From the Daily News:
The gleaming, airy, $17.1 million Glen Oaks branch officially opened Tuesday, wowing local residents with a design so modern that it even features the word “Search” etched into the front glass — a subtle reference to the internet generation.
“This is not your grandfather’s library,” said David Burney, commissioner of the Department of Design and Construction.
Kids get their own floor in the three-level library, which also offers space for adults and teens. Plush pillows provide seating among rows of books and computers.
And light fills every floor of the building, thanks to large windows and skylights (who needs Google Glass?).
The 18,000-square-foot building replaces an often-overcrowded, traditional branch built more than 50 years ago — when libraries were mainly concerned with printed books.
Queens Library CEO Tom Galante said the configuration of the library, which includes an adult section on the lower level, children’s section on the top level and teens on the main floor, was meticulously planned.
10 comments:
Well it looks like the Queens Library, with its abbreviated hours and threats to staff cutbacks, and particularly its board that - in Queens fashion is long on developers and short on scholars - is pretty much a real estate company that fronts as a social service.
They seem to be preparing dead property like Carnegie built branches into viable places for retail and commercial space for the post book world of Kindle and Nook.
Interesting to contrast what is happening in Manhattan where there is a real push to save the Carnegie branches.
Even more interesting to note that the effort doesn't even waste its time in Queens - something typical of the preservation movement - which has confined itself to areas of sophisticated forward thinking.
No need to embarrass everyone with the pitchfork and torch crowd demanding their right to Fedders Crap.
Someone needs to audit the "books" of the Queens Library. They've reduced the number of librarians and other staff, and have now started to contract out custodial work. Where is the money going? Some of it, we know, has gone for raises for CEO Tom Galante and other top-level administrators - but what about the rest of the money? Oh, and that nice terrace that Tom got on the second floor of Central - who cares if it took space away from the staff and obstructed their view...
Too bad the kids in Queens can't read.
Another library that caters to Asians......wonder how many Asian books there are in this one.
I thought the library was broke, so instead of fixing up the old ones, they build a new one? Really?
Why do they insist on carrying Chinese/Korean books in the library in the first place? They should be given a incentive to learn English!!
Why do they insist on carrying Chinese/Korean books in the library in the first place? They should be given a incentive to learn English!!
hack!
what galls me is that while they are showboating yet another Asian based library, three libraries in Queens that were deluged by Hurricane Sandy are not open 10 months after the storm. Why not put the money there where it's most needed?
Peninsula Library on Rockaway Beach Boulevard and Beach 95th Street stands padlocked as patrons use a double wide trailer. Seaside Library on Rockaway Beach Boulevard and Beach 117th Street is totally closed down. QBPL did not bother to put as a much as a book mobile there. Just Americans use these libraries.
My other problem with QBPL is their New Americans program which only assists illegal aliens and does not hire American citizens. Go to your local Queens library and find out how many American citizens, born here are full time employees.
Well the guys calling the shots at the library are not asians but just the kind of types you see drinking beer in 1910 with a caption that says "College Point Board of Trade."
Yea, old fat white guys. Ask them. And while you are at it, how about a few questions on the fat capital vs starving operating budget.
A $17M babysitter - that's adorable!
Really, I am disappointed by these comments. The real question is what's the point of a library anyway in 2013?
A lot of them fill up with kids running around after school closes and before mommy comes to pick them up. The librarians I have spoken to resent the amount of time they spend on childcare and the risks (physical and legal) they expose themselves when they have to intervene when there is trouble with the latch-key kids.
The worst is when there are kids who are 8-12 years old and the library is closing for the day and librarians cannot locate an adult to take care of the kids.
The book-reading-adult demographic is collapsing. An institution to serve them is doomed. The traditional library, at least in Queens, died years ago. I would propose diving the branches into three types: (1) English language reading matter (2) foreign language reading matter, and (3) Internet and multimedia and see which type of branch can thrive.
The new libraries all have floor plans than allow them to be easily re-purposed. I am sure that was not by accident.
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