48 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • JULY 16, 2020 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
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Seven public libraries in Queens now open for ‘grab-and-go’ service
BY ROBERT POZARYCKI
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
More than four months aft er the
COVID-19 pandemic rocked New York
City, the Brooklyn, New York and Queens
public libraries reopened a handful of
locations Monday, July 13, for “grab-andgo”
service only.
Twenty-two branches of the three public
library systems serving New York City
will off er book-lovers the opportunity to
pick up new novels and nonfi ction works
aft er reserving them online.
Customers who had borrowed books
months ago but never got a chance to
return them will be able to do so, with late
fees waived.
Th ose heading to the reopened branches
will need to practice social distancing
and wear masks to protect others. Over
the past week, library employees returned
to the reopening locations to help prepare
them for the relaunch.
Customers will be met at the door by
librarians who will help them check out
new material and process returning items.
Seven Queens Public Library locations
will provide grab-and-go service: Bayside
(214-20 Northern Blvd.); Bellerose (250-
06 Hillside Ave.); East Elmhurst (95-06
Astoria Blvd.); Kew Gardens Hills (72-33
Vleigh Place); Laurelton (134-26 225th
St.); Long Island City (37-44 21st St.); and
Peninsula (92-25 Rockaway Beach Blvd.,
Rockaway Beach).
Each branch will be open Mondays,
Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from
10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a one-hour closure
from 1 to 2 p.m. each day for cleaning;
Tuesdays from 1 to 5 p.m.; and Th ursdays
from noon to 7 p.m., with a one-hour
cleaning closure from 3 to 4 p.m.
Photo courtesy of Brooklyn Public Library
City zoos and aquarium slated to reopen on July 24
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
Aft er months of being closed down due
to COVID-19, the city’s zoos and
aquarium fi nally have a reopening
date.
The Wildlife
Conservation Society
(WCS) zoos and
Photo: Julie Larsen
Maher/WCS
aquarium announced plans to reopen the
Bronx Zoo, New York Aquarium, Central
Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo and Queens
Zoo on Friday, July 24. From July 20 to 23,
there will be special preview days
for WCS members only.
The New York City
Region is scheduled
to enter New York
State’s phase four on
Monday, July 20, barring
any new directives
from New York
state. Should the city
be deemed not ready
for phase four, the
reopening date will
be adjusted.
“One of the best
things about what
we do is introducing
people to animals
and nature and we have
missed that during the
closure,” said Bronx Zoo
Director Jim Breheny. “Th e pandemic
continues to impact our communities
and our country. We are pleased that the
Bronx Zoo, New York Aquarium and our
other parks will again serve as retreats
where guests can connect with animals
and nature when we open on July 24 aft er
being closed for 130 days.”
All outdoor and ground exhibits will
be open, as well as major indoor exhibits.
Masks or face coverings will be required
at all zoos and the aquarium for all visitors
ages 3 and up. To ensure the safety
of guests, the zoos and aquariums will
be limiting capacity and tickets must be
purchased ahead of time for a specifi c
date and time. Tickets will not be sold at
the gates.
At the Bronx Zoo, tickets will be sold for
entry at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. At the
other parks, entry time slots will be sold
on the hour all day until closing.
Th e Bronx Zoo’s traditional Free
Wednesday will begin on July 29, and will
still require advanced ticketing online.
Social distancing measures will be put in
place in all the parks, and will be monitored
on lines, in stores and at food
concessions. Day camp and education
programs will be available online, and
cleaning procedures have been enhanced
throughout the park system.
Starting July 24 and through Labor
Day, healthcare workers will receive free
admission at any of the zoos and aquariums.
Health care heroes can use promo code
HERO2020 and need to bring healthcare
identifi cation cards to show at the gates.
Healthcare workers can get tickets on the
WCS website.
“We will follow all guidelines from New
York State and if we need to adjust plans
for our opening date, we will. We are
hopeful that all the city’s COVID-19 indicators
will continue to improve, ensuring
New York City will continue on its path to
reopening,” said Breheny.
For more information or to purchase
tickets, visit the WCS website.
Additionally, Queens Public Library
will operate book return kiosks at the
following branches that remain closed
to the public: Astoria (14-01 Astoria
Blvd.); Cambria Heights (218-13 Linden
Blvd.); Central (89-11 Merrick Blvd.,
Jamaica); Jackson Heights (35-51 81st
St.); Queensboro Hill (60-05 Main St.,
Flushing); Rego Park (91-41 63rd Drive);
Ridgewood (2012 Madison St.) and
South Ozone Park (128-16 Rockaway
Blvd.).
In Brooklyn, seven branches will reopen
Monday for grab-and-go service: Bay
Ridge (7223 Ridge Blvd.), Bushwick (340
Bushwick Ave.), Central (10 Grand Army
Plaza), Flatbush (22 Linden Blvd.), Kings
Highway (2115 Ocean Ave.), New Lots
(665 New Lots Ave.) and Red Hook (7
Wolcott St.).
Th e Brooklyn branches will be open six
days a week — on Mondays, Wednesdays,
Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4
p.m., and Tuesdays through Th ursdays
from 1 to 7 p.m.
Th e New York Public Library, which
operates libraries in the Bronx, Manhattan
and Staten Island, will have the following
grab-and-go locations in the three
boroughs: Belmont (610 East 186th St.,
Bronx); Francis Martin (2150 University
Ave., Bronx); Parkchester (1985
Westchester Ave., Bronx); George Bruce
(518 West 125th St., Harlem); Epiphany
(228 East 23rd St., Gramercy); Stavros
Niarchos Foundation Library (455 Fift h
Ave., Midtown); Richmondtown (200
Clarke Ave., Staten Island); and Todt Hill-
Westerleigh (2550 Victory Blvd., Staten
Island).
All branches will be open six days a
week.
Hours for all locations (except Stavros
Niarchos) are Mondays, Tuesdays and
Th ursdays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.;
Wednesdays from noon to 7 p.m.; and
Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5
p.m. Th e Stavros Niarchos location will be
open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through
Fridays, and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to
5 p.m.
Visit the New York, Queens or Brooklyn
library websites for further information
about grab-and-go service.
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