About the Library

Benjamin S. Rosenthal Library

Queens College Library (QCL) had its first dedicated home when Klapper Library (now Klapper Hall) opened in 1955. The Library moved in 1988 to the newly constructed Benjamin S. Rosenthal Library building, named for the New York Congressman and consumer advocate who died in 1983. The library, a hub of student and faculty research, contains over 840,000 volumes, one million plus ebooks, over 59,000 ejournals, and more than 86,000 streaming videos. The music library, the largest music collection in the CUNY system, is located on two levels in the Aaron Copland School of Music building.

Resources

Mission

Queens College Library facilitates creativity and intellectual inquiry in support of research, study, teaching, and the pursuit of knowledge.

Vision

The Library will be a user-centric hub for information, learning and creativity that engages the campus and the broader community.

Strategic Plan

GOAL ONE: Cultivate innovative pedagogy that fosters student success.

GOAL TWO: Provide relevant and accessible spaces, collections, and programming to facilitate active engagement with scholarship.

GOAL THREE: Collaborate, partner, and communicate effectively within and beyond the library.

GOAL FOUR: Develop a culture of ongoing purposeful library assessment and data-driven decision making.

Master Space Plan

The library’s vision is to transform its beautiful 350,000 square foot, six-story building into a learning, innovation, and research commons that will function as a vibrant hub for teaching and learning at the college. As part of the library’s five-year strategic plan, each floor will be reconceived and opened up to support our students and faculty.

FIRST FLOOR: Innovation Commons

SECOND FLOOR: Learning Commons

THIRD FLOOR: Research Commons

FOURTH AND FIFTH FLOOR: Study Commons

SIXTH FLOOR: Art Commons