Windsor Park Library Celebrates Grand Reopening

With a ribbon-cutting, songs and speeches in a festive atmosphere, Queens Library celebrated the reopening of its Windsor Terrace branch in Oakland Gardens on Friday.

Elected officials and Queens Public Library employees joined community leaders and as many as 40 local residents at the library, located at 79-50 Bell Blvd. in Oakland Gardens, which now features a special children's area with a "reading cave," a separate spot for teens and RFID technology for self check-in and check-out of library materials.

The upgrade also includes new lighting, an energy-efficient heating and air conditioning system, carpeting and ADA-compliant restrooms.

"This library has had a full makeover," said Queens Library CEO Thomas W. Galante, who predicted that the technological upgrades would reduce waiting times for customers and free up staffers so they can spend more time providing personal service.

The undertaking came with a $2.8 million price tag. But Galante said the project had received "great support from every level of government," including funding from the City Council, the State Legislature and Mayor Michael Bloomberg's Office.

State Assemblyman David Weprin, D-Little Neck, and State Senator Toby Stavisky, D-Whitestone, recalled taking their children to story time at local library branches, while Councilman Mark Weprin, D-Oakland Gardens, added that he took his children to puppet shows.

"This is the best library system in the world," Mark Weprin said. "Please let the mayor know that these libraries are important."

Galante, who has been with the Queens Library since 1987, said that 35 of the borough's 62 library branches have been renovated during the past five years.

He hopes to increase the hours of operation across the library system. The economic downturn has been hard on libraries, but keeping them open remains a major priority, he said.

"The operating hours will come back," he said. "I'd like to think that they'll be back better than before."