6 JUNE 13, 2019 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Temporary Glendale Library a success
BY JACOB KAYE
EDITORIAL@RIDGEWOODTIMES.COM
@RIDGEWOODTIMES
Glendale’s temporary library at
The Shops at Atlas Park shopping
center saw high attendance over
the course of its fi rst year, according
to the Queens Public Library and state
Senator Joe Addabbo.
Aft er a hard-fought battle to open a
full-service library as the main branch
undergoes renovations, the Atlas Park
temporary branch has proven to be a
community necessity and a success,
local leaders said.
From May 2018 to April 2019, around
69,000 people passed through the
temporary library’s doors, the Queens
Public Library noted. That’s about 200
people per day and about 10,000 more
than the permanent location saw the
year prior. The temporary library has
also been host to over 300 events in
that same time span.
“I’m glad to see that the temporary
space is being utilized by the public,”
state Senator Joseph Addabbo said.
Addabbo was an early champion of
the project.
Queens Public Library President
Dennis Walcott agreed.
“Our temporary Glendale space has
thrived, becoming an indispensable
resource for local residents,” said
Walcott, who was not always a
supporter of the temporary location
because of a limited budget.
When the $4.7 million renovation
began in April 2018, the Glendale
community expressed concerns about
the lack of a full-service library. At
the time, the Queens Public Library
planned to create a mobile library that
would only be open one day per week.
But less than a month after
renovations began, Councilman
Robert Holden and Addabbo teamed
up to strike a discount deal on the
Atlas Park location.
Peter DeLucia, property manager
at Atlas Park, was able to “knock
down the price for the benefi t of the
community,” Addabbo told QNS at the
time.
One year later, DeLucia isn’t
surprised by the library’s success.
“It’s a natural fi t,” DeLucia told QNS.
While the initial one-year lease
expired in May 2019, a new one was
signed, extending the branch’s stay
until the end of the year.
“They can stay for as long as they
want,” DeLucia added. “They do great
work.”
Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska, a
representative from the Queens Public
Library, agreed. Atlas Park and the
library work well together, she says.
“We are very pleased that it is so
popular,” said Kern-Jedrychowska.
“We expected that our temporary
location in Atlas Park would benefi t
from mall foot traffi c.”
Even after the main branch is
completed, Holden hopes the temporary
location becomes permanent.
“From the get-go, I’ve wanted the
Queens Library to keep this location
as a satellite,” Holden said, “even aft er
the Glendale Library reconstruction
is completed.”
Holden hopes the library and Atlas
Park can negotiate further and agree
on a long-term rent price. “It would be
a win-win for everyone,” he said.
When the Glendale Library re-opens
this fall, it is expected to be wheelchairaccessible,
a feature it lacked before
the renovation. The branch will also
be newly equipped with an elevator
and a book drop-off .
The Glendale Library will temporarily relocate to this storefront (with the
green awning) starting on May 24 during the 18-month renovation to its
home building. Photo courtesy of Queens Library
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