the...
(serving Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
).