One of the largest libraries in the world, the New York Public Library houses around 53 million items within its branches across Manhattan, The Bronx and Staten Island. It is officially chartered as The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundation and was founded in the 19th century as an amalgamation of numerous privately-owned libraries which were funded by philanthropic wealthy Americans.
The New York Public Library’s flagship institution is situated adjacent to Bryant Park in the heart of Manhattan between West 40th and West 42nd streets and is a designated National Historic Monument. It is officially titled the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building and named after the philanthropist who funded its recent refurbishment and whose name is now inscribed below the columns framing its entrances. As the building is approached along 41st Street, a series of bronze sidewalk plaques are embedded with quotes from famous authors and poets in what is known as the “Library Way”. The New York Public Library’s branch libraries include the nearby Mid-Manhattan Library and the Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library, together with the circulating collections of the Science, Industry and Business Library and the Library for the Performing Arts. There are more than 88 neighbourhood branch libraries and four research centres where library card holders can access a range of books, magazines, DVDs and CDs, as well as numerous online databases. There are also more than 700,000 images from the library’s collection available within the NYPL Digital Collections. The library hosts free community events and exhibitions throughout the year, as well as English as a Second Language and computer literacy classes.
The Fifth Avenue metro station lies adjacent to the New York Public Library’s main branch, with the 42nd Street-Bryant Park station a short walk across its green space. Public buses also run along 42nd Street and Sixth Avenue, or it’s within easy walking distance of many of New York’s most iconic sights, including Times Square, the Rockefeller Center and the Chrysler Building.
The New York Public Library was created by the merging of the Astor and Lenox libraries in 1895, with prominent experts hired to guide the acquisition of its collections. Its main branch was designed in a Beaux-Arts style and was at the time of its opening in 1911 the largest marble structure in the United States, with the largest reading room in the world.