Books on wheels: When the library comes to the homeless shelter

As Denecia and her 9-year-old daughter Elianna browse through the rows of books in this special branch of the Queens Library, both begin to beam.

She’s actually kind of “old school” when it comes to books, Denecia says. Ever since she was a kid growing up in Brooklyn, she found the local library a special place, an escape both from digital noise and some of the other tumult in her life. 

“I would read, sort of to escape, just to be still, and to get a hold on the world that I was around – and to learn about things I didn’t know,” she says. Over the years, she’s often brought her children to some of the grander libraries in New York City – especially those with engaging “kids centers,” as an alternative to video games and TV.