Sunday, July 29, 2012
Down with the old, up with the new
From the Queens Ledger:
In a ceremonial pouring of concrete, the new Elmhurst branch of the Queens Library put the finishing touches on it's foundation. The $27.8 million project will be 30,000 square feet and is set to be completed in 2014.
Queens Borough President Helen Marshall and Councilman Daniel Dromm were in attendance at the July 25th ceremony, and spoke as the new library was being built behind them. Marshall allocated $23.5 million toward the project.
The new Elmhurst Library will be over twice the size of the previous library, which stood on the same spot, and will include separate areas for adults, children and teens.
The new library will also feature a computer center, adult learning center and community gardens in both the front and back of the facility.
The former library was built in 1906. The new library will preserve its legacy by creating and establishing “memory features.” Original brick will be used in the new facade, and the nostalgic Children's Room fireplace will be relocated to the new building. There will also be a memorial wall.
15 comments:
Criminal vandalism.
No where is the word 'Carnegie' Library.
Jimmy Van Bramer and the Board of Developers strikes again.
$25 million people for this ONE project while they cannot buy books and let staff go.
23.5 million dollars to babysit children of illegal aliens as the sidewalks of Maspeth and Middle village working class taxpayers fall apart GREAT.
Wanna hear a horror story ?
Some years ago I went to the Ridgewood Library to look up some old JHS93 yearbook photos.
All the books, yearbooks, Ridgewood Times archives had been thrown out.
The place had been renovated into what looked like the set of "Romper-Room". All the books and historic Bavarian craftsmanship was replaced with pastel colored sheetrock, pressboard, Formica and plastic. Old men were watching Polish porn on computers. Kids in another room were playing video games and playing with FINGERPAINT.
NOT ONE DAM THING going on was related to any useful form of education. The woman running the place could hardly speak understandable English and didt care about all the porn being viewed.
$30 million dollars for this?
will there be a single book in english in that place?
Once again poor reporting by the Queens Ledger which doesn't touch enough upon the historic significance of the old library building.
But this kind of shoddy reporting we've come to expect from publisher, and I use that term loosely, Walter Sanchez. This guy is a piece of work, he has no respect for history nor anything except scamming.
Joe -
Were they thrown out or sent over to the Queens Archives in Jamaica? Not to justify what they did, but they do already have all of the Ridgewood Times' articles on microfilm in Jamaica.
SOMEONE should look into that library board - any note on how that Jamaica learning center ($50 million?) with a handful of references in the media, is doing?
Some buildings are not worth saving.
That building was worth saving.
By comparison, the Brooklyn Public Library is repairing the structure of another Carnegie Library in Carroll Gardens, maintaining a classic structure.
In Queens, you have another case of architectural vandalism.
a great and learned conservative, former principal of L.I.C.High School, wrote a column for the Ridgewood Times in the 1980's.
the community barricaded the H.S .building and would not allow the left-wing NYC Bd. of Ed. to remove him . after three days ,when they threatened to cancel his 35 year pension,he left.
the pupils graduating there were of the highest scoring scholastic achievers in nyc.
articles of the day named him "THE PRINCIPLED PRINCIPAL ".
i was proud to call him "friend". R.I.P.
R.I.P. Dr.Howard Hurewitz
Anon No. 12:
His name was spelled Hurwitz and he hated poor grammar. Stay on topic.
Why the F_ should 1, 2, 3rd generation Ridgewood, Maspeth MV people go to Jamaica to look up microfilm ? To add 1/2 the historic photos have been lost forever due to lousy quick scans
Every neighborhood library should have books (in English) and local archives NOT cabinets of fingerpaint, glue & construction paper, cartoon movies in other then English.
These library "upgrades" are nothing more the LIES spoon fed to the stupid taxpaying public. --A general public too stupid to realize they are being spoon fed shit wile being told its a meal.
Public library are being converted into daycare after school centers for children of illegal immigrants and overseas born immigrants who want to look at porn and use computers for illegal purposes like posting prostitution and scams on Craigslist.
The reason why the material should go to Jamaica, Joe (assuming that's you at Anon No. 14) is that the Queens Archives is where the trained archivists are who will preserve the material. What's left at the branches is not maintained well. No library system spreads out their historical material all over the place.
It makes sense to have everything in one central location. No one else has a problem with it. What's wrong with travelling to Merrick Boulevard?
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