4 The QUEE NS Courier • DECEMBER 17, 2015 for breaking news visit www.qns.com COURT SQUARE LIBRARY ADDS CHILDREN’S AREA AND COMMUNITY SPACE by ANGELA MATUA amatua@queenscourier.com @angelamatua Families in Long Island City have a new space to educate and entertain their children as the Queens Library at Court Square officially opened its extension on Dec. 11. The 1,700-square-foot space, which has two rooms, will serve as a children’s area and program and community space. Bridget Quinn-Carey, interim president and CEO of the Queens Library, along with Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer and Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan joined community members for a ribbon-cutting to celebrate the new space. Located in the Citigroup building at 25-01 Jackson Ave., the library was originally opened in 1989 and mostly served employees in the Court Square area, according to Queens Library spokesperson Joanne King. The library has seen an influx of visitors in recent years, coinciding with a real estate boom that has brought many new residential towers and families to the neighborhood. “As Long Island City continues to grow and expand it is important that we continue to advocate for additional services,” Nolan said. “Expanding the Court Square library is a step in the right direction that will provide for much-needed space and additional resources to help our community succeed.” The library also recently hired a new children’s librarian. Though the City Council passed a bill to establish sixday library service, the Court A new 1,700-square-foot extension has been added to the Court Square library in Long Island City. Square library was not included because the Citigroup building is closed on weekends. During the summer, residents relied on a mobile library set up in Gantry Plaza State Park. Residents are also anxiously awaiting the construction of Hunters Point library, a 22,000-square-foot branch that will open in winter 2017. The branch will be located at Center Boulevard and 48th Avenue, right next to Gantry Plaza State Park. The new library will have 5 1/2 floors with amenities such as a community room that holds about 120 people, a computer floor and a cafe, Photo courtesy of Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer as well as a small rooftop reading garden. As the only existing library in the neighborhood for at least two years, the expansion at Court Square library is welcomed by many in the community. “For many young children and families in Long Island City the Court Square Library is a magical place,” Van Bramer said. “This muchneeded expansion along with the state-of-the-art upgrades and improvements will help solidify the branch’s role in the neighborhood as an important community hub for generations of families in Long Island City.” IDNYC pop-up center coming to Bayside library BY ALINA SURIEL asuriel@queenscourier.com/@alinangelica A pop-up enrollment center for IDNYC will be coming to the Bayside public library in January. Members of the IDNYC team will be onsite to enroll applicants from Jan. 11 to Feb. 5. Interested parties should reserve an appointment at the Bayside Library online to ensure service. Applicants must have documentation proving their identity and residency in New York City. Assemblywoman Nily Rozic is co-sponsoring the event along with the Korean American Association of Queens (KAAQ) and the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs. Rozic said she is happy to expand IDNYC outreach into the Bayside community and make the application process more accessible. “I encourage residents to apply and participate in a program that has increased access to vital city services that have made the world of a difference for many Queens residents,” she remarked. According to Rozic, the initiative aims to reach out to the underserved Asian American community in Oakland Gardens, Bayside Hills and Bayside. KAAQ President Paul Yoo said the organization is grateful to Assemblywoman Nily Rozic and the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs for making this event possible in a heavily populated Korean American neighborhood. “We encourage as many Korean Americans as possible to take advantage of this special opportunity, as it is a key resource for our community. ” Yoo said, adding that the future they hope more elected officials will open pop-up locations. Grace Shim, executive director of the MinKwon Center for Community Action, said that the organization is an advocate of IDNYC for the Korean Americans who utilize the services. “The response from our community to the IDNYC has been Photo via Twitter/@IDNYC An example of an IDNYC card. explosive, and this pop-up site will ensure that our community will more conveniently obtain this additional form of identification and access to great benefits,” Shim said.
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