22 The Courier sun • JULY 25, 2013 for breaking news visit www.couriersun.com Libraries get funding to expand BY MAGGIE HAYES mhayes@queenscourier.com Ten-year-old Darius Barnes was upset when he learned his local library in Laurelton might be closing. “I didn’t want it to close,” he said. “The library has helped me.” Barnes goes to the library after school, where he has been able to do homework and projects as well as take courses in Mandarin with the site’s manager, Dave Wang. When the budget for the 2014 Fiscal Year was initially proposed, library funding was set for across-the-board cuts. Ultimately, the cuts put the Rosedale and Laurelton libraries at risk of closure. The community and the City Council responded and were able to take the cuts out of the budget altogether. Councilmember Donovan Richards allocated nearly $3 million in extra funding to expand libraries in his district. “This library is my second home,” 11-year-old Ruth Wright said at the Laurelton site. Just like Barnes, Wright visits the library after school and said it has not only given her a place to do homework, but also an opportunity to make new friends. “Cutting funding to our libraries is the same as cutting funding to our youth,” Richards said. Calling libraries the central parts of their neighborhoods, he added that the Councilmember Donovan Richards allocated roughly $3 million to expand community libraries. allocated funds will kick off a long-term project of expanding and improving the Laurelton, Rosedale and Rockaway libraries. “Learning is the key. That’s what this library is about,” said Dwight Johnson, president of the Federated Blocks of Laurelton. “This is what we need in our community.” Richards’ goal is to allocate $3 million a year for district libraries. He said the Rosedale library will take $7 million to fully expand while the Laurelton facility will require $11 million. THE COURIER/Photo by Maggie Hayes “The idea is to give young adults a safe place where they can congregate and grow, with the latest technologies,” he said. “This gives them a reason to stay in the libraries and off the streets.” JOIN US FOR ThIS FREE EvENT! Procurement: Commodities, Services & Construction August 12th, 2013 9AM–3PM John Jay College of Criminal Justice 524 West 59th Street New York, NY 10019 PARTNERING FOR OPPORTUNITIES A Conference for Minority & Women-Owned Business Enterprises Register Today at CUNYbiz.com or call 212-726-2859 for more information. Learn how to grow your business with CUNY and CUCF. Network with representatives and decision-makers from CUNY Colleges, Central Procurement Office, CUCF, New York State & New York City agencies, and procurement assistance and development programs. Meet with CUCF’s Contractors: Construction Managers, Architects and Engineers. Discover the partnering opportunities available to firms for a wide array of commodities, services, construction, architectural and engineering projects. Meet one-on-one with CUNY Colleges and CUCF at our Match-Maker Sessions. . . . . . DURING OUR CONFERENCE, ATTENDEES wIll: CUCF CITY UNIVERSITY CONSTRUCTION FUND st of the 2013 THE QUEENS QueensCourier.com Place
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