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