This used to be my favorite spot for the adolescent version of myself to grab a book because of the shiny green glass exterior. It sure has gotten less and less remarkable looking, but the facilities on the inside have only improved. It used to be very difficult to navigate and the people that worked there never seemed willing to help. It's certainly improved over the years, and it's actually one of my favorite libraries now. The staff is now incredibly helpful, and there's clear signage to where everything is located. They have a huge selection of books and quite a few recent releases in their DVD section. The self checkout stations have always been clutch, and it's a really clean and modern (compared to other branches) library, even after 15 years after opening. read more

Do not come here if you want a good experience on trying to get an ID card. First I walk in that was fine. Next I tell the lady working for idnyc that I have everything to prove my identity and residency. She told me that it was fake and that she couldn't get me one. Also I found her to be very rude. I tried speaking to the manager but the manager was not there. Just awful. Very rude. read more

I live about 15-20 mins from this library but rarely come here. The only good thing is it's huge with lots of areas to work and really accessible since it's smack in the middle of Main Street. Howeverrrr it's kind of messy with books, newspapers and people's garbage everywhere, the employees are not helpful and there's a lot of people that take up space making it impossible to get a seat sometimes. Also drinks are not allowed so unfortunately you won't be able to bring a coffee here if you're planning to study. Not my first choice for getting work done. read more

Go to this library 2 - 3 times a month,Lots of books n VCD to borrow. read more

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This library is horrible. Today I went to the library and the service is unbelievable. My wife who is 8 months pregnant accompanied me to the media section where I saw a security guard talking with the circulation desk. I gathered my checkout but was massively upset with how the security guard treated my wife. She was tired so she took a seat outside the door which was by itself. He went up to her and our son and asked her if she was someone important to sit there. Where she explained that she is pregnant and needed the seat. He then replied to her to go to a doctor and not sit here. He then took the seat from her and demanded she stand smh this is the worst library in the world disgusting how they treat people. read more

Wow what a beautiful building in the middle of Queens china town. I must say the area is run down and very dirty. It is a pleasure to see such a modern, large library. The staff seemed friendly enough. However some of the patrons are rude and downright disgusting! Cell phone rings and they answer while others are trying to concentrate. Others are sleeping! While others are just making all sorts of bodily sounds. People respect!!! In not your own body and space... While at the library there is a code you follow!!!! So negative stars for the patrons but 4 stars for the library :) read more

A truly massive library. Tons of materials including movies and music (much of it for the Asian community), but its so unwieldy here that it's a bit hard to navigate if you're not familiar with it. Routinely packed and utterly chaotic. Parking is a pain, so take public transport! read more

Definitely one of the more modern looking libraries in queens. It gets really crowded in the summer and sometimes the amount of kids running all over the place. Sometimes there isn't even a space to sit and read so get there early. The library feels much dirtier and less upkept than it once was. But otherwise it is an amazing space. read more

If you want Wi-Fi to do work, bring your own or have a hotspot. Reason I say this is because once there are too many people on the network, it will not let anyone else on. You wanted a place that's not crowd, nosey or smelly; don't come here cause you will be disappointed. The IT lady, no help. There is just too much going on in this place for if to be called a library. Did I mention how the smell is dangerous for your nose? Just don't do it, a PC (computer cafe) will be better than this. read more

This is one of the biggest libraries I've ever seen! So many floors and a section for movies and cds. Right in the heart of Flushing.

I remember when this library use to be made of outdated wood and other materials. Of course, that was in the 1980's. I grew up in the area and always loved coming in here. This place has come such a long way. It has totally revamped itself. The location is great, the selection is huge, and it actually has a decent amount of employees working here. You know city and government establishments are always depressing, but this place has a lot of energy. I think the location makes the energy so strong because there is always lively people here doing homework, research, or looking for a book to check out. There is also a nice Starbucks and Target all located within walking distance unlike that scary library located in Jamaica Queens. I know with technology the way it is these days, it seems a library is a bit historic, ancient, and outdated, but i have to admit that i still love the smell and feel of a real book versus an e-reader. read more

Great library and very diverse. I used to come here all the time for borrowing manga and other random books you can find! There are also many computers and different ways to check out. It's useful for it's various languages and events. A definite place to go if you like reading, just chilling out for quiet time/studying, or discovering a new hobby. read more

Definitely the best library in Queens- the selection is huge! I have a ridiculously large "to read" list and don't have much trouble finding the books I want to read here, regardless of how obscure they are. They also have a foreign language section- books that have been translated into English from other languages, and it's just exposed me to so much awesomeness I otherwise would have missed out on. The only area they're lacking in is poetry- don't expect to find anything other than a handful of classics. They also have a great selection of cookbooks. Their checkout line on the main floor does get pretty tremendous, but there are self-check out machines on the first and second floors. However, the last time I was here they had just gotten new ones and required someone to sit next to them to take care of all the problems they were having. They're also highly sensitive, to the point of inconvenience. I hadn't even put my books down to be scanned and the computer sensor picked up the information from the book *while it was still in my arms*. I'd be really annoyed if someone happened to be walking by with a book and I didn't notice that the computer registered their title onto my card. Now I just wait on that ridiculous line downstairs, which isn't a problem after 7PM. read more

Love this library, it's awesome, people need to read books more instead of playing video games. It's such a great resource! I'm sad that they are cutting the library budget. But they do it every time there is a recession and money is tight so this is no exception. Hope the Queens Library system survives! read more

The new chairs are unusable due to lack of lumbar support. Whoever made the choice for the chairs did not want you to sit for a long period of time. read more

It's not a bad branch actually in fact, even if this does deserve a five star rating, I'm putting it at four because I prefer the other library branches like the ones near home (East Elmhurst) and in the heart of Queens Borough (Central branch) and don't get me wrong because this library has more floors then the other branches I visited and it has a great collection. It's just a different place and location when you think about it and I say a five star custom rating but as shown above, it's a four from me. read more

I've been moving between NYC and other cities for the past few years, and was pleasantly surprised to see that this branch had been renovated. It's got a lot more selection and staff, and with that, people...and noise. I ducked into the teen room for a few moments of quiet, where I could pull off my headphones and read for a few short moments. It was great for the first minute or so. Then, a group of librarians or workers (unsure what their official title was) headed into the teen room, loudly talking about personal stuff. Cool, that's cool, we all have to get some of that talking out of our systems. What's not cool at all is the alarmed look on everyone's faces when they entered and how the librarians failed to notice or care that they were disrupting teens (or not teens...I look enough like a teen to get by) reading or doing homework on their laptops. What's even less cool and definitely rude at this point is how the noisy and talkative workers just. kept. talking. louder and louder, about things that patrons of a library shouldn't hear - office politics, concerns about their jobs, etc. (Btw, if you're wondering how I knew the noise makers were librarians, thats why) I wanted to keep my comfy seat so I stayed, hoping they'd lower their voices. That didn't happen. In fact, they were shushed a couple times, but whatever they had to say was just so riveting they had to do it out in the open, much to the shock of myself and other patrons. The girl sitting next to me left with a scowl. I left quickly after that. Flushing is never going to be a quiet place. Even the library, a place where it's supposed to be quiet, is not. That is alright with me, really. Where it becomes unbearable is when those who work there don't respect their own rules and make others feel uncomfortable. They created an unwelcoming space for kids who just wanted to get some damn work done without hearing about who is up for a promotion. I love how Flushing library has a ton of new stuff to offer, but I wish the staff would be more conscientious with how they act. If they are just dying to gossip, I wish they would do so in a private office, not in the teen room where teens won't be taken seriously if they ask a librarian to be a little quieter. Thankfully, everyone else downstairs was helpful when I needed to locate books. Come here to grab the things you need and go. Don't linger. read more

I'm currently sitting in their library right now. Basic rundown: The library is 4 floors (including the basement) and is probably the biggest library in Queens. It's conveniently located 2 blocks away from the 7 train and many buses that connect Flushing to Bayside, Long Island and Jamaica. The basement is where speakers come occasionally for free public events. The first floor has a children's section and a fiction section. The second floor has a quiet room that fits approximately 15-20 people, a DVD/audio book center, a studying area for about 150 people, and a "cyber" computer center to use computers in. This floor is pretty talkative and I've heard at least 4-5 phone call rings and consistent talking for the past 30 minutes but the staff and other visitors don't seem to really mind. It's not that bad for a big library though. The third floor has additional seating and other sections of books similar to the second floor. There's also a wide variety of books in different languages especially in Chinese and Korean, similar to the background of the library's main visitors. There's also two bathroom locations but they're not that clean but clean for a public one if you know what I mean. The entire library is also mainly see-through since all their external walls are glass so I love the natural light seeping through their curtains throughout the library. The bad: -Free internet is extremely slow. Possibly 5mbps or nothing close to DSL. I think the average Starbucks would have faster internet. -Not too quiet since people are talkative and don't silence their phones -Crowded, although there's always a place to sit. The good: -wide selection of books -many Chinese and Korean books -clean -well-list b/c of natural light pouring in from the windows -quiet enough to study if you can drown out a little sound Overall: Flushing library is the best public library in Queens especially because it has the biggest selection of books and large space to study in, compared to other libraries in Queens. The clean and organized atmosphere with an added decadence of outdoor light pouring in through their wall size windows make a great place to study in. Wifi, although a bit on the slow side, is free and still useable. If you can't find a place to study in Queens and Starbucks is too packed or noisey, this is the place to go! read more

The only thing I hate about this place is ... every time I try to print something or need to use the computer . There' are always a bunch of kids playing video game . Wut ? read more

3.5/5 Queens Library is a relic that is undervalued by millennials. A beautiful representation of the phases of sexual reproduction adorns one side of the building. A lot of the technological equipment is outdated, and I have not seen any new books on the shelves for some time now. There have been many occasions when Queens Library was almost closed due to a lack of funding. One of the biggest complaints seems to be about the WiFi. I cannot agree any less! Not only is it slow, but it just gets cut off out of nowhere for no reason whatsoever. Bathrooms in the basement and on the third floor are atrocious, and there are not enough stalls to accommodate the constant stream of patrons who come here. The library is currently a bit congested since the children's room is undergoing remodeling and construction. Sometimes I wonder how different my life would be if there wasn't a Queens Library in Downtown Flushing, or how different Downtown Flushing would be, in general. One thing I can say for sure is that QL has seen better days. read more

Seriously, probably the best library in all of Queens. Flushing library is way better than the main branch, Central library, in just about every way - more variety of books, helpful workers, and clean too! I'm deducting one star because of a bad experience I had here in December 2012 with one of the workers. I came in, greeted the librarian, and asked if there was a supervisor I could speak to. I work at a different branch and when people want to apply for a job, they are usually referred to the supervisor (fact). I guess maybe this woman assumed that a short 4'10" female speaking in a normal tone of voice is some sort of threat to her. This woman dials a number on the phone, tells the person on the phone "There is a woman here who wants to speak to the supervisor," and hands me the phone. I wondered why the heck is she giving me the phone when she could have just asked the supervisor to come out (I later found out why). I said "Hello, I'm interested in applying for a job here. I was wondering if there are any openings at the moment." After a moment of silence, the guy on the phone said "Um...ahh....you'd need to speak to the supervisor." I recognized the guys voice instantly - she basically called security and had me speak to the head of security on the phone. I looked across the room and noticed the security guard on the phone, so it was pretty obvious she called security on me. I handed her back the phone and gave her the death stare and said "I thought that was the supervisor." The librarian looked like she almost pissed her pants and kind of mumbled about how I could go to the circulation desk and ask for (I forgot what the guys name was). Damn...what a complete turn off. Aside from that, my experience here has always been golden. Despite not speaking any languages other than English, I absolutely LOVE the variety in the foreign language section. It is like a real-life tower of Babel. Two thumbs up from me :) read more

I spent yesterday sitting on the steps of the Flushing library reading my book on Corporate Mergers and Acquisitions....it was wonderful! The public library is definitely the cornerstone for the immigrant community in Flushing. Go visit and learn today! read more

Had Unpleasant encounter with the security guard there, feels like I was been confronted by a gang member. Thumbs down. Not friendly

Long hours, including on Sunday, make this library a fave of mine. The modern edifice is clean and spacious, with lots of light. It's a great place to kill time, especially when you find yourself wishing that Flushing had a big bookstore. The 4 floors include shelves of multilingual media in more languages than smaller libraries. The children's room features a playhouse and lots of kiddie tables. Bathrooms could be cleaner though. There's even an auditorium for local cultural events. As far as Queens public libraries go, can't complain. I always find a book, or two, or ten to read here. :) read more

Very clean and nice library. They have lots of books and everything else. The workers are a bit rude. But which city worker isn't?

Absolutely love the big selection of media in Chinese and Korean! They really did a good job to cater to the Downtown Flushing community with that. read more

The library is very big with many different variety of books and in different languages. I usually get my Japanese books there. The staffs are nice and helpful. They have a lot of different events and classes for everyone. Many people like to hang out on the steps of the library and inside the library. Since I'm an architecture student, I'm not too crazy about the architecture of the library. Aside from that, I'm a fan of this place. read more

Located in the heart of the Asian community in Flushing, is this gem. I love books, I love the library & I can honestly spend hours in a library exploring like Dora! LOL. This library is quite large. Even with heavy traffic it seems to remain quiet. IDNYC is on site for immigration services, such a plus! Large variety of books and open until 9pm on weekdays! Open until 6pm on Sundays! Awesome library! I wish I lived closer so I could explore more! Happy Yelping' read more

I love this library for its massive selection of Chinese DVDs. Amazing!!! I love that they have super old-school movies, including some of my favorites from HK cinema, AND they have Chinese shows. AMAZING!!! read more

When I want to use the computer, there were so many people using it. We have to stand up and use it. Other libraries have so many computers and people could sit. There is a place for teens, children, and seniors. It's so discriminating people. Other libraries didn't have these kind of places. Seniors could sit and use computers are not being fair. The seats that I sit in were full some people snoring, playing, and making noise. There are also many mentally ill and homeless people entering and distracting us studying. There are no story books for adults to read. The books are mostly for schools and youngsters. The library also doesn't have the books that I want. I need some books but they don't have it. They never tells me what this library have. When I register at this library, they never introduce what this place has. When I try at other libraries, they have it all. they also tells me what they have and what events there will be. This Flushing library is good but they are so discriminatory. read more

The Flushing Library is one of the most technologically advanced and beautiful libraries in the Queens library system. Located in a very prominent position where Kissena Blvd and Main Street meet, I've seen gatherings happen many times (protests) in front of this building. I think having a police booth there is not an accident just in case something happens. While it can be scary, it doesn't happen often so I don't worry about it. This library has one of the best opening times around (closing at 9pm every day except Friday-Sunday) and almost rivals the Central library with many books. Parking is relatively hard since it's close to Main St. and Roosevelt Ave., so I advise not to drive unless it's downtime (weekday nights, early mornings, etc.) or if you're willing to feed the meters. Once inside, the library is a multilevel learning center and is still currently expanding and renovating certain areas. There are stairs and elevators for the public and even benches to sit in to relieve my aching feet. Post and rope crowd control lines are in place for patrons to check out materials with at least four librarians working at their station. I did try to do the self-checkout machines, but they all seem to be out of order the last time I went there. Now, they have the self-check out kiosks working on the 2nd floor. There are security guards, but the guards do not act as strict as the guards at the Central library. Unlike the Central library, the Flushing library is more open and spacious, making it a comfortable place. The basement level has the adult learning center, the auditoriums, and the bathrooms (although rather dirty bathrooms.) The adult learning center looks impressive and well kept, while the auditorium I went to had nice chairs and a decent working projector. The first floor has book highlights, paperbacks, study materials, and a children's room (which I did not go into.) The second floor has many books on various subjects with many tables and chairs where I spend the majority of my time. The media room is here to borrow DVDs and CDs complete with a large foreign language section. There is a teen lounge, a computer room, and a quiet room. The third floor houses the "International Resource Center" mostly dedicated to foreign language books, magazines, newspapers, etc. There is also a bathroom located at the backside of the room on the third floor. With more renovations, this library seems to be getting better and better. Each level has its own librarian on staff. While Flushing library's strong point is obviously their international collection of books and language learning media given the influx of Chinese and Koreans, I would try to go to the Central Library instead for my business book needs. I think if we combined the resources of Flushing and Central library together, we'd get a library powerhouse. PROS: foreign language collection, an ever-expanding library, long hours CONS: difficult to park, dirty bathrooms, not many business resources read more

I thought they supported people looking for work, bbuuuuut it's the government. So they "offer" you assistance, but basically tell you "fuck you" for asking, and you're on your own. Came here to do a job search, it's packed, luckily I found space at a table reserved for job searching. I had access to WiFi for fifteen minutes and it cut out. Talked to a few people about accessing the WiFi, I was told that it was unpredictable and doesn't work well, so tough luck. read more

Modern day library with 4 floors. This place is a life saver if you run into the issue of needing to use the bathroom. Many of the reading materials are geared towards the asian community. I went here to get my IDNYC. Other than that, its your typical new york city public library but just better funded. read more

Having been to many public libraries in different locations on the East Coast, I have to say that I had my worst experience at the Flushing Library. 1) Workers (esp. on the 2nd floor) are clueless about their duties and very unfriendly and unprofessional I always have the feeling that some workers are being threatened to work there. Some can be completely clueless about their duties and quite incompetent. They are very impatient and often (wrongfully) refer you to somewhere else for help. They don't care whether the problem can be solved; their goal is to kick your problem out of their realm of responsibility. This is especially true on the second floor. Maybe it is because the second floor is the most crowded and that makes the workers impatient and unprofessional? By contrast, the staff on the 1st floor are much more efficient and professional. 2) Seats and computers are very limited Make sure you get to the library extremely early or go during meal hours so that you can get a seat. Make sure you never leave your seat so that it is not assumed to be vacant and grabbed by somebody else while you take a short break from your seat. Normally, you have to stand in line to get access to a computer. Computers and printers are very outdated and slow. Sadly, you can barely find someone to help you should there be a technical problem. 3) Bathroom and water fountain are not easily accessible Bathroom and water fountain can only be found on the third floor. They are both quite dirty and less than well-maintained. Bring your own bottle of water and avoid using the bathroom if sanitization is your concern. With the above said, the layout of the library is nice and neatly labeled. Given the dearth of public space in downtown Flushing, the existence of such a library is something to be happy about. read more

Its a very nice library, however certain rules are not enforced by the management, its very noisy, people speak in a loud voice without any concern for others, and another thing, as i am walking around to find a seat, I am amazed at the amount of people just sleeping at the tables, if they want sleep , they should go home and not take up a seat that someone else could use. Like I said, I know they rules in the libraries, however in flushing they are not enforced! read more

This place would be wonderful if it weren't for all the annoying kids running around and only using the library as a shelter from the heat!

I generally hate any places that are crowded... but but...great library. But i hate the loud Asian languages sometimes (and I'm Asian). but state of the art library with all the shit that you can possibly need/use. read more

I always come here in the evening for 2 hours At least to grab something to read or Be on my own. It's quite & has vast volumes of books to read.Ample spot to sit.Once I tried to take a little corner to grab a book & sit but the Security said Not allowed. Fair enough!If you have a kid , they can enjoy the children's room with tonnes of kids educational books & computers to play around.oh forgot to tell ya , they also have Teen room ! Isn't that cool? DVDs , copy machines , event theatre , & work force 1 center on the 3 rd floor.All help you need.Thanks Queens Library.But I am telling you Meet the workforce 1 Guys Viz. Aaron , such a helpful man.Big thanks !! read more

It's a reallllllly biiiiiig library. It has a ton of resources. A really extensive Asian literature section and a decent dvd/media area. They recently updated it and now have a "teen room", which I think is nice. My issues with the library, it is so overcrowded- its ridiculous (But that's not really the buildings fault), there have been some issues/reports of pedophiles who come into the library and head straight to the children's section. Which raises security issues if you have little ones. I recommend any child under 13 not to go to the restroom alone. The staff are really good people and super friendly/helpful. The security guards? Ehh.. they are decent and not overly rude or overbearing. read more

This is a great library in a really good location. It's mainly accessible by the 7 train, but there are also many, many buses that pass by here. To name only a few: Q25, Q65, Q17, Q27, etc. The main thing I enjoy about this particular library is that they have hundreds of books that are in foreign languages. If you know anyone that likes to read but can't read so much in English, you will definitely find books here in almost any language you can think of. read more