By Philip Corso
The Bellerose branch of the Queens Public Library will be closing until the spring for renovations, the group said.
The last day of business will be Oct. 25 for the 250-06 Hillside Ave. library and it will remained closed until spring of next year to make way for $1.66 million in renovations, Queens Library Communications Director Joanne King said.
A mobile library will still offer some limited service in the meantime, with hours every Thursday between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., King said.
By the time it is finished in the spring, the Queens Library said Bellerose patrons will enjoy new decor, a new teen area with new computers and an automated 24-hour self-check-in. The group was able to secure funding for the project with help from Borough President Helen Marshall, state Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside), state Assemblywoman Barbara Clark (D-Queens Village) and City Councilman Mark Weprin (D-Oakland Gardens).
The closest spot for Bellerose residents looking for their library fix recently underwent an even greater renovation over the past year and nearly decades-worth of planning. Officials lauded the grand opening of a brand-new Glen Oaks library last month, at 256-04 Union Tnpk., putting a stamp of approval on the roughly $17.1 million project.
The new state-of-the-art handicap-accessible facility in Glen Oaks showcased an 18,000-square-foot, award-winning design complete with a sweeping interior stairway, separate areas equipped with computer workstations for adults, children and teens, a unique sky-lit lounge and two new meeting rooms.
The next closest options for Bellerose patrons also include libraries in Bayside, at 79-50 Bell Blvd., and Queens Village, at 94-11 217th St., the library said.
Queens Library rolled out several other renovations and new facilities over the past year, just recently completing a $1.3 million upgrade to the Bayside facility over the summer.
Upgrades at that building mirrored most of what will be brought to the library in Bellerose, King said, including a complete interior makeover with new self-service check-outs and a 24/7 check-in for materials.
Queens Library also unveiled a new facility in Flushing earlier this month with a new library, at 31-32 Union St., three blocks away from its previous spot in the neighborhood. The new space featured more computers, a state-of-the-art checkout system and around-the-clock check-in as well as desk spaces with power outlets for patrons bringing laptops and a new area specifically designed for teenagers, the library said.
Reach reporter Phil Corso by e-mail at pcorso@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4573.
