You are reading

Remaining Queens Public Library Branches to Reopen In-Person Services Next Month

Kew Gardens Hills library, one of 14 QPL branches scheduled to reopen on July 12 (Photo: Charlie Smith)

June 28, 2021 By Allie Griffin

Nearly every Queens Public Library (QPL) branch across the borough will reopen in-person services beginning next month in a move to return to pre-pandemic service.

All library branches were temporarily closed last year to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. QPL has gradually phased in in-person services since last summer and reopened nearly 30 locations for browsing last month.

Fourteen branches which have remained closed to the public will reopen on July 12, QPL announced Friday.

The branch locations are Bay Terrace, Broad Channel, Corona, Far Rockaway, Kew Gardens Hills, Lefferts, McGoldrick, North Forest Park, North Hills, Poppenhusen, Rosedale, Seaside, South Hollis and Windsor Park.

Branches began reopening for to-go service last summer before reopening for masked and limited browsing.

“We have made many strides since COVID-19 forced the temporary closure of our buildings to the public 15 months ago, and as the public health situation shifted during that period, so did we, putting the safety of our customers and staff above all else,” said QPL President and CEO Dennis Walcott.

QPL also announced Friday that many COVID-19 restrictions previously enforced at branches will be lifted on July 6 onward.

“In light of the progress we — as a community, as a city, as a state — have worked so hard to achieve, we can now finally lift many of our restrictions for staff and the public and introduce a model of service that brings us closer to pre-pandemic levels,” Walcott said.

Masks, for example, will be optional to staff and customers who have been fully vaccinated. Those who aren’t fully vaccinated will still be required to wear a mask.

Capacity limits and social distancing requirements will be lifted as well and customers will be allowed unlimited browsing and extended 60-minute computer time limits.

QPL will continue to offer virtual programs and resources, but has already begun planning for indoor public programs and classes.

QPL is also offering extended hours at different branches. Details can be found online.

“I have been hearing from so many people that they cannot wait to return to our libraries and use them as they had in the past,” Walcott said. “They are yearning to return to places that welcome, inspire and provide vital opportunities to everyone, no matter their background or circumstances, and we look forward to continuing to be here for them.”

Some branches will remain closed due to construction, repair work or use as a city COVID-19 testing center or vaccine site. These include Flushing, Glendale, Ozone Park, Pomonok, Queens Village, Queensbridge Tech Lab, South Jamaica, Steinway and Woodhaven.

email the author: [email protected]

One Comment

Click for Comments 
Anna Giammarino

when is the Steinway Branch going to reopen? It has been y=under rennovation for about three Yeard.

Reply

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.


The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

CM Moya announces support for massive Metropolitan Park proposal near Citi Field

Council Member Francisco Moya announced his support for Metropolitan Park, a proposal put forward by New York Mets owner Steve Cohen and Hard Rock International that calls for the construction of a casino and entertainment complex on the parking lot just west of Citi Field.

In a lengthy statement released on Thursday afternoon, Moya said that when he was first approached about the project, his main consideration was ensuring that it would meet the needs of his constituents and provide a major boost to the local economy.

Long Island man charged in fatal Flushing hit-and-run that left 81-year-old man dead: NYPD

A Long Island truck driver was arrested on Tuesday and booked at the 109th Precinct in Flushing for a fatal hit-and-run collision that killed a Murray Hill senior who was riding an electric bike on Northern Boulevard three months ago.

Kyle Schreiber, 27, of Lincoln Boulevard in Hauppauge, was charged with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in the death of 81-year-old Peter Seo on the morning of Thursday, Dec. 28.

MTA seizes 19 ‘ghost’ cars registered to toll violators at Queens Midtown Tunnel on Monday

Two days before the MTA Board approved the controversial congestion pricing plan for Manhattan on Wednesday, the agency cracked down on persistent toll violators at the Queens Midtown Tunnel in Long Island City.

MTA Bridges and Tunnels seized 19 vehicles registered to persistent scofflaws on Monday and issued 81 summonses and confiscated two fraudulent incense plates. The MTA noted that the scofflaws accounted for approximately $483,000 in combined unpaid tolls and fees. One of the top persistent toll violators from the targeted enforcement owed nearly $76,000 in tolls and fees.