Queens Library Named LJ's Library of the Year

Announcement made on Manhattan's City Hall steps

Norman Oder -- Library Journal, 06/12/2009

• First New York City system to win award
• Budget for library still unresolved
• Diverse services saluted

With New York’s City Hall—and the unresolved issue of city library funding—as a backdrop, the Queens Library was named 2009 Library of the Year by Library Journal and Gale. The cover story of LJ’s June 15 issue is headlined “The Politics of Excellence.”

It was the first time in the nearly two decades-long history of the award that it was won by a New York system . Sponsored by Gale, part of Cengage Learning, the award comes with a $10,000 prize and a ceremony at July's American Library Association’s annual conference in Chicago.

“We hope this award is a good-luck talisman to Queens,” said LJ Editor-in-Chief Francine Fialkoff, who pointed to the need to protect against devastating proposed budget cuts and maintain six-day service. (Update June 16: Most of the proposed cut was rescinded.)

Support on the steps
“When times are tough, we are the one single source the community can count on,” said Queens Library CEO Thomas Galante (pictured). He was later joined at the podium by City Council Member Leroy Comrie (pictured next to Fialkoff, behind the cover), head of the Queens delegation, who said “we’re going to do everything we can” to save library service.

Also present were Queens Library board members and a representative of City Council Member Vincent Gentile, who heads the Subcommittee on Libraries. Queens Borough President Helen Marshall sent a salute in absentia. Missing, however, were any members of the administration of Mayor Mike Bloomberg, as negotiations on the city budget go down to the wire.

According to the cover story, written by LJ Editor-at-Large John N. Berry III, the award recognizes the “ability of the managers and staff to provide an incredibly diverse set of services and continue the constant modernization of the 62 libraries. Their sustained commitment to library service that truly improves the lives of everyone in the borough is what makes the Queens Library so strong.”

(Update June 16: Here's an editorial in the New York Daily News saluting the library.)