By Danny Massey
Following nearly two years of protests by community residents, the Forest Hills Branch Library will close temporarily Friday to make renovations that will provide access to disabled persons.
The library was scheduled to close at 5 p.m. Friday and will remain closed to the public until 1 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 28, according to Joanne King, a Queens Borough Public Library spokeswoman.
“I am pleased in a sense that we pushed and we pushed and they finally conceded they have to do something about this,” said Norbert Chwat, president of the Forest Hills Action League, the organization that led the fight, at a celebratory gathering Tuesday in front of the library.
“I’m glad that our library will finally be accessible to disabled people, senior citizens and mothers whose children are in strollers.”
Though happy the renovations are under way, Forest Hills residents and Action League members said there was more work to be done at their library.
“We need more shelves and more copies of non-fiction best-sellers,” said Enid Brownstone, a league member.
Julie Mortner, a local attorney and mother of four who has lived in Forest Hills her whole life, said she brings her children to the library at least three times a week.
“It’s great that they’re renovating the place, but it would be nice if they could have programs year round for young children,” she said. “We have to nurture their ability to read.”
Estelle Chwat, co-chair of the Forest Hills Action League, said the high circulation of books at the Forest Hills Branch means it should be given more attention.
In fiscal year 2001, patrons checked out more than 468,000 books at the branch, making it the fifth busiest public library branch in Queens, according to King.
For now, the library’s physical plant is taking center stage. Improvements to be made include increasing the branch’s physical accessibility, renovating restrooms, installing an elevator, a new circulation desk and new HVAC equipment and overhauling the interior.
Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz (D-Forest Hills), who provided $625,000 toward the cost of the project, said, “I think this is an important renovation. I want everyone to be able to have access to and enjoy our library.”
The Forest Hills project is part of a $12 million campaign started in 1994 to make Queens Library locations fully accessible. According to Norbert Chwat, work remains to be done since 29 of the 63 Queens branches are still not compliant with the 1991 Americans with Disabilities Act.
The Forest Hills Branch phase of the accessibility campaign, which began in May, is due to be completed by the spring of 2002. Additional brief closures of the branch may be necessary to complete the project, according to King.
“We are attempting to balance the need to get these desirable renovations made in the shortest possible time, with the need to provide the community with the high-quality library services that are so much in demand,” said Gary Strong, library director.
While the Forest Hills Branch is closed, the public can visit any of the 62 other public library locations in Queens.
Reach reporter Danny Massey by e-mail at Timesledgr@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 155.
