Queens Public Library launched its 125th anniversary celebrations with the release of “Love Letter to Queens,” a curated list of all QPL materials set in or around the borough, including fiction and non-fiction books, e-books, music, movies and e-resources.
The list, which will continue to expand throughout the year, will also include creators from Queens.
The library will also roll out “QPL Stories Project,” led by Queens Memory, its community archiving program, in partnership with technology nonprofit Urban Archive. They have developed an interactive map marked with every QPL branch, and are asking for customers to share photographs and stores that will be pinned to specific locations, creating a community gallery for each branch and documenting the role it has played in their lives.
Customers may also share their QPL memories by calling 855-QNS-LOVE to record their message.
Customers can also join the 125th anniversary celebration by taking the “QPL Quiz,” a fun, interactive and informative six-question personality test. Their answers will reveal their QPL personality avatar and point them to the QPL resources that match their interests.
Additionally, QPL’s website will feature fireworks animation, and the library’s social media channels will be full of historic pictures and information.
“As we mark the 125th anniversary of Queens Public Library, we honor the people we serve in the most diverse place in the country, and uphold our commitment to inclusion, equity and free access to information and opportunity for all,” Queens Public Library President and CEO Dennis M. Walcott said. “We celebrate the library’s rich past and promising future in building resilience and unity in our communities, and as a force for truth and democracy.”
Queens Public Library was founded in 1896, with the goal of providing free access to knowledge, information and lifelong learning opportunities to all residents. Its roots took hold in the fall of 1895 in Long Island City, an independent municipality at the time, when local resident William Nelson acquire a large number of books, consisting of the inventory of three circulating subscription libraries, and pledged to give them to and “person or association” that would open a free public library.
The idea galvanized two other Long Island City residents, Dr. Wallace G. Frey and George E. Clay, who obtained a charter from the New York State Board of Regents for the Long Island City Public Library on March 19, 1896. The mayor of Long Island City, Horatio Sanford, had already allocated $3,000 from municipal funds for this civic enterprise. The Library opened its first location, the Nelson Branch, in Hunters Point on Aug. 3, 1896.
The Steinway Free Circulating Library became the second branch after William Steinway’s death in 1896, and its third branch, Astoria, opened in a rented storefront on Fulton Avenue in February 1898.
On Dec. 21, 1899, the Long Island City Public Library was renamed the Queens Borough Library. Elsewhere in Queens around that time, other efforts were underway to merge several private libraries into a single public institution to further their missions.
“As this amazing borough has grown and changed over these many years, so have we,” Walcott said. “Through constant innovation and outreach, we have worked to provide the resources and support people need to realize the promise of their lives.”
Over the years, QPL and its librarians have continued to respond to the changing needs of the diverse communities they serve, offering free classes on ESOL, citizenship and coping skills, and building a multilingual collection of materials in more than 30 languages.
Today, Queens Public Library is one of the largest and busiest library systems in the United States. It welcomes nearly 11 million visitors each year and consists of 66 locations, including branch libraries, a Central Library, seven adult learning centers, a technology lab, one universal pre-kindergarten and two teen centers.
QPL offers free access to a collection of more than 5 million books and other materials in multiple languages, technology and digital resources, and more than 87,500 educational, cultural and civic programs a year.
“We are grateful to the people of Queens and beyond for making us part of their lives and inspiring us each and every day,” Walcott said.
Under regular circumstances, these programs and resources are available at branches located throughout the borough, usually whitening a mile of where most of the borough’s 2.3 million residents live.
In addition to books and other materials, QPL continues to expand its online resources, including e-books, audiobooks, e-magazines, music and movies, as well as its research databases.
To serve and engage the public during the COVID-19 pandemic, QPL quickly pivoted to develop a robust slate of virtual programming for children, teens, adults and seniors, including computer and technology workshops, small business and entrepreneurship assistance, résumé writing and job search help, story times in multiple languages and even live DJ sets.
“All year long, we will be honoring the people of Queens, with a variety of events and activities,” Walcott said. “The celebration is dedicated to them.”
All of QPL’s systemwide initiatives this year will incorporate a 125th anniversary component. For example, their expert librarians curated a list of 125 books by African-American authors during Black History Month and a list of 125 books by women writers for Women’s History Month. Both lists represent different genres, from history to fiction, and from classics to the newest releases.
For more information, visit to queenslibrary.org or QPL125.org, a microsite dedicated to the 125th anniversary.
