A Thank You From New York

For those who responded to my plea for books; those who boxed up their favorites and sent them to the libraries affected by Super Storm Sandy, I wanted to share an email. Below you will find a copy of an email I received from the library director. Please know that your contributions mattered and that many were touched by your generosity. While rebuilding is slow and even now, their internet connections are sporadic, I wanted y’all to know that you  made a difference. Thank you for being eager to help those in need and for sharing your love of books with others.

Dear Renea Winchester:

On behalf of the entire Queens Library community – our Board of Trustees, our staff and the 900,000 Queens Library cardholders who count on us to be there for them each and every day – Thank You for your immediate and thoughtful response after Super Storm Sandy.  Whether they were donations of food, blankets, generators, care packages, books, computers, or personally volunteering, your amazing kindness during one of the most devastating weather-related events in recent memory was truly heartwarming, and I am sure it will forever be etched in the hearts and minds of all those who benefited from your generosity.

 Thanks to the support of caring neighbors like you, the Queens Library served as a refuge and relief center in the immediate aftermath of the storm, despite the fact that our own facilities on the Peninsula were without electricity, or worse, destroyed by the flood waters. With your assistance, we helped thousands of people in the critical, first few days after the storm with meals, relief supplies, books, coats, and more.

 Queens Library’s response to the needs of the people of the Rockaways is just beginning. We are committed to rebuilding our damaged libraries and in doing so, helping to rebuild people’s lives. We are in the process of bringing interim library service back in every neighborhood of the peninsula where the library was destroyed. For additional information, to check on the progress of devastated libraries or to offer further assistance, please log on to queenslibrary.org or queenslibraryfoundation.org.

 Again, please accept our most sincere thanks for your invaluable contribution to those in need.

 Best wishes for an enjoyable and peaceful Holiday season,

Jen