Blog posts

Queens Memory Presents "The COVID-19 Project: Navigating a Pandemic," A Two-Part Documentary Portraying Life in Queens During the Coronavirus Outbreak

The Series will Stream on the Queens Memory Facebook Page and Air on QPTV

Queens, NY (July 22, 2020)—Queens Memory—a community archiving program supported by Queens Public Library and the Queens College Library—is pleased to present “The COVID-19 Project: Navigating a Pandemic,” a two-part documentary showcasing a mosaic of personal stories, audio and video recordings as well as photos, depicting what it has been like to live and work in Queens during a pandemic.

The stories and images featured in the documentary have been collected as part of the COVID-19 Project, an initiative seeking to reconstruct the state of mind of Queens residents during the COVID-19 pandemic, making a lasting record of how people have been living, working, learning, and helping one another during this tumultuous time.

The documentary paints a picture of Queens gripped by pain and uncertainty amid a constant wail of sirens filling the empty streets. It also shows residents drawing strength from their close-knit communities and being hopeful as they unite in the cheer to applaud first responders every night.

Drawing from hundreds of submissions to create this documentary, General Librarian Jo-Ann Wong saw this as “an opportunity to showcase many of the moving and important stories that are a part of this growing collection.”

The first episode, portraying life in the borough when it was the U.S. epicenter of the coronavirus, will stream live on the Queens Memory Facebook page on Sunday, July 26 at 1 pm.

Among many voices, viewers will hear from a man who lives six blocks away from Elmhurst Hospital, especially hard-hit by the coronavirus, a nurse coping with the overwhelming stress of her work, and a retiree working for a food pantry seeing a dramatic uptick of people needing assistance.

Part two, scheduled to stream on Tuesday, August 25 at 7 pm, will feature voices of teachers and students facing the challenges of remote learning, show how the pandemic intersects with Black Lives Matter protests, and reflect on what people are most hopeful for as their borough slowly heals and recovers.

The segments will air at the same time on QPTV and will later be available on Queens Memory’s Aviary page.

“The role of the Queens Memory Project is to bear witness to the lives of Queens residents and to preserve a record of their experiences and contributions for future generations,” said Natalie Milbrodt, QPL’s Coordinator of Metadata Services and the founding Director of the Queens Memory Project. “It is also about reaching audiences now to tell the stories of people who might otherwise not have a voice outside of their own communities. We have an opportunity to bring a broader awareness of the challenges and resilience we witness every day in Queens.”

The Queens Memory COVID-19 Project continues to collect stories, which can be contributed in a variety of formats, including phoned-in audio testimonies using a toll-free number (855-QNS-LOVE), photo and written submissions through the Urban Archive platform, and long-form remote interviews conducted by Queens Memory staff and volunteers.

The Urban Archive platform, where stories, photos and other materials are posted, currently features approximately 350 submissions.

“The COVID-19 Project: Navigating a Pandemic” on QPTV:

Part 1, 28 min - Sunday, July 26 at 1 pm and Tuesday, August 4 at 7 pm and 7:30 pm, Spectrum Channels 34/1995, RCN Channel 82, and Verizon Channel 34; Sunday, July 26 at 10 pm, Tuesday, August 4 at 10 am and 10:30 am, and Saturday, August 8 at 10 am and 10:30 am, Spectrum Channel 1997, RCN Channel 85, and Verizon Channel 37.

Part 2, 58 min - Tuesday, August 25 at 10 am, Spectrum Channel 1997, RCN Channel 85, and Verizon Channel 37; Tuesday, August 25 at 7 pm, Spectrum Channels 34/1995, RCN Channel 82, and Verizon Channel 34.

Contact:  Queens Public Library—Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska

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Queens Public Library Partners with NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst to Launch Virtual Series of Health and Wellness Educational Events

NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst Physicians and Other Experts Offer Information on Important Health Topics Through Virtual Talks

(Elmhurst, New York, July 20, 2020)–Queens Public Library and NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst have partnered to host a series of virtual health and wellness educational events to increase health care literacy for all residents in Queens and beyond. The free series includes discussions led by NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst experts on a range of topics, including healthy eating, pediatric milestones, COVID-19 awareness, and what to do to get children ready for a new school year. The collaboration is part of Queens Public Library’s Community Health Service program, which provides free health education classes, workshops, and activities to promote health awareness in the community.

“Queens Public Library is committed now more than ever to helping our communities stay informed and healthy by offering them access to a wide range of free virtual programs focusing on medical issues,” said Queens Public Library President and CEO Dennis M. Walcott. “NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst has been an outstanding partner, and we are thrilled to work with them to help people obtain vital information directly from professionals in the field, so they can make knowledgeable decisions about their and their families’ health.”

“NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst is excited by this partnership with the Queens Library and the opportunity it gives us to increase health literacy about common medical issues during an extremely difficult time for our communities,” said Vice President of NYC Health + Hospitals and Elmhurst and Queens Hospitals CEO Israel Rocha. “Using virtual platforms for community engagement by our physicians, nurses, and other providers is a fantastic way to improve population health and encourage people to make informed healthcare decisions.”

Schedule of NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst virtual lectures through Queens Public Library:

Monday, July 27, 2 PM: Healthy Foods from Around the World: Jey Hwang, RDN, CDN Director of Food and Nutrition Services, will discuss some nutrition basics and healthy recipes. To join the program, go here.

Tuesday, July 28, 10 AM: Pediatric Milestones: Dr. Pilar Gonzalez, Director of Elmhurst’s Pediatric Clinic, will analyze developmental milestones like the first smile, walking, and talking. To join the program, go here.

Tuesday, August 11, 10 AM: COVID-19—What You Should Know (IN SPANISH): Dr. Alfredo Astua, Chief of Pulmonology, will share information about the novel coronavirus, potential treatments, and how to best protect ourselves and our communities. To join the program, go here.

Monday, August 31, 2 PM: Healthy Back to School: Drs. Thaina Rousseau-Pierre (Adolescent Health), Pilar Gonzalez (Pediatrics) and Arthur Abright (Adolescent and Child Psychiatry) will discuss how to get children ready to go back to school this year. To join the program, go here.

As QPL has recently begun the process of reopening its physical branches following a temporary closure to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, the Library continues to offer access to its robust virtual programming. In addition to programs dedicated to community health, QPL also provides virtual storytimes in multiple languages, resume assistance, Summer Reading activities, cultural programs including author talks and performances, and more. The Library’s entire virtual programming calendar is available here.

About Queens Public Library
Queens Public Library is one of the largest and busiest public library systems in the United States, dedicated to serving the most ethnically and culturally diverse area in the country. An independent, non-profit organization founded in 1896, Queens Public Library offers free access to a collection of more than 5 million books and other materials in multiple languages, technology and digital resources, and more than 87,500 educational, cultural, and civic programs a year. It consists of 66 locations, including branch libraries, a Central Library, seven adult learning centers, a technology lab, two universal pre-kindergartens, and two teen centers.

About NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst
NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst is a major provider of hospital and ambulatory care services in the borough of Queens. The 545-bed hospital is a Level 1 Trauma Center, an Emergency Heart Care Station, and a 911-Receiving Hospital. It is a premiere health care organization for key specialties, including surgery, cardiology, women’s health, pediatrics, rehabilitation medicine, renal services, and mental health services. Last year, the hospital’s robust primary and specialty care practices handled nearly 700,000 ambulatory care visits and its emergency medicine teams responded to more than 130,000 emergency room encounters.

About NYC Health + Hospitals
NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest public health care system in the nation, serving more than a million New Yorkers annually in more than 70 patient care locations across the city’s five boroughs. A robust network of outpatient, neighborhood-based primary and specialty care centers anchors care coordination with the system’s trauma centers, nursing homes, post-acute care centers, home care agency, and MetroPlus health plan—all supported by 11 essential hospitals. Its diverse workforce of more than 42,000 employees is uniquely focused on empowering New Yorkers, without exception, to live the healthiest life possible. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org and stay connected on Facebook or Twitter.

Contact: Queens Public Library—Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska; NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst—Atiya Butler

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To help keep our customers informed, we’ve compiled this list of print and electronic books in English, Chinese, and Spanish about the history of pandemics and the current COVID-19 crisis.

To see how Queens Public Library is reopening and responding to COVID-19, visit our reopening landing page. For updates on our COVID-19 response, visit this blog post.

Print Books for Adults

• The Next Pandemic: On the Front Lines Against Humankind's Gravest Dangers by Dr. Ali S. Khan with William Patrick
• Pandemic: How Climate, the Environment, and Superbugs Increase the Risk by Connie Goldsmith
• Pandemic: The Terrifying Threat of the New Killer Plagues by Pete Moore
• Understanding Coronavirus (Understanding Life) by Raul Rabadan *

* not available at Queens Public Library

eBooks for Adults

• 7 Keys to Staying Sane During the COVID-19 Crisis by Meg Meeker
• Coping with Coronavirus: How to Stay Calm and Protect Your Mental Health by Brendan Kelly
• COVID-19: The Pandemic that Never Should Have Happened and How to Stop the Next One by Debora MacKenzie
• COVID-19: Everything You Need to Know about the Corona Virus and the Race for the Vaccine by Michael Mosley
• Engineering Solutions for Epidemics and Pandemics: Preparing for Disaster by Kara Rogers
• How to Survive a Pandemic by Michael Greger, M.D., FACLM
• Pandemics: Deadly Disease Outbreaks by Michelle Denton
• The Pandemic Century: One Hundred Years of Panic, Hysteria, and Hubris by Mark Honigsbaum

eBooks in Spanish for Adults

• Aspectos Psicológicos Del COVID-19 by Juan Moisés de la Serna
• Coronavirus Covid-19 by Bruno Del Medico
• Coronavirus Covid-19 2da Edición actualizada (Abril 2020) by Bruno Del Medico
• La incidencia de la COVID-19 en los arrendamientos urbanos by Luis Martín Contreras
• La solución Nash: La reactivación económica tras el COVID-19 by Fernando Trías de Bes
• No tocar: Ciencia contra la desinformación en la pandemia de COVID-19 by Deborah García Bello
• Padre Nuestro 2020: Orar con Jesús antes, en y después del COVID-19 by Eduardo González Oropeza
• Pandemia: Una historia desde la Gripe Española hasta el coronavirus Covid-19 by Mónica Müller

eBooks in Chinese for Adults

• 《新型冠状病毒感染防护》第二版 by 编委会
• 新型冠状病毒感染的肺炎预防手册 by 浙江省疾病预防控制中心
• 新型冠状病毒感染的肺炎公众预防指南 by 河北省疾病预防控制中心
• 新型冠状病毒肺炎预防手册 by 周旺
• 新型冠状病毒感染的肺炎心理防护指南 by 石家庄市第八医院; 石家庄市精神卫生中心

Books to Read with Children

• Amelia Bedelia Under the Weather by Herman Parish and Lynne Avril
  • Book
  • eBook (OverDrive)
  • eBook (Axis 360)

• Coronavirus: A Book for Children by Elizabeth Jenner, Kate Wilson, Nia Roberts, and Axel Scheffler
  • Free online
  • Free audio edition
  • eBook

• Germs Are Not For Sharing by Elizabeth Verdick
  • Book
  • Book (Chinese)
  • eBook
  • eBook (Spanish)

• Germs: Fact and Fiction, Friend and Foes by Lesa Cline-Ransome and James Ransome
  • Book
  • eBook

• Germs Make Me Sick! by Melvin Berger and Marylin Hafner
  • Book
  • eBook

• How Do Dinosaurs Get Well Soon? by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague
  • Book
  • Video

• Katie Woo Has the Flu by Fran Manushkin and Tammie Lyons
  • Book
  • eBook

• Keep It Clean: Germ Free by Cecilia Minden (eBook)

• A Kids Book About COVID-19 by Malia Jones (free online)

• Kids Want to Know: What Is COVID-19? by Holly Hartman (free online)

• My Body Needs to Be Clean by Jenna Lee Gleisner (eBook)

• The Princess in Black and the Case of the Coronavirus by Shannon Hale, Dean Hale, and LeUyen Pham (free online)

• A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Phillip C. Stead and Rebecca E. Stead
  • Book
  • Book (Chinese)
  • Book (Spanish)
  • Audiobook

• We’re Going to Be O.K. by Dr. Jade Ebony Hilton and Dr. Leigh-Ann Webb (free online)

During this time of quarantine, Queens Public Library has introduced our customers to QPL @ Night, our virtual nightlife hotspot for entertainment, arts, culture, learning, civic engagement, and more!

Over the past four months, QPL @ Night developed several virtual pop-up events to connect millennials, professionals, and others to help them learn, socialize, and network beyond the walls of our libraries.

Some of our great QPL @ Night events have included virtual trivia nights, financial workshops, and an online town hall to answer young people’s questions about the 2020 Census.

We want to keep you informed about other interesting programs, including:

• Digital Collage for Creatives & Entrepreneurs, a three-part workshop series
  • July 15: https://bit.ly/2AqoU8n
  • July 22: https://bit.ly/2YTW0Xy
  • July 29: https://bit.ly/3eWhKHM
• and our upcoming Quarantine Trivia Nights on July 17 and July 31.

You can stay updated about QPL @ Night by signing up to our Mailing List.

Join the QPL @ Night Facebook group to read posts about upcoming events happening around NYC and beyond, and follow the hashtag #QPLatNight to keep track of all our upcoming posts and events across social media!

As we reopen, we want to be sure our customers have the most up-to-date information about COVID-19. These resources provide accurate information about the pandemic and research on COVID-19.

We’ve also compiled a list of print and electronic books in English, Chinese, and Spanish about the history of pandemics and the current COVID-19 crisis.

To see how Queens Public Library is reopening and responding to COVID-19, visit our reopening landing page. For updates on our COVID-19 response, visit this blog post. 

Websites

CDC - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: This is the source for comprehensive and reliable information on COVID-19.  The CDC is the leading data-driven, science-based, service organization concerned with protecting the public’s health. As a federal agency, it provides updates on the government’s response, as well as, resources and guidance for employers, households, schools, and travelers.

NYC COVID-19 Citywide Information Portal: Get information about testing in New York City, resources for New Yorkers and businesses, NYC COVID-19 data, and info on Restart NYC.

New York State – Department of Health: This provides the latest news on the state’s response to COVID-19.  The site includes what you need to know about testing, symptoms & prevention, travel advisories, your rights, protecting yourself and others, and New York Forward, the plan to get people back to work.

World Health Organization - COVID-19 Pandemic: This offers advice for the public on how to deal with COVID-19, along with global situation reports, numbers at a glance, and research provided by the United Nations agency that educates and monitors public health around the world.

National Institutes of Health – Coronavirus (Covid-19): COVID-19 is an emerging, rapidly evolving situation.  Get the latest research information from the National Institute of Health (NIH).  Find information and articles about clinical trials, treatment guidelines, testing, clinical studies, and more.

Articles

Here is a link to Newspaper Articles on COVID-19 from our database GaleOneFile: Health & Medicine. From that page, click on other formats to see Academic Journal articles, Magazine articles, Images, and Videos.

The New England Journal of Medicine: Explore a collection of articles and other resources on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, including clinical reports, management guidelines, and commentary.

Global Research Database: WHO is gathering the latest international multilingual scientific findings and knowledge on COVID-19. The global literature cited in the WHO COVID-19 database is updated daily (Monday through Friday) from searches of bibliographic databases, hand searching, and the addition of other expert-referred scientific articles. This database represents a comprehensive multilingual source of current literature on the topic. While it may not be exhaustive, new research is added regularly.

The Stephen B. Thacker CDC Library Article Database is collecting COVID-19 (2019 Novel Coronavirus) research articles and compiling them into an easily accessible and downloadable database to help researchers find the latest COVID-19 research.

PubMed: Looking to do in-depth research on COVID-19? Click PubMed to find the latest journal article citations on COVID-19 (PubMed - National Library of Medicine).

The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA): Browse the JAMA Network COVID-19 collection, including Q&As with NIAID's Dr. Anthony Fauci, an interactive map of the outbreak courtesy of The Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering, and past publications on vaccine development, infection control, and public health preparedness.

Tuesday, June 23, 2020 is Primary Election Day, and several of our branches will serve as polling sites.

Queens residents will cast their votes at the Briarwood, Central, East Elmhurst, Elmhurst, Forest Hills, Kew Gardens Hills, Lefferts, Lefrak City, North Forest Park, Peninsula, Ridgewood, Seaside, and St. Albans libraries, from 6AM to 9PM.

Please Note: these library buildings will be open ONLY to serve as polling sites. You WILL NOT be able to borrow books or other library materials or use library services. You WILL NOT be able to return books or other library materials.

Is your library where you should vote? Please visit https://nyc.pollsitelocator.com/search or call 866-VOTE-NYC (866-868-3692) to confirm the correct location for you to vote in your neighborhood!

QPL President and CEO Dennis M. Walcott visited the new NYC Health + Hospitals COVID-19 testing site at Windsor Park Library on June 18, 2020.

Mayor De Blasio Expands Testing Sites Citywide and Opens Mobile Units

New NYC Health + Hospitals testing sites to launch today in the Bronx, Staten Island, Queens and Brooklyn

New York, NY (June 17, 2020)—Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced the launch of five new testing sites citywide. Mobile testing trucks in the Bronx and Staten Island will also offer free tests for the remainder of the week. The City is continuing to expand its mobile testing apparatus to reach a total of 10 trucks by July, bringing the cumulative number of citywide testing sites to over 200.

“Widespread testing remains our best defense against the virus,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “With over 200 sites across our city, we are bringing testing to the doorstep of every New Yorker, making it as fast and convenient as possible to keep yourself safe.”

Today, NYC Health + Hospitals’ Bronx mobile truck will be offering free tests in the Clinton playground from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. On Thursday and Friday, the truck will be parked in Gouverneur Playground from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Health + Hospitals’ Staten Island mobile truck will also offer free tests today through Friday at 1441 Richmond Avenue from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. By July, the City will conduct a total of up to 800 tests per day out of its 10 testing trucks.

With the goal of building capacity to reach 50,000 tests per day by July, the City will open five additional NYC Health + Hospitals testing sites, with 2 in Staten Island, 1 in Queens, 1 in the Bronx, and 1 in Brooklyn.

Staten Island
Mariners Harbor Library, 206 South Avenue
Greenbelt Recreation Center, 501 Brielle Avenue

Queens
Windsor Park Library, 79-50 Bell Boulevard

Bronx
Rain Boston Road Senior Center, 2424 Boston Road

Brooklyn
Maria Lawton Senior Center, 400 Hart Street

Testing is available free of charge. New Yorkers should visit nyc.gov/covidtest to find the site closest to them.

Contact: Office of the Mayor—pressoffice@cityhall.nyc.gov, 212-788-2958; Queens Public Library—Elisabeth de Bourbon and Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska

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Juneteenth is an annual celebration of the end of slavery in the United States. This year, as we continue to stand up for racial justice, we're hosting two events and sharing booklists. Join us to hear the powerful experiences of black men as collected in the anthology Our Stories, Our Voices: Black Men Speak Their Truth and to go on a journey through the African struggle for liberation in the United States with musician, poet, and storyteller Atiba Wilson. 

Events

Juneteenth: A Celebration of Self-Emancipation

Join Atiba Wilson as we celebrate Juneteenth together with music and storytelling.  Wilson, an acclaimed musician, poet, and storyteller, will take us through a historical look at the struggle for liberation by African people in the United States and the post-Reconstruction efforts for full citizenship. Watch live on our Facebook page.

Friday, June 19
5pm

A Tribute to Fatherhood: Our Stories, Our Voices: Black Men Speak Their Truth

The book Our Stories, Our Voices: Black Men Speak Their Truth is an open dialogue of healing and growth led by 13 powerful men of color who share stories of love and pain. Black male writers want their stories to create new realities of understanding and love for themselves with their families, communities, and the world. This event will be moderated by the book's editors Julia Shaw & Toni Coleman Brown. Visit here to attend this program.

Friday, June 19
6pm

Booklists 

Browse our Celebrate Juneteenth eBook collection on OverDrive.

Browse our Activism & Social Justice eBook collection on OverDrive.

QPL Staff Rally for Racial Justice

See our pictures from this special Juneteenth event.

This year marks the 90th anniversary of Central Library! To celebrate, our librarians created a list of a book, song, and movie for every year the library has offered service. To see the complete list, click here. To search for a book in our catalog, simply type in the item's Bib ID. Below, we offer you highlights from the list, with songs and eBooks for each decade. 

Listen to our complete playlist of songs from the 1930s to the present day, available on Freegal. Log in to your free account first to hear the playlist.

We hope you enjoy these snapshots of each decade! 

1934

Wodehouse, P.G. Right-ho, Jeeves

In this, the second novel in P.G. Wodehouse's delightful Jeeves series, the family fumbles through a comedy of errors that is set in motion by a marriage proposal and a downward spiral of miscommunication and crossed wires. This hilarious novel contains many of the most beloved scenes and set pieces from the series. A must-read for Wodehouse fans and lovers of top-notch humor writing.

"Autumn In New York" / Vernon Duke

1937

Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God

One of the most important and enduring books of the twentieth century, Their Eyes Were Watching God brings to life a Southern love story with the wit and pathos found only in the writing of Zora Neale Hurston. Out of print for almost thirty years due largely to initial audiences' rejection of its strong black female protagonist, since its 1978 reissue Hurston's classic has become perhaps the most widely read and highly acclaimed novel in the canon of African American literature.

"They Can’t Take That Away From Me" / George and Ira Gershwin

1940

Wright, Richard. Native Son

Right from the start, Bigger Thomas had been headed for jail. It could have been for assault or petty larceny; by chance, it was for murder and rape. Native Son tells the story of this young black man caught in a downward spiral after he kills a young white woman in a brief moment of panic. Set in Chicago in the 1930s, Richard Wright's powerful novel is an unsparing reflection on the poverty and feelings of hopelessness experienced by people in inner cities across the country and of what it means to be black in America.

"I Could Write a Book" / Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart

1949

Orwell, George. 1984

In 1984, London is a grim city in the totalitarian state of Oceania where Big Brother is always watching you and the Thought Police can practically read your mind. Winston Smith is a man in grave danger for the simple reason that his memory still functions. Drawn into a forbidden love affair, Winston finds the courage to join a secret revolutionary organization called The Brotherhood, dedicated to the destruction of the Party. Together with his beloved Julia, he hazards his life in a deadly match against the powers that be.

"Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend" / Jule Styne and Leo Robin

1955

Nabokov, Vladimir. Lolita

Awe and exhiliration along with heartbreak and mordant wit abound in Lolita, Nabokov's most famous and controversial novel, which tells the story of the aging Humbert Humbert's obsessive, devouring, and doomed passion for the nymphet Dolores Haze. Lolita is also the story of a hypercivilized European colliding with the cheerful barbarism of postwar America. Most of all, it is a meditation on love: love as outrage and hallucination, madness and transformation.

"Unchained Melody" / Alex North and Hy Zaret

1958

MacDonald, John D. Cape Fear (originally published as The Executioners)

Sam Bowden has it all: a successful law career, a devoted wife, and three children. But a terrifying figure from Bowden's past looms in the  shadows, waiting to shatter his pristine existence. Fourteen years ago, Bowden's testimony put Max Cady behind bars. Ever since, the convicted rapist has been nursing a grudge into an unrelenting passion for revenge. Cady has been counting the days until he is set free, desperate to destroy the man he blames for all his troubles. Now that time has come.

"Do You Want to Dance?" / Bobby Freedman

1960

Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird

A gripping, heart-wrenching, and wholly remarkable tale of coming-of-age in a South poisoned by virulent prejudice, it views a world of great beauty and savage inequities through the eyes of a young girl, as her father, a crusading local lawyer, risks everything to defend a black man unjustly accused of a terrible crime.

"Never on Sunday" / Manos Hatzidakis

1965

Herbert, Frank. Dune

Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is the story of the boy Paul Atreides, heir to a noble family tasked with ruling an inhospitable world where the only thing of value is the "spice" melange, a drug capable of extending life and enhancing consciousness. Coveted across the known universe, melange is a prize worth killing for. When House Atreides is betrayed, the destruction of Paul's family sets the boy on a journey toward a destiny greater than he could ever have imagined. And as he evolves into the mysterious man known as Muad'Dib, he will bring to fruition humankind's most ancient and unattainable dream.

"On a Clear Day" / Burton Lane and Alan Jay Lerner

1970

Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye

Pecola Breedlove, a young black girl, prays every day for beauty. Mocked by other children for the dark skin, curly hair, and brown eyes that set her apart, she yearns for normalcy, for the blond hair and blue eyes that she believes will allow her to finally fit in. Yet as her dream grows more fervent, her life slowly starts to disintegrate in the face of adversity and strife.

"What’s Goin’ On?" / Marvin Gaye

1975

King, Stephen. Salem’s Lot

Stephen King's second novel, the classic vampire bestseller Salem's Lot, tells the story of evil in small town America. For the first time in a major trade edition, this terrifying novel is accompanied by previously unpublished material from King's archive, two short stories, and eerie photographs that bring King's fictional darkness and evil to vivid life.

"Say Goodbye to Hollywood" / Billy Joel

Dear Queens Public Library Family,

The horrific killing of George Floyd by a white police officer in Minneapolis last week and the disproportionate toll the coronavirus outbreak has wrought upon people of color have fueled a level of rage and unrest this country has not seen in decades. I want to express my deepest condolences to all of those who have been affected by these twin injustices.

I know firsthand the pain and frustration of being involved with the police for no other reason aside from being black. Many years ago when I was a teenager, I was driving with some friends about four blocks from my house in St. Albans when two police officers pulled us over. They approached our car, guns drawn, ordering us to keep our hands visible and not to move. With a pistol not far from my face, I was able to de-escalate the situation. I do not remember what I said, but I will never forget the anger and the hurt.

I have another memory from that time that gave me an alternate perspective. One night the police were called to investigate a possible break-in at a house a few doors down from mine. With a street light shining behind them, the officers entered the house practically blind, not knowing if anyone was waiting inside to harm them. For the first time, I recognized the difficulty and danger police officers face, an understanding that only deepened as I grew older.

My respect for their sacrifices is why I find even more disheartening the death of Mr. Floyd and those of many other unarmed black people at the hands of police across the nation. The officers involved in those incidents failed to live up to their sworn duty to protect the public. The vast majority do, and some with tragic outcomes—I have attended too many police funerals.

The grief, heartache, and fury the nation is experiencing now have the potential to polarize us even further. Still, I am optimistic that before that happens, we will come together, and we will do better. It will not be easy, but I cannot imagine what the future holds for our children and our grandchildren if we fail to address these seemingly intractable issues now.

Through our commitment to understanding, inclusion and unity, Queens Public Library is here to bring our communities together in the most diverse urban area in the world in the most dynamic city in America.

The doors to our physical locations may be temporarily closed, but the Library remains open to all, regardless of their circumstances or background. As we have for the past 124 years, we continue to offer to everyone the chance to realize the promise of their lives through free access to knowledge and ideas to help us walk in other people’s shoes.

Thank you for being part of the Queens Public Library family as we work shoulder to shoulder to ensure equity and opportunity for all. I look forward to seeing you in person one day soon, and I hope you and your loved ones stay safe and healthy.

With my best,
Dennis M. Walcott
President and CEO, Queens Public Library