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Why is QPL Newsroom Vital?
Free press is a foundational element of democracy and civic engagement and offers the public a safe and protected space for open discussion, debate, civil discourse, learning, and access to information and resources.
Increasingly, students are not equipped to discern and filter the abundance of information – factual, opinion, satirical, or inaccurate, to make informed decisions that may impact their lives and could affect the future direction of society.
A 2022 Baruch College survey found that 73 percent of 439 district high schools in New York City did not produce a student newspapers. The survey also found that the schools with newspapers were more affluent, leaving thousands of students from economically disadvantaged circumstances without an avenue for self-expression, teamwork, leadership, career-skill building, strategic planning, and critical thinking.
Queens Public Library has an obligation to uphold its mission to “transform lives by cultivating personal and intellectual growth and by building strong communities”. Our vision seeks a vibrant, informed, cohesive, and empowered society, which can be achieved through inclusion, access, intellectual freedom, innovation, integrity, respect, customer service, and excellence. The library is a trusted community institution and civic leader providing free access to information, programming, activities, services, and resources for 2.3 million people of all ages and backgrounds. We offer a vast menu of teen and young adult activities, from college readiness and youth justice programming to community service opportunities and service-learning initiatives.
We understand that students learn best when provided with the chance to engage in hands-on experiences that allow classroom, discussion, and reading topics to be applied within a real-world setting. Nearly 250 students have participated in QPL created Service-Learning projects and the library partners with public schools, colleges and universities, and community organizations to host service-learning opportunities for dozens of students each year.
Queens Public Library is uniquely positioned to transcend ethnicity, gender economics, politics, faith, and culture to bring together teens from across the borough and contribute to the development of a student news publication. The library provides access to free collection materials, online resources, technology, and individuals able to support the learning and development of essential skills allowing students to build confidence in their ability to tell compelling and factual stories about their communities.