Revamped Far Rockaway Library to Open Its Doors on July 30

The newly renovated Far Rockaway Library in Queens, NYC, is set to celebrate its grand opening on Tuesday, July 30, 2024. This event marks the culmination of a six-year renovation project that began in 2018. The new library, located at 1637 Central Avenue, Far Rockaway, is double the size of the original building, featuring an 18,000-square-foot, two-story structure with a unique glass exterior and a central space designed to bring in natural light.

The grand opening will start with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11:30 AM, followed by the library opening to the public at 1:00 PM. The new facility includes modern amenities such as a glass pyramid entrance, an inverted pyramid atrium, bike racks, and ADA-compliant facilities with an elevator and restrooms on both floors.

Programming at the new library will cater to all age groups, with after-school study hours, a new Teen Room, a Cyber Center, and story-reading events. The second floor will house separate adult and children’s reading areas, a meeting room, and a small business center.

The Far Rockaway Library has been a cornerstone of the community since it first opened in 1968, providing essential services such as after-school programming and disaster relief during Hurricane Sandy in 2012. The new facility promises to continue this legacy, offering expanded services and resources to meet the needs of the Far Rockaway community.

The library will be open seven days a week, including Sunday service starting August 4, 2024. The community is invited to celebrate this milestone with activities for all ages on the day of the grand opening.

Queens Public Library acknowledges the support of various funders and partners, including Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, NYC Mayor Eric Adams, NYC Council Member Selvena Brooks-Powers, NYS Assembly Member Stacey Pheffer Amato, NYC Economic Development Corporation, NYS Education Department, NYC Council Queens Delegation, NYC Department of Design and Construction, Snøhetta, EW Howell, and many others who contributed to bringing this new building to life.

Queens Public Library is one of the largest and busiest public library systems in the United States, dedicated to serving the most ethnically and culturally diverse area in the country. An independent, non-profit organization founded in 1896, Queens Public Library offers free access to a collection of more than 5 million books and other materials in 50 languages, as well as technology and digital resources, according to the library’s website.

“Each year, the Library hosts tens of thousands of online and in-person educational, cultural, and civic programs and welcomes millions of visitors through its doors. With a presence in nearly every neighborhood across the borough of Queens, the Library consists of 66 locations, including branch libraries, a Central Library, seven adult learning centers, a technology center located at the Queensbridge Houses, the nation’s largest public housing complex, and a community learning center at another public housing complex, the Ravenswood Houses. It also has five teen centers, two bookmobiles, and two book bicycles,” the website reads.