Queens Borough Public Library – Poppenhusen

I’m writing this review as I’m seated in this library. This is one of the most unprofessional library that I’ve visited. For the last hour, the staff has deemed that the best way to communicate between each other is to yell across the library. While the patrons are courteous enough to each other to keep their voices down (one would think this would be common courtesy). The staff, seems to think this rule does not apply to them. As much as I enjoy hearing about your potential lunch choices, some of us are trying to study and get work done.

Best experience I’ve ever had at a library. I went at 11am-​1am on a Thursday. It was so quiet very lil kids. It was alot of older ppl asking questions about programs given there was one person at the desk she was able to answer everyone’s question in a timely manner and she even suggested other things. Very helpful friendly and clean.

When I moved to College Point, there was no doubt in my mind that I would visit this library first. This library can be seen from College Point Blvd and 14^th Ave across from College Point Park and a municipal parking lot. I would not bother parking in the municipal parking lot since there are usually parking spaces around on 14^th Ave. Be careful parking on the adjacent, narrow, one-​way 121^st Street though because I got into an small car accident there while my husband was trying to park into a space and the driver did not pay attention while turning in from 14^th Ave. From the outside, Poppenhusen looks like a classic library similar to Woodhaven library. That is because it is one of the original Carnegie buildings that was built during Theodore Roosevelt’s term. Thereafter, the library was named after its historic benefactor, a German immigrant named Conrad Poppenhusen.
With history aside, the library is considered a small place with limited space. On the left side of the first floor, there are tables and a few computer stations, which have an insanely slow internet connection. I recommend making use of the library’s WIFI capabilities instead. Also along the shelf are fiction books and some computer books. On the right side, there were standalone arts & craft bookshelves with books that look outrageously outdated, but the variety never changes. Behind the Arts & Crafts book shelf is all the paperback books. There is an adjacent shelf for international books such as a whole Spanish section shared with the Korean section. On the other side is the DVD section and Indian film section.
All the way to the right side to the wall are the new fiction and non-​fiction books. I always check this section to see what’s new. Walking along, there’s a magazine section with an extremely limited collection of magazines and three sofa chairs with one table. There’s a manga shelf and I see kids reading from it all the time. In the middle-​back of the library are Chinese DVDs, CDs, and Language materials. Then to the back left side of the library is the non-​fiction books and biographies. Overall, I wish this library has a newer collection, but I’m grateful for what I can find.
At the very left, if I snake around the library counters to the back left-​corner of the library is a electronic book slot for returns: books, CDs, DVDs, Audio tapes, etc. Librarians at the counter, at least from what I am told, do not handle the return process.
Book requests are now located on a self-​serve bookshelf near to the librarian’s desk on the right side across from the DVD section. Requested books are labeled with the first three letters of my last name and the last four of my library card number. I use the library so much, I memorized my number already.
A cool thing about this library is that all check-​outs are done at one of the two self-​service counters where we just place our card on the scanner, then follow instructions by putting all books on the scanner, and then checking out.
As for the children’s section downstairs, I don’t have much to say. There is another room downstairs, but I’m guessing it’s for staff only. Another downside is that there are rarely if any events going on at the Poppenhusen library so I’m better of going to another branch for library activities. Library hours, like most Queens branches, are extremely limited and the library is only open later on Monday and Thursday.
Due to the fact the library experience is becoming more electronic with the borrowing and returning of books, I look forward to what Poppenhusen has to offer in the future. While the book collection is on the old side with a few select newer books, I still manage to find something I would like to read. I’m still not at a major disadvantage because I often request books online from the Queens Library website to be shipped to Poppenhusen for free. I think the Queens library system is doing the best they can with a limited budget.
PROS: The fact of its existence
CONS: Could use a newer collection of books, limited hours

If College Point sucks so bad, why did Jia J. come all the way into my town just to use our crappy library?
It may smell like urine 9 times out of 10 and more than half of the books may be written in languages other than English, but gosh darnit, that’s my library she’s talking about!
Seriously, though, it smells like pee. What’s up with that?
I think the hours have since improved, so that’s gotta count for something, right?

It really hurts to say something bad about any library, but this one just matches its surroundings, let’s say.
Well, at least there IS a library in College Point, which is a forlorn town by the sea facing off with LaGuardia Airport. It is in outer limits Queens; all the way at the end of the 7 Train, PLUS a 30-​minute ride on the Q25 bus.
But check out these schizo hours:
Monday 1:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Tuesday 1:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.
Wednesday 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
Thursday 1:00 p.m.- 8:00 p.m.
Friday 10:00 a.m. — 6:00 p.m.
Saturday 10:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Sunday CLOSED
Who made this, the librarians themselves? If so, what a sweet schedule for them, and ONLY for them, becuase basically, unless you are under 4, over 68, unemployed, a housewife, or a student with a funky ass schedule who doesn’t mind skipping meals, you will not be able to access this library. And it shows, because this tiny albeit classically structured building is stuffed to the gills with scrubs who just want to browse the depleted DVD section or be on Internet forever and ever with all their shit sprawled over the narrow counter so you can’t even sit there unless you ask assertively.
There are a couple librarians, and they are super rude and hard to understand, whether or not you are used to communicating with people whose second language is English. Worst of all, there are infants everywhere, and they are the kinds that scream all day long while their parents ignore them. I get it; babies cry and mothers deserve to get out of the house and read. But what I see is babies crying constantly and mothers sitting on their ass doing nothing, as if the library is a nursery for poorly managed children and the patrons are all babysitters.
While residing in Queens, I tried to get a card with the first item of addressed mail I received; an Economist magazine. The librarian snapped that I needed a «real» bill, even if larger and more respected libraries on both coasts of the USA have issued me a card with just about any sort of documentation (once, a handwritten envelope from a friend) that I live in the area. Oh well, I didn’t even see anything I wanted to borrow anyway.
So…this library is a place to go out of desperation if you don’t want to hang out at the Duane Reade on the Kitty Corner or drink with locals at the Pourhouse. It’s a place where you have to sneak into the children’s bathroom for relief because the librarian snaps that there are no bathrooms at all. In short, it’s a place of few resources, zero comfort, and many distractions that one would think could easily be stemmed by the bitchiness of all two librarians who work there.