Queens Borough President Helen Marshall, a longtime advocate for libraries, said, Tuesday, September 8th that since becoming Borough President in 2002 she has allocated more than $81 million to new libraries, expansions and renovations, and will participate in the reopening of four branches this week alone.



The four libraries each received $400,000 from Marshall’s office for upgrades and improvements. The $1.6 million was included in the Borough President’s funding allocations for the current fiscal year.



The funding helped to cover the costs of the installation of new technology that allows for self-checkout stations, public access computer stations, touch screen monitors for various functions, security gates and new furniture.

Marshall, a former early childhood teacher who was also a founder of the Langston Hughes Library in Corona, has been a longtime advocate for libraries. Her advocacy was recognized in 2005, when she won the coveted statewide Daniel Casey Library Advocacy Award.

On Wednesday, the Borough President will join library officials in reopening the following branches:

· 11 a.m. – Rosedale, 144-20 143rd Street

· 1 p.m. – Baisley, 117-11 Sutphin Boulevard

· 3 p.m. – Middle Village, 72-31 Metropolitan Avenue.

On Friday at 3 p.m., Marshall will welcome customers to the reopening of the Douglaston branch, located at 249-01 Northern Boulevard.



The Queens Borough Public Library has one of the highest circulation s in the world, and in Fiscal Year 2009 had a record 23 million items in circulation.



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