NYPL

Here are the top 10 books New Yorkers are reading during coronavirus shutdown

Photo by Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash

April 15, 2020

Here are the top 10 books New Yorkers are reading during coronavirus shutdown

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Photo by Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash The New York Public Library's most-check-out book of 2019 was Becoming by Michelle Obama. And it appears that during the current coronavirus shutdown, New Yorkers are still eager to learn about the former First Lady's life, as the NYPL has just released a list of the 10 most checked out e-books since the library temporarily closed on March 13, and Becoming takes the number-one spot. Of the 10 books, three are memoirs, two are part of Margaret Atwood's Handmaid's Tale series, and number nine is a throwback with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
See the full list
All the performances, events, and classes in NYC you can stream online

Anna Netrebko in the title role of Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor.” Photo: Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera

April 3, 2020

All the performances, events, and classes in NYC you can stream online

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Although the coronavirus has shuttered most of the city, many museums, performance venues, theaters, and famous New Yorkers are offering free (or low-cost) online resources to entertain New Yorkers throughout this difficult period. From virtual storytime with Brooklyn Public Library librarians to live-streamed performances by the Metropolitan Opera to baking classes with Milk Bar's Christina Tosi to dance lessons from the Radio City Rockettes, support local organizations safely from your home. This list was lasted updated at 10:00 a.m. on April 3, 2020.
The full list, ahead
Looking for your next great read? Here are 125 books NYPL hopes you’ll love

Photo: Jonathan Blanc/NYPL

February 14, 2020

Looking for your next great read? Here are 125 books NYPL hopes you’ll love

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Forget the roses and chocolate, spend this Valentine's Day enjoying a new book. As part of its 125th-anniversary celebration, the New York Public Library on Friday released an expertly-curated list of 125 books that inspire a love of reading. A team of librarians spent a year debating and choosing its 125 Books We Love list, which includes fiction and non-fiction titles published after May 23, 1895, the year the library was incorporated.
The full list, here
16 places to celebrate Black History Month in NYC
January 31, 2020

16 places to celebrate Black History Month in NYC

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February marks Black History Month, a nationwide celebration of African American culture and history. New Yorkers will have plenty of opportunities to honor the contributions made by the black community, with live performances, guided tours, comedy shows, art installations, and more events happening across the city. From the Apollo Theater's open house celebration to spoken word performances at Brooklyn barbershops, pay tribute to the achievements of black Americans this February, as well as all year round.
The full list, ahead
10 best places to work remotely in NYC

Photo by Caleb Minear on Unsplash

January 16, 2020

10 best places to work remotely in NYC

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One of the best things about freelancing in New York City is not having to fight with the subway to get to my desk on time, something I did almost daily when I had an office job. One of the worst things, though, is feeling permanently stuck in my cramped apartment. Luckily, this city has lots of great, airy spaces that lend themselves well to remote work, whether you do it full time or are just looking to spend the day free of fluorescent lighting and Gary from HR. Ahead, discover 10 of our favorites.
See the full list
NYPL reveals its 10 most borrowed books of all time

Photo credit: Jonathan Blanc/NYPL

January 13, 2020

NYPL reveals its 10 most borrowed books of all time

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Brooklyn-born author Ezra Jack Keats' beloved children's story The Snowy Day is the most checked out book of all time at the New York Public Library. In celebration of its 125th anniversary, the library on Monday released a list of the 10 most borrowed books at its 92 branches since its founding in 1895. A team of experts at NYPL put together the list by looking at checkout and circulation data, overall trends, current events, popularity, and length of time in print, and presence in the catalog.
Which books made the list
The top 10 books New Yorkers borrowed from NYPL in 2019

Photo by Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash

December 18, 2019

The top 10 books New Yorkers borrowed from NYPL in 2019

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Library patrons in New York City checked out former first lady Michelle Obama's autobiography Becoming the most out of any book this year. The New York Public Library shared on Wednesday its annual top checkouts list from its branches in the Bronx, Manhattan, Staten Island, as well as its e-book catalog. Becoming, ranked as one of the best-selling memoirs of all time, follows the story of Obama's life, from growing up on the South Side of Chicago to becoming the first African American to serve as First Lady of the United States.
See the full list
New York Public Library’s iconic lions are back on guard and better than ever

Photo from this afternoon, by 6sqft

November 1, 2019

New York Public Library’s iconic lions are back on guard and better than ever

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After spending the last two months outside of public view getting a “full spa treatment,” the New York Public Library’s majestic lions are back to guarding the institution. Patience and Fortitude have been in place since the 42nd Street Library opened in 1911 and were named by Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia during the Depression to signify the characteristics New Yorkers needed to survive the tough times. The iconic duo was carved by the Piccirilli Brothers out of porous Tennessee pink marble, making them quite susceptible to the elements and the toll of time. The pair requires conservation efforts every seven to 10 years and were last restored in 2011. The last bits of the scaffolding will be removed during the day on Friday, just in time for the annual Library Lions fundraising gala on Monday, November 4.
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NYPL celebrates centennial of J.D. Salinger’s birth with archive of 200 rare items from the author

J.D. Salinger on the deck of the M.S. Kungsholm, 1941; Courtesy of the New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations and the J.D. Salinger Literary Trust

October 8, 2019

NYPL celebrates centennial of J.D. Salinger’s birth with archive of 200 rare items from the author

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The life of famously private author J.D. Salinger will be the focus of a new New York Public Library exhibit. To mark the centennial of The Catcher in the Rye writer's birth, the library will display more than 200 items from Salinger's life, most of which have never before been seen by the public. The exhibition, "J.D. Salinger," includes family photographs from his time growing up in Manhattan, his own typewriter, and original typescript and proofs.
More this way
City seeks nonprofit to run NYC’s first cultural institution dedicated to immigrants

Inwood Hill Park, courtesy of Dana on Flickr

September 6, 2019

City seeks nonprofit to run NYC’s first cultural institution dedicated to immigrants

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The city is seeking proposals from nonprofits interested in running a new immigrant research center and performing arts center in Inwood. The city's Economic Development Corporation and the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) released a request for expressions of interest on Wednesday for a nonprofit organization to "design, construct, and operate" the Northern Manhattan Immigrant Research and Performing Arts Center (IRPAC). The neighborhood boasts a diverse community, with 49 percent foreign-born as well as the city's highest concentration of residents of Dominican descent.
More here
Iconic New York Public Library lions to get a laser cleaning as part of conservation effort

Photo credit: Jonathan Blanc / NYPL.

August 12, 2019

Iconic New York Public Library lions to get a laser cleaning as part of conservation effort

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The iconic lions standing guard outside the The New York Public Library’s 42nd Street location are getting some much-needed grooming this fall. The majestic pair–named Patience and Fortitude–have been in place since 1911 as international symbols for access to knowledge and information. As part of a conservation effort that happens every 7 to 10 years, the stone sentries will receive repairs to cracks and chips and laser cleanings.
A bit of history, this way
NYPL will display a rare copy of the Declaration of Independence

Photo by Nicole Mondrus for 6sqft

June 28, 2019

NYPL will display a rare copy of the Declaration of Independence

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While hotels and parks around the city are getting ready for the Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Show, the New York Public Library is going the historical route with their celebrations--by putting a rare copy of the Declaration of Independence on display. This copy, written in Thomas Jefferson’s handwriting, will be available to view for a limited time next Monday and Tuesday at their iconic Bryant Park location.
Find out when you can take a look...
Celebrate pride after hours at the library for talks, a literary drag show, cocktails and more

The Library After Hours. Image courtesy of NYPL.

June 19, 2019

Celebrate pride after hours at the library for talks, a literary drag show, cocktails and more

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Celebrate Pride Month at the library! As part of the New York Public Library's "Love & Resistance: Stonewall 50" exhibition, the doors at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building are staying open on Friday, June 21 for the "city's most cerebral happy hour." The after-hours event offers access to the Rose Main Reading Room and other gorgeous library spaces, artist and curator talks, readings from the archives by special guests, a literary drag show with Drag Queen Story Hour, music, food, drinks and more.
All the info, this way
NYPL officially rolls out new bookmobile in time for summer

Photo credit: Jonathan Blanc / NYPL.

June 18, 2019

NYPL officially rolls out new bookmobile in time for summer

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Update 6/18/19: The New York Public Library officially launched on Tuesday its first new bookmobile in decades. The first moving library--NYPL plans to launch two more this year-- will park at PS 11 in the High Bridge section of the Bronx, letting students browse and borrow immediately. It's National Library Week, and the New York Public Library has taken the opportunity to announce that it will be expanding its presence in New York City's neighborhoods this summer in the form of three new bookmobiles. The mobile libraries are headed to communities in the Bronx, Manhattan and Staten Island.
A long-rolling tradition
NYPL marks 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots with new photo exhibition and events

Photo by Diana Davies, Gay Liberation Front marches on Times Square, New York, 1970. Courtesy of New York Public Library, Manuscripts and Archives Division

February 14, 2019

NYPL marks 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots with new photo exhibition and events

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Beginning in the season so many associate with love, the New York Public Library is commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots through a major exhibition, a series of programs, book recommendations, and more. "Love & Resistance: Stonewall 50" chronicles the emergence of LGBTQ activism with over 150 photographs and ephemera. An opening celebration will kick off both the exhibition and the Library After Hours series on Friday, February 15 from 7-10 P.M.
'Tis the season
Enjoy frightful films and a costume parade judged by Tim Gunn at the NYPL’s Halloween bash

Via NYPL

October 25, 2018

Enjoy frightful films and a costume parade judged by Tim Gunn at the NYPL’s Halloween bash

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The New York Public Library is hosting the ultimate costume contest this Halloween, forcing participants to really "make it work." Not only must costumes be inspired by a book or author, but they will also be judged by Project Runway star and fashion consultant Tim Gunn. The Halloween Masquerade event takes place on Friday from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building.
Get more details here
See George Washington’s handwritten farewell address and more at NYPL’s new permanent exhibit

Guttenberg Bible; Via Jonathan Blanc/NYPL

September 13, 2018

See George Washington’s handwritten farewell address and more at NYPL’s new permanent exhibit

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The New York Public Library announced on Thursday it will open a permanent exhibition of rotating treasures at their Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street location. The exhibit will be the first to showcase the depth of the library's holdings, which includes over 46 million items in its research collection. While the specifics are still being determined, some notable artifacts from the collection being considered for the treasures exhibit include the original Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence written by Thomas Jefferson, a handwritten farewell address from George Washington, the original Winnie-The-Pooh, writings from Lou Reed, and manuscript material from Maya Angelou.
See the treasures
Before the Belt: Looking at Brooklyn’s lost bay in Gravesend

“The area seen in these views was later filled with sand from the Bay and the new circumferential highway.” 1930; via NYPL

July 2, 2018

Before the Belt: Looking at Brooklyn’s lost bay in Gravesend

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In the curve of Brooklyn between the Narrows and the borough's southwestern edge at Sea Gate, there is a lesser loved body of water called Gravesend Bay. The boundary of what was once Gravesend Town and is now simply Gravesend, among other nabes, was along a wetland of sandhill dunes before it became an oil-saturated trash marsh. Now, it's home to a relatively scenic portion of the Belt Parkway, where the Verrazano Bridge emerges from around the bend or Brooklyn's tip juts into your vision, depending on your direction. Dated photos from the New York Public Library reveal--as old New York photos tend to-- a Bay apart. In part it's likely because the smells and oil sheens of today's bay can't be experienced in these vintage pics. The unimpeded openness of the water, kept from humans only by what appears to be a single giant tube, however, clearly belongs to a Brooklyn long past.
See the Bay back in time
Historic photos take you back to the 1939 New York World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows

Aerial view of the 1939-1940 New York World’s Fair; via NYPL

April 30, 2018

Historic photos take you back to the 1939 New York World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows

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On April 30, 1939, the New York World's Fair opened in Flushing Meadows Park in Queens. The fair, which spread across 1,200 acres, commemorated the 150th anniversary of George Washington's inauguration in Lower Manhattan, and had a central theme of "Building the World of Tomorrow." Construction of the fair began in 1936, which involved turning the Corona city dump and tidal swamp into the fairgrounds. After the land was cleared, hundreds of architects, designers, engineers and construction workers came together to transform the dump into the site for the World's Fair. The "Trylon", a 700-foot obelisk, and the "Perisphere," a 200-foot globe, stood in the center of the fairgrounds, soon becoming permanent symbols of the Fair. Many American corporations, including the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, the Borden Company and General Motors, participated, as a way to introduce fairgoers to new products. With close to 60 nations and 33 U.S. states participating, and its own subway line, the 1939 World's Fair remains one of the largest, and most iconic, international fairs in history. Ahead, check out some of the photos of the historic World's Fair, found in the New York Public Library's extensive collection.
Go back in time
Life behind the stacks: The secret apartments of New York libraries

Image by Glynnis Ritchie via flickr

March 22, 2018

Life behind the stacks: The secret apartments of New York libraries

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For many book lovers, there is nothing more exciting than the idea of a home library. What most of the city’s book lovers don’t know is that until recently, there was an affordable way to fulfill the dream of a home library—at least for book lovers who also happened to be handy with tools. In the early to mid twentieth century, the majority of the city’s libraries had live-in superintendents. Like the superintendents who still live in many of the city’s residential buildings, these caretakers both worked and lived in the buildings for which they were responsible. This meant that for decades, behind the stacks, meals were cooked, baths and showers were taken, and bedtime stories were read. And yes, families living in the city’s libraries typically did have access to the stacks at night—an added bonus if they happened to need a new bedtime book after hours.
FInd out more about these apartments and the people who lived in them
Explore 1980s NYC street by street with this interactive map

The East Village in the 1980s

September 15, 2017

Explore 1980s NYC street by street with this interactive map

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From Broadway to Bowery, 1980s New York City was a very different place compared to today's manicured metropolis. Courtesy of Maps Mania, the 80s.NYC street map picks up where the Finance Department of New York City left off. In the mid ‘80s the bureau photographed every single building in the five boroughs in order to accurately assess building taxes and estimate property taxes. Brandon Liu and Jeremy Lechtzin have finessed this trove of photographic information into a nifty map that allows users to travel the city's streets in the bad old 1980s with a map-based street view for an easy-to-browse glimpse of the streetscape 30 years ago. You can browse by location by clicking anywhere on the map for vintage street views on that spot, or type in an address. For more context there are curated “stories” that provide historical background where it’s available (and interesting).
Check out the map
Help the NYPL geotag historic photos of New York City
July 20, 2017

Help the NYPL geotag historic photos of New York City

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The New York Public Library has a challenge for all history gurus and NYC experts: Place unlabeled historic photos of the city at the correct location on a map. The new website called Surveyor crowdsources geotags of the NYPL's photo collections with the goal of creating a digital database to make it easier to find images by the location they were taken. While some photos come with helpful titles that describe the location or the address, others only include the neighborhood or vague details. Since algorithms and search engines won’t be able to pick up locations of these old photos, the NYPL is seeking help from the public.
Get more info
NYPL’s ‘digital time travel’ maps let you compare today’s New York City with the past
April 27, 2017

NYPL’s ‘digital time travel’ maps let you compare today’s New York City with the past

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6sqft previously reported on the "time machine" map function that allowed users to navigate overlaid maps from 1600 to the present to see what used to occupy our favorite present-day places. Now, the New York Public Library has released the Space/Time Directory, a “digital time-travel service” that puts the library’s map collection–including more than 8,000 maps and 40,000 geo-referenced photos–to work along with geospatial tools to allow users to see the city’s development happen over more than a century, all in one convenient place. Hyperallergic reports that the project, supported by a grant from the Knight Foundation, plots 5,000 digitized street maps across the five boroughs, organized by decade from 1850 to 1950.
Find out more
Celebrate Women’s History Month with an after-hours party at the Public Library
March 30, 2017

Celebrate Women’s History Month with an after-hours party at the Public Library

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Instead of hitting the bars this Friday night, check out the "Library After Hours" event at the main branch of the New York Public Library. On select Fridays, the landmarked library hosts a party after closing that lets guests mingle with food and drinks, music, and a behind-the-scenes look at some of their collections. This Friday, March 31st, the library is holding the event, “Women Marching Through History,” to coincide with the last day of Women’s History Month, where guests can admire feminist manuscripts, rare books, photographs, artwork, and films as well as participate in an interactive project to record one's own story about living through this time in women’s history.
Find out more here
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