Literary Landmark: Langston Hughes Community Library and Cultural Center

Corona, N.Y.

Dedicated: Feb. 23, 2013
Partners: New York State Education Department, New York State Council on the Arts, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Queens Council on the Arts, Queens Borough President's Office

From left: Tom Gallante, CEO of the Queens Library; Rocco Staino of the Empire State Center for the Book, and Andrew Jackson, executive director of the Langston Hughes Community Library & Cultural Center at the Literary Landmark dedication for Langston Hughes.Queens Library’s Langston Hughes Community Library was designated a Literary Landmark in honor of (James) Langston Hughes (1902-1967).

A plaque was placed in the library at 100-01 Northern Boulevard during the 28th annual Langston Hughes Celebration.

Hughes was an African American poet, journalist, essayist, playwright, novelist, and social activist. Hughes wrote more than 860 poems in his lifetime. Although Hughes lived in Harlem, the library was named in his honor in 1969 when it opened for public service. It was the first public institution named for Hughes.

Langston Hughes Community Library is home of the Black Heritage Reference Center of Queens County, housing New York State’s largest public circulating collection of print and non-print material on the black experience.  This collection is estimated at more 45,000 titles, including approximately 1,000 volumes of theses and dissertations on black literature.

Resources:

Langston Hughes Community Library and Cultural Center

Langston Hughes Community Library a Literary Landmark: The Gazette