Douglaston, Little Neck Leaders Protest Cuts That Could Close Library

Douglaston and Little Neck leaders say they are greatly concerned that the community’s library could closed due to proposed cuts to the Queens Library system in next year’s executive budget.

Last week, elected officials and community leaders held a rally in front of the library, located at 249-01 Northern Blvd., to call on the City Council to restore funds in the budget to allow the branch to remain open.

Arline Abdalian, of the Friends of the Douglaston Little Neck Library, said the mayor’s budget could close 36 of the 62 branches in the borough, reduce the number of days open by half and lead to massive layoffs.

“We need the community to voice their support for the library, so the City Council will restore the budget cuts,” said Ron Wan, community manager for the Douglaston Little Neck Library. “The mayor has proposed a large reduction in the library system. For many years, the city has been through this. It’s disheartening. We don’t want to go through this every year. But we are confident that the City Council will restore the budget.”

Community leaders said they believed northeast Queens often did not receive its fair share of city funding and that the proposal to close the library was only the latest example.

“They just tried to close the Beacon program at P.S. 158 and now they are trying to close our library,” said Douglas Montgomery, a Community Board 11 member and president of the Douglaston Garden Club. “This is an affront to the children of our neighborhood. Kids use the library for computers and after school programs. This would open the door for trouble. It’s a vital need in our neighborhood.”

Jerry Iannece, CB 11’s chairman, said local residents were “rightfully outraged” by the proposal to close the branch.

“This affects people who are most vulnerable, such as those who use the library’s computers to look for jobs,” he said. “This is bad across the board. It’s bad policy, but systemic of what the mayor does. He cuts the Beacon program, sanitation, libraries and other things that affect the middle class.”