Catherine, a resident of Rockaway Beach, Queens
"You wear your scarves and mittens in the cold and still do the job."
What does the library do when a hurricane devastates the entire peninsula? Why you send in the Little Yellow School Bus! You wear your scarves and mittens in the cold and still do the job. At Christmas you bring stuffed animals, a balloon man, and books to keep the children reading. You set up a clothing table and direct people to hot food services, start children’s programs, put out games, and help with forms for FEMA. And you do this six days a week for months while the community begins to recover.
Alice, a resident of Queens
Peninsula Library is a tremendous resource to a very damaged community. The staff worked out of an unheated trailer for several weeks. They provided an island of sanity on a peninsula in chaos.
"They provided an island of sanity on a peninsula in chaos."
A resident of Queens
Arverne Library was hit hard by Sandy, however this did not stop them from being there for the community with coat drives, internet access, and FEMA assistance.
Troy, a GED instructor in Queens
Arverne Library, though devastated by Hurricane Sandy, provides not just traditional library services to residents but also computers and internet access, training on a wide variety of subjects, help on resume writing and finding a job, GED test preparation, and Microsoft certification. Perhaps [more funding] could help expedite the restoration of the building so that the staff and community can reestablish much-needed programing to a community still crippled by Sandy.
Natasia, a resident of Jamaica, Queens
I have no room in my budget to watch all the movies and read all the books and study all the things I’m interested in. But the library makes it possible for me.
"...the library makes it possible for me."
Maggie, a student in Queens
3,000,000
Number of immigrants living in New York City
Before I enter community college, the Adult Learning Center in Flushing Library helped me a lot. I attend this program for around one and half year. I was not sure about my ability to study in college. The classes there helped me to build my basic English.
Vaughn, a student in Hollis, Queens
Since the first day I landed in JFK as a 10-year-old immigrant to this very point in time as a relatively new U.S. citizen registering to vote for the very first time, the Queens Library system has been there for me and my family and many others like me.
Claire, a senior in Flushing
As a senior who wants to stay active, the library is my anchor and go-to place. I go there for so many reasons—to pick up local papers and keep on top of issues and happenings in my community, attend concerts and events, do research for online college courses at CUNY, as well as pick up the latest Star Trek novels for relaxing reading. I took a beginning Mandarin class so that I can now sing karaoke in my largely Asian senior center by using romanized pinyin.
Selma, a senior in Windsor Park, Queens
Having access to reading materials is very important to this 94-year-old. Traveling into Manhattan has its difficulties for me, so the special cultural events at my branch are greatly appreciated (music, art, book readings, etc.).
Bonnie Sue, a senior in Queens
I am homebound and enrolled in the Mail-a-Book program in Queens Village. I am an avid reader and I always have multiple books that they have mailed to me. Not only do they send me books, but they have teleconferencing calls several times a week and Skype programs. The calls allow me to meet new people, socialize and listen to lectures.
Whenever you speak to anyone at Mail-a-Book, the conversation is warm and pleasant. I can call them for any problem and they are willing to find programs that would help me. Because of Mail-a-Book I am not sitting there looking at the four walls and TV. The isolation of the homebound is no longer a problem for me. Instead I am busy, busy, busy!
Carolyn, a senior in Queens
The Knit Club at Fresh Meadows Library has grown tremendously. It is so popular there’s hardly enough chairs when the whole gang is here. There’s a cooperative atmosphere as members work together to make afghans for the hospitals, hats for preemies and slippers for soldiers. I am often reminded of that song from the old TV show ‘Cheers’: Sometimes you want to go / Where everybody knows your name / And they’re always glad you came.
Jurate, an immigrant in Queens
I learned English reading books from the Woodhaven Library, now my sons borrow books from this library. My mother-in-law took English classes for beginners and jewelry making classes. She had hard time when she first came from the foreign country, but this library made her feel that she belongs.
Daisy, a high school student in Queens
"Reading is my everything."
I am a teenager who loves to read. So the obvious reason why I go to the Langston Hughes Library is for books. Reading is my everything. I usually read about teenage problems but I also read about religion. I also take my sisters to events for girls. My sister suffers from a reading disorder problem and when she attends these events she feels motivated to keep trying her best to read better.
