Jamaica is now home to the Helen M. Marshall Children's Library Discovery Center, a world-class children's library full of hands-on exhibits and interactive programs with a focus on science, technology, math, and engineering.
Yesterday, Queens Borough President Helen Marshall, City Council Members Leroy Comrie and Jimmy Van Bramer, and other leaders of government and the community officially opened the Helen M. Marshall Children's Library Discovery Center in Jamaica. The new facility, which cost near $40 million, is a world-class children's library as well as a hands-on learning environment that incorporates touch-friendly exhibits, sound and video installations, and science-oriented programs.
Borough President Helen Marshall has the first dance with Discover-E the Robot, a resident of the new Children's Library Discovery Center.
Clocking in at 14,000 square feet, the new library is the only public library in the U.S. to incorporate interactive museum exhibits into a traditional reading-rich library environment and the only free children's educational destination in NYC with a special emphasis on science, technology, math, and engineering. "This unique library is one for the modern age," says Borough President Marshall. "Clearly it is not only a library but a museum and school that will awaken interests and open new vistas and opportunities for children in search of knowledge and wonder. It will be a borough-wide resource for generations to come."
Visiting children have access to state-of-the-art interactive exhibits and learning labs, supervised by skilled professionals who will encourage them to research, explore, and problem solve. Programs encourage children ages 3-12 to touch and experiment with topics such as weather, magnetism, nanotechnology, and the natural world. Among the colorful and engaging elements is a floor-bound map of Queens featuring iconic landmarks that emit appropriate sound effects when stood on. For example, stride across the Steinway factory and you'll hear piano music; or tread on one of the airports to hear the sound of jet engines.
"The Children's Library Discovery Center will be an extraordinary tool for educators and parents to introduce our children to the joys of reading and scientific exploration," says NYC Council Deputy Majority Leader Leroy Comrie. "In these learning labs, our borough's next great scientist or astronaut will take their first steps."
The Children's Library Discovery Center is located adjacent to the Central Library at 89-11 Merrick Bouelvard in Jamaica. It is open daily: 10am-9pm Monday, Wednesday, and Thursdays; 1-9pm Tuesday; 10am-6pm Friday; 10am-5:30pm Saturday; and 12-5pm Sunday. For more information, visit www.queenslibrary.org.
