By Naeisha Rose, Published June 12, 2025
The city’s three public library systems announced the launch of the Summer at the Library last Wednesday.
The initiative includes reading programs for kids, teens and adults, and the libraries will make reading recommendations, host exhibits and more.
The announcement was made at the Langston Hughes Community Library and Cultural Center in North Corona.
“This summer, our libraries will be the coolest places to stay curious, escape the heat, and keep students engaged while school’s out,” said Queens Public Library President and CEO Dennis Walcott in a statement. “We are excited to welcome everyone into our vibrant spaces and help them make the most of a fantastic lineup of programs and activities, thoughtfully designed by our team with the generous support of the New York Life Foundation.”
Councilman Francisco Moya (D-Corona) said the summer will be filled with imagination, learning and opportunity.
“With initiatives like Summer at the Library, we empower our young people to color their world with creativity and possibility,” Moya said in a statement. “Libraries are more than buildings — they’re launchpads for dreams, and I’m proud to stand with our library leaders to make sure every child has access to that future.”
The QPL will host multilingual storytimes, author talks and arts and crafts programs.
Children and teens will be encouraged to read for at least 20 minutes a day for a chance to win raffle prizes as part of the QPL’s annual Summer Reading Challenge.
Science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics clubs tailored to different age groups will be offered at 40 QPL locations. The themes for this year’s STEAM clubs are art and color. Programs will include sensory art, storytelling and music and movement for early learners, as well as aviation and engineering activities for teens.
Special club offerings include a Tween Cricut Club at the North Hills Library in Douglaston, a Financial Literacy Club at the Baisley Park Library in South Jamaica, a Comic Readers and Creators Club at the Bayside Library and a Hip Hop Dance Series at the Far Rockaway Library. Cricut is design space software.
The QPL will host a Middle School Maker Club at its teen centers and innovation stations. Students can explore the science of color through hands-on experiments in vision, electromagnetism and cognitive neuroscience.
The QPL also will distribute free books for youth — from early learners to teens — at the Children’s Library Discovery Center on June 5, at the Corona Library on June 6 and at both the Flushing and Langston Hughes libraries on June 7.
For a full list of programs and events, visit connect.queenslibrary.org/1074.
To learn what the Brooklyn and New York public library systems have to offer, go online to nypl.org and bklynlibrary.org and search for Summer at the Library.
Councilwoman Carlina Rivera (D-Manhattan), chair of the Committee on Cultural Affairs and Libraries, said she is proud to collaborate with the library systems and champion the summer program.
“Libraries are gateways to imagination, discovery, and community,” said Rivera. “‘Summer at the Library’ helps provide a safe and inspiring space … while school is out.”