Funds Sought For Glendale Renovation
Some aesthetic improvements have been made to the interior of Glendale public library, but additional funding is being sought by the Queens Borough Public Library and City Council Member Elizabeth Crowley for a more extensive renovation of the branch from the inside out.
A Queens Library spokesperson told the Times Newsweekly last Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012 that crews recently created a quiet seating area on the mezzanine of the branch located at the corner of Myrtle Avenue and 73rd Place. The mezzanine was previously lined with bookshelves which were “not accessible” to visitors.
The new mezzanine is being transformed into a “self-seating lounge” where visitors can grab a book and read or even do paperwork. Queens Library is waiting for the furniture for the lounge to be delivered, the spokesperson added.
“It’s cleaned up and freshened up a little bit so the community has better use of it,” the spokesperson told this paper in the phone interview.
Meanwhile, plans have been made to remodel the Glendale library, but are awaiting an infusion of cash from the city. Currently, $1.6 million has been allocated by Council Member Crowley for the project, but Queens Library indicated that another $1.3 million is required for the full scope of the work to be completed.
The planned renovations include making the Glendale branch “ADAaccessible,” the Queens Library spokesperson stated, referring to the Americans for Disabilities Act, which requires libraries and other public venues to have ramps and elevator systems for disabled visitors.
Currently, visitors must climb two flights of stairs to reach the library’s interior-one leading from the sidewalk to the front door, the other from the front door to the library itself. Community Board 5 District Manager Gary Giordano told the Times Newsweekly that installing ramps and/or elevators to meet ADA requirements is a top priority.
Other aspects of the renovation of the Glendale library include improvements to the exterior walls, the relocation of the circulation desk to install an RFID self-serve check-out system, a 24/7 book return system.
Eric Yun, a spokesperson for Crowley, told the Times Newsweekly that the lawmaker is working to secure the additional funding from the city needed for the full renovations for the Glendale branch to take place. Queens Library’s spokesperson added that the organization is “working with [Crowley] toward that end.”
If and when the funding is secured, the project will be shifted to the city’s Department of Design and Construction, which performs library renovations. A starting date will follow thereafter.
