New Hours for Broad Channel Library and a new, Broad Channel Saturday Library Tax!

The Broad Channel Library

Because of budget cuts, effective Tuesday, September 7, 2010, the hours of operation for the Broad Channel branch of the Queens Public Library system will be limited to 35 hours per week as follows:

Monday:                    1pm - 8 pm     (7 hours)

Tuesday:                    1pm -6 pm      (5 hours)

Wednesday:               10am - 6pm    (8 hours)

Thursday:                   1pm - 8pm      (7 hours)

Friday:                       10am - 6pm    (8 hours)

Saturday:                    CLOSED

Sunday:                      CLOSED

Unfortunately, the hours for the Howard Beach branch of the Queens Library system is the same as that of Broad Channel.  Thus, if you or your children need to visit the library on a Saturday, you will be forced to pay a toll and use the Cross Bay Bridge to visit the 94th street Rockaway branch library which will be open on Saturdays from 10 am to 5:30 pm.

Once again, the city has failed to consider the needs of our Broad Channel commuity here in the middle of Jamiaca Bay and has, in effect, burdened us with a new, Saturday,  "library tax."

The obvious solution to this problem would be to amend the Broad Channel Library schedule to include a Saturday operation from 1pm to 8 pm and close the library on Monday.  That would allow for those Broad Channel residents who have to use the library on Mondays to utilize the Howard Beach branch (and avoid the Cross Bay Bridge Toll) and still afford our residents and their children Saturday access to our Broad Channel library without having to pay to travel to Rockaway.

I have sent a copy of this posting to both our State Senator, Shirley Huntley and our City Councilman, Eric Ulrich, requesting that they look into this issue on our behalf.