WOODSIDE Library turns 100

The Queens Library at Woodside is now 100 years young.
Community members and supporters joined New York City Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer, New York State Assemblymember Margaret Markey and Queens Library CEO Thomas W. Galante at a celebration on Thursday, December 16 in honor of the momentous occasion.
“The Woodside Library has been a shining treasure for generations of residents and this centennial is a reminder of the important role that a library plays in the life of a community,” Markey said. “As successive waves of immigrants from every continent have arrived in Woodside over the past 100 years, the staff at the Woodside Library has also had the extra responsibility of introducing newcomers to a new community, a new language and a new culture and I salute them for their outstanding work.”
The festivities included entertainment and refreshments. Catherine Gregory presented “A History of the Woodside Library.”
Queens Library served the Woodside community with a travelling library collection housed in a general store as early as 1908. It was officially designated a branch library in 1910. The current building was built in 1933 but stood empty until 1937 due to the fiscal restraints of the Great Depression. It has been enriching lives from that location ever since.
“The walls of this building have withstood the test of time helping inspire bright minds for over 100 years,” Van Bramer said. “I am honored to celebrate this historic milestone for the Woodside Library and I look forward to its continued success.”