Queens Borough Public Library

Owner	Queens Borough Public Library Association
Employees	None
Hours of Operation	Closed
Current Status	Destroyed
People Come Here For…	Scavenging and Shelter

Seven stories tall and most of them ravaged by fire, the Queens Borough Public Library looks like a shadow of its former self. Windows are shattered and melted all along the western face of the structure where the approaching fires of the November 8th, 2010 fires ripped through Hunter's Point. The first five floors of the building are a complete loss, with furniture molten and warmed, books little more than ash and computers warped and destroyed by flames and heat. The upper floors are little better off, with significant water damage from fire fighting efforts to keep the inferno from spreading. Some books on the highest floors may be slavagable, but the flooring in those areas is saggy and broken.

The middle levels of the building are the worst, where fire and water damage meets, entire sections of the ceiling have collapsed down from upper floors, bringing toppled bookshelves, half-burned books and furniture down into more thouroughly incinerated levels. The corner staircases, made of steel-reinforced concrete, are largely sound, allowing for some access up and down.

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