By Naeisha Rose
Two branches of the Queens Public Library system will close for temporary upgrades.
On April 14 through the fall of 2019, the 10,800-square-foot Glendale Community Library will receive $4.7 million in renovations, according to the Queens Public Library.
In December 2017, there was a groundbreaking ceremony at the three-story library, which is located at 78-60 73rd Place.
The interior of the library’s building and a walled-off rear garden will undergo restorations. There will also be reconstruction of the front stairs, a wheelchair-accessible entrance to the building and the addition of a book drop.
Other installations include a new adult room, a new teen reading room, an elevator and a vestibule.
The Italian Renaissance-styled library was built in 1935 and has a Spanish-tiled roof with original woodwork, details and finishes.
Queens Public Library will have a mobile library for the Glendale Branch starting April 27 on Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. outside the facility.
The library has also suggested that users can visit nearby branches during the Glendale Library renovation: Ridgewood Community Library, 20-12 Madison St., Ridgewood; Middle Village Community Library, 72-31 Metropolitan Ave., Middle Village; North Forest Park, 98-27 Metropolitan Ave., Forest Hills; Woodhaven Community Library, 85-41 Forest Parkway, Woodhaven.
South Jamaica Community Library will also be undergoing construction, but it will be significantly less extensive and the branch will be closed for a shorter period of time. The South Jamaica branch, located at 108-41 Guy R. Brewer Blvd., will close from April 5 to August 2018 to replace the building’s roof, which costs approximately $900,000.
A mobile library will be outside the library on Mondays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. starting April 9.
Avid readers could also go to nearby locations as an alternative: Central Library, 89-11 Merrick Blvd., Jamaica; Baisley Park Community Library, 117-11 Sutphin Blvd., Jamaica and St. Albans Community Library, 191-05 Linden Blvd.
Reach reporter Naeisha Rose by e-mail at nrose
