Queens Library to begin lending Google tablets at select South Queens branches beginning Nov. 20.

 Thursday, November 7, 2013

The Queens Library will begin lending customers Google tablets on their library cards at select South Queens branches beginning Nov. 20.

The tablets — donated by Google to communities in New York State affected by Hurricane Sandy — will be loaned from seven Queens Library locations: Howard Beach, Broad Channel, Arverne, Far Rockaway, Rockaway Beach, Rockaway Park and Queens Library for Teens in Far Rockaway. 

Customers may borrow them for a month with the option of three renewals for a total of four months.

Queens has received 5,000 of the 17,000 tablets donated by Google statewide.

The tablets are pre-loaded with curated content so there is plenty of information available whether a patron is online or not.

The tablets also can access e-books and e-magazines for reading offline. The content will be refreshed and updated every time a user comes into a Queens Library or is within WiFi range. Customers who have access to wireless internet at the library or in other locations will have the full internet experience, as well.