List of New York Public Library branches explained

The New York Public Library system includes libraries in Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island. This page is organized by borough, and alphabetically. The boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens are supported by their own separate library systems.

Research libraries

Librarywidth=15% style="background-color:#CEE0F2;"ImageAddressHistorical Note
align=center 1Stephen A. Schwarzman Building (Main Branch)
http://www.nypl.org/locations/schwarzman
Fifth Avenue at 42nd StreetBuilt after the New York Public Library was formed as a combination of two libraries in the late 1890s. The architectural firm Carrère and Hastings constructed the structure in the Beaux-Arts style, and the structure opened on May 23, 1911. The building was declared a National Historic Landmark, a National Register of Historic Places site, and a New York City designated landmark.[1]
align=center 2Library for the Performing Arts (Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center)
http://www.nypl.org/locations/lpa
40 Lincoln Center PlazaOpened in 1965, it houses one of the world's largest collections of materials relating to the performing arts.[2]
align=center 3Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
http://www.nypl.org/locations/schomburg
515 Malcolm X BoulevardDesigned by McKim, Mead & White and opened in 1905.

Libraries in Manhattan

width=20% style="background-color:#CEE0F2;"Librarywidth=15% style="background-color:#CEE0F2;"Imagewidth=15% style="background-color:#CEE0F2;" class="unsortable" AddressHistorical Note
align=center 553rd Street Library[3] 18 West 53rd StreetThe 53rd Street branch opened on June 27, 2016.
align=center 6115th Street Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/115th-street
203 West 115th StreetDesigned by McKim, Mead & White and opened in 1907
align=center 7125th Street Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/125th-street
224 East 125th StreetDesigned by McKim, Mead & White and opened in 1904.
align=center 858th Street Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/58th-street
127 East 58th StreetOriginally designed by Carrère & Hastings and opened May 10, 1907. The original building was demolished and replaced by a new branch in two floors of an office tower at 127 East 58th Street, which opened in 1969.
align=center 967th Street Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/amenities/loc/67th-street
328 East 67th StreetDesigned by the firm Babb, Cook, & Willard; and was constructed with funds provided by Andrew Carnegie; built to resemble the Yorkville Branch of the library; renovated in the 1950s, and then again in 2005
align=center 1096th Street Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/96th-street
112 East 96th StreetDesigned by Babb, Cook, & Willard and opened in 1905; constructed with funds provided by Andrew Carnegie.[4]
align=center 11Aguilar Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/aguilar
174 East 110th StreetOriginally named the Aguilar Free Library Society in 1896, for Grace Aguilar, a Sephardic Jewish author; merged with the NYPL in 1905 and moved into a new location that was built using Carnegie funds. The Library is known for its large collection of Spanish titles.[5]
align=center 12Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/heiskell
40 West 20th Street
align=center 13Battery Park City Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/battery-park-city
175 North End AvenueDesigned by 1100 Architect in 2010.[6]
align=center 14Bloomingdale Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/bloomingdale
150 West 100th StreetOpened in 1898 as the Bloomingdale Branch of the New York Free Circulating Library; merged with the New York Public Library in 1901; rebuilt one block east in 1961.
align=center 15Chatham Square Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/chatham-square
33 East BroadwayOpened in 1903 as a branch of the New York Free Circulating Library; rebuilt in 1911 with funds contributed by Andrew Carnegie; one of the busiest branches of the NYPL.
align=center 16Columbus Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/columbus
742 10th AvenueFirst opened in 1909 and was built using funds contributed by Andrew Carnegie; Columbus Library received major collections from the reading room of the Columbus Catholic club; operated on one floor from the 1970s until 2004, until more rooms were incorporated after a 2005 remodel.
align=center 17Countee Cullen Library http://www.nypl.org/locations/countee-cullen104 West 136th StreetOpened on January 14, 1905, originally named the 135th Street Branch; built using funds contributed by Andrew Carnegie; original building is now part of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture; named for the poet and teacher Countee Cullen, who plays a role in the Harlem Renaissance, in 1951.
align=center 18Donnell Library Center
http://archives.nypl.org/nypla/5798#overview
20 West 53rd StreetOpened in 1955, and closed in 2008; had a large reference and circulating collection.[7]
align=center 19Epiphany Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/epiphany
228 East 23rd Street
align=center 20Fort Washington Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/fort-washington
535 West 179th StreetWill be renovated starting mid-July 2021
align=center 21George Bruce Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/george-bruce
518 West 125th Street
align=center 22Grand Central Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/grand-central
135 East 46th Street
align=center 23Hamilton Fish Park Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/hamilton-fish-park
415 East Houston Street
align=center 24Hamilton Grange Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/hamilton-grange
503 West 145th Street
align=center 25Harlem Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/harlem
9 West 124th Street
align=center 26Hudson Park Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/hudson-park
66 Leroy Street
align=center 27Inwood Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/inwood
4790 Broadway
align=center 28Jefferson Market Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/jefferson-market
425 Avenue of the Americas
align=center 29Kips Bay Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/kips-bay
446 Third AvenueOpened in 1972 as a replacement for the St. Gabriel's and Nathan Straus branches, which had been torn down to make way for construction of the Queens–Midtown Tunnel and Kips Bay Towers, respectively.[8]
align=center 30Macomb's Bridge Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/macombs-bridge
2633 Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. BoulevardThe branch opened in 1955 at 2650 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard, inside the Harlem River Houses, and was the smallest NYPL branch at . In January 2020, the branch moved across the street to a larger space.[9]
align=center 31Mid-Manhattan Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/mid-manhattan-library
455 Fifth AvenueOpened in 1970 to replace the circulating division at the Schwarzman Building.[10] [11] Renovated from 2017 to 2020.[12]
align=center 32Morningside Heights Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/morningside-heights
2900 Broadway
align=center 33Muhlenberg Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/muhlenberg
209 West 23rd StreetCarnegie gift, Closed for renovations indefinitely
align=center 34Mulberry Street Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/mulberry-street
10 Jersey Street
align=center 35New Amsterdam Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/new-amsterdam
9 Murray Street
align=center 36Ottendorfer Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/ottendorfer
135 Second Avenue
align=center 37Riverside Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/riverside
127 Amsterdam Avenue
align=center 38Roosevelt Island Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/roosevelt-island
524 Main Street Opened In 1979 after being located in the Herman and Dorothy Reade apartment, then a community room, for three years.[13]
align=center 39Seward Park Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/seward-park
192 East BroadwayOriginally a branch of the Aguilar Free Library Society, and was initially built in 1886; the branch that stands today was built with Carnegie funds and opened in 1909.[14]
align=center 40St. Agnes Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/st-agnes
444 Amsterdam Avenue
align=center 41Terence Cardinal Cooke–Cathedral Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/cathedral
align=center 42Tompkins Square Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/tompkins-square
331 East 10th Street
align=center 43Washington Heights Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/washington-heights
1000 St. Nicholas Avenue
align=center 44Webster Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/webster
1465 York AvenueOriginally part of the Webster Free Library, founded by the East Side House settlement in 1894; absorbed by the NYPL in 1904, and it was set for a new library to be built with funds from Andrew Carnegie's gift to the city.[15]
align=center 45Yorkville Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/yorkville
222 East 79th StreetOpened in 1902 as the first library built with Carnegie funds; designed by James Brown Lord.[16]

Libraries in the Bronx

width=20% style="background-color:#CEE0F2;"Librarywidth=15% style="background-color:#CEE0F2;"Imagewidth=15% style="background-color:#CEE0F2;" class="unsortable" AddressHistorical Note
align=center 46Allerton Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/allerton
2740 Barnes AvenueOpened in 1960, designed by Hertz and Salerni in conjunction with Department of Public Works.[17]
align=center 47Baychester Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/baychester
2049 Asch Loop NorthFirst opened in 1973, and remodeled in 2003.[18]
align=center 48Belmont Library and Enrico Fermi Cultural Center
http://www.nypl.org/locations/belmont
610 East 186th Street
align=center 49Bronx Library Center
http://www.nypl.org/locations/bronx-library-center
310 East Kingsbridge Road
50Castle Hill Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/castle-hill
947 Castle Hill Avenue
align=center 51City Island Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/city-island
320 City Island Avenue
align=center 52Clason's Point Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/clasons-point
1215 Morrison AvenueDesigned by John J. O'Malley.
align=center 53Eastchester Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/eastchester
1385 East Gun Hill Road
align=center 54Edenwald Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/edenwald
1255 East 233rd Street
align=center 55Francis Martin Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/francis-martin
2150 University AvenueNamed after Francis W. Martin, the first district attorney of the Bronx.
align=center 56Grand Concourse Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/grand-concourse
155 East 173rd Street
align=center 57High Bridge Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/high-bridge
78 West 168th Street
align=center 58Hunt's Point Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/hunts-point
877 Southern Boulevard
align=center 59Jerome Park Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/jerome-park
118 Eames Place
60Kingsbridge Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/kingsbridge
291 West 231st Street
align=center 61Melrose Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/melrose
910 Morris AvenueOpened in 1914 as the first free circulating collection of books in the South Bronx using a portion of Andrew Carnegie's gift to the city; the building was designed by the Carrere and Hastings.[19]
align=center 62Morris Park Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/morris-park
985 Morris Park Avenue
align=center 63Morrisania Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/morrisania
610 East 169th Street
align=center 64Mosholu Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/mosholu
285 East 205th StreetOpened in 1954.[20]
align=center 65Mott Haven Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/mott-haven
321 East 140th Street
align=center 66Parkchester Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/parkchester
1985 Westchester Avenue
align=center 67Pelham Bay Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/pelham-bay
3060 Middletown Road
align=center 68Pelham Parkway–Van Nest Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/pelham-parkway-van-nest
2147 Barnes Avenue"The history of the branch goes back to 1912, when it was first established as a station of NYPL's Travelling Libraries program, bringing library books to neighborhoods that didn't yet have branches. The Van Nest sub-branch opened in 1917, and occupied a series of small, but progressively larger storefront locations around the neighborhood, until it moved to its current location in 1968."[21] After years of "clamoring"[22] and "an unprecedented amount of support" for the renaming of the branch, the Van Nest Library was renamed Pelham Parkway-Van Nest on August 27, 2014.[23]
align=center 69Riverdale Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/riverdale
5540 Mosholu Avenue
align=center 70Sedgwick Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/sedgwick
1701 Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard
71Soundview Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/soundview
660 Soundview Avenue
align=center 72Spuyten Duyvil Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/spuyten-duyvil
650 West 235th Street
align=center 73Throg's Neck Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/throgs-neck
3025 Cross Bronx Expressway Extension
align=center 74Tremont Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/tremont
1866 Washington Avenue
align=center 75Van Cortlandt Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/van-cortlandt
3874 Sedgwick Avenue
align=center 76Wakefield Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/wakefield
4100 Lowerre Place
align=center 77West Farms Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/west-farms
2085 Honeywell Avenue
align=center 78Westchester Square Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/westchester-square
2521 Glebe Avenue
align=center 79Woodlawn Heights Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/woodlawn-heights
4355 Katonah Avenue
align=center 80Woodstock Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/woodstock
761 East 160th StreetTwo-story Carnegie library building opened in 1914. Contains children's, young adult, and adult collections at ground level and a multipurpose room on the second floor.[24]

Libraries in Staten Island

width=20% style="background-color:#CEE0F2;"Librarywidth=15% style="background-color:#CEE0F2;"Imagewidth=15% style="background-color:#CEE0F2;" class="unsortable" AddressHistorical Note
align=center 81Dongan Hills Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/dongan-hills
1617 Richmond RoadThe branch started operating out of a location on Richmond Road in 1957 and moved to its current one-story location in 1975. The building was refurbished in 2008.[25]
align=center 82Great Kills Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/great-kills
56 Giffords LaneThe Great Kills branch was opened in 1927 as a one-story building and was replaced by the current three-story building in the 1950s. Fully renovated in 2005, it currently has a lower level for community events, a first floor for adult collections, and a second floor for children's collections.[26] [27]
align=center 83Huguenot Park Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/huguenot-park
830 Huguenot AvenueThe branch opened in January 1985, replacing what was once the smallest New York Public Library building just east of the station (still standing). The Huguenot Park branch was possibly named in honor of the nearby Staten Island Railway station's former name.[28]
84Mariners Harbor Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/mariners-harbor
206 South Avenue Opened on December 16, 2013, the Mariners Harbor Library is located amidst the rich maritime heritage of Staten Island's Mariners Harbor neighborhood. A single-story branch library situated on a 16,000-square foot plot, Mariners Harbor is the thirteenth branch of The New York Public Library on Staten Island and serves roughly 30,000 people.[29]
align=center 85New Dorp Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/new-dorp
309 New Dorp LaneFirst opened in 1907, then moved several times. In 1910, the branch moved to a real estate office owned by a local resident, in 1920 the community provided and maintained the library building, then in 1926, the library became part of the NYPL system. Finally, the branch moved to a store building, renamed the "James Watson Hughes Memorial Library", in 1928.[30]
align=center 86Port Richmond Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/port-richmond
75 Bennett StreetInterest in a library began in 1833, and various private library groups operated during the 19th century. The Port Richmond branch's current Carnegie library structure was built in 1905, becoming Port Richmond's permanent library. The Chimes Playhouse auditorium was constructed in 1939, and the Children's Room was rehabilitated in 2008.[31] [32]
align=center 87Richmondtown Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/richmondtown
200 Clarke AvenueThe Richmondtown branch opened in 1996 and contains two floors: a first floor for adults and a second floor for children.[33]
align=center 88South Beach Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/south-beach
21-25 Robin RoadThe South Beach branch started operating out of a location on Sand Lane in the mid-20th century, but was destroyed in a 1989 fire. The South Beach branch reopened in 1990 and moved to its current one-story, 3000ft2 location on Robin Road in 2000.[34]
align=center 89St. George Library Center
http://www.nypl.org/locations/st-george-library-center
5 Central AvenueOpened June 1907, designed by Carrère and Hastings and built using Carnegie funds.[35]
align=center 90Stapleton Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/stapleton
132 Canal StreetThe Carrere & Hastings-designed Carnegie library was built in 1907. It underwent significant renovations and remodeling from 2011 to 2013, including the addition of a 7600ft2 building.[36] A minor controversy arose over the discrepancy of architectural styles between the modernist black-glass addition and the original structure.[37]
align=center 91Todt Hill–Westerleigh Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/todt-hill-westerleigh
2550 Victory Boulevard The three-story branch opened in 1991.[38]
align=center 92Tottenville Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/tottenville
7430 Amboy RoadThe one-story Carnegie library building was designed by Carrère and Hastings and opened in 1904. It is a New York City designated landmark.[39]
align=center 93West New Brighton Library
http://www.nypl.org/locations/west-new-brighton
976 Castleton AvenueWhen the branch opened in 1913, it was a sub-branch of the NYPL. The West New Brighton moved to a second location in 1918, and then to its present site in 1933.[40]

See also

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: About the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building . The New York Public Library . September 17, 2019.
  2. Web site: The New York Public Library . New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center . Nypl.org . February 12, 2013.
  3. Web site: NYPL Locations. The New York Public Library. 2016-08-09.
  4. Web site: 67th Street Branch Records. The New York Public Library. June 5, 2015.
  5. Web site: Aguilar Branch Records. The New York Public Library. June 5, 2015.
  6. Web site: The New York Public Library, Battery Park City. 1100 Architect. June 5, 2015.
  7. Web site: Donnell Library Center Records. The New York Public Library. June 5, 2015.
  8. News: March 1, 1972 . Kips Bay Gets Public Library After Seeking It for 17 Years . The New York Times . April 13, 2023.
  9. Web site: About the Macomb's Bridge Library . The New York Public Library . March 14, 2019.
  10. Web site: Dream of Library Realized. Campbell. Barbara. October 21, 1970. The New York Times. December 22, 2018.
  11. News: A library designed for people as well as books. November 27, 1970. New York Daily News. December 18, 2018. 153. newspapers.com.
  12. Web site: A $55 Million Gift, and a New Name, for the Mid-Manhattan Library . The New York Times . September 13, 2017 . December 23, 2018.
  13. Web site: Timeline of Roosevelt Island History. NYC 10044. June 5, 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150507010705/http://old.nyc10044.com/timeln/timeline.html. May 7, 2015.
  14. Web site: Seward Park Branch Records. The New York Public Library. June 5, 2015.
  15. Web site: Webster Branch Records. The New York Public Library. June 5, 2015.
  16. Web site: Yorkville Branch Records. The New York Public Library. June 5, 2015.
  17. Web site: Allerton Branch Records. The New York Public Library. June 5, 2015.
  18. Web site: About the Baychester Library . The New York Public Library . June 21, 2024.
  19. Web site: Melrose Branch Records. The New York Public Library. June 5, 2015.
  20. Web site: Mosholu Branch Records. The New York Public Library. June 5, 2015.
  21. Web site: About the Pelham Parkway-Van Nest Library . New York Public Library . February 27, 2016.
  22. News: Kochman . Ben . May 23, 2014 . Put it in the books! City to change Van Nest Library name . February 25, 2016.
  23. Web site: The New York Public Library To Rename Beloved Bronx Branch the Pelham Parkway-Van Nest Library . New York Public Library . February 27, 2016.
  24. Web site: About the Woodstock Library . The New York Public Library . March 14, 2019.
  25. Web site: About the Dongan Hills Library . The New York Public Library . March 14, 2019.
  26. Web site: About the Great Kills Library . The New York Public Library . March 14, 2019.
  27. Web site: Vintage photos of Staten Island libraries . February 2, 2017 . Carol Ann . Benanti . Staten Island Advance . March 21, 2019 . The photo was taken in the 1940s... It was replaced with a newer and larger library before 1957..
  28. Web site: About the Huguenot Park Library . The New York Public Library . March 14, 2019.
  29. Web site: About Mariners Harbor Library. The New York Public Library. September 16, 2019.
  30. Web site: New Dorp Branch Records. The New York Public Library. June 5, 2015.
  31. Web site: About the Port Richmond Library . The New York Public Library . March 14, 2019.
  32. Wilson, Andrew. "The Port Richmond Branch of The New York Public Library The First 50 Years: 1905–1955." Staten Island Historian. Volume 19, New Series 2. Spring 2002. Retrieved 2008-12-22.
  33. Web site: About the Richmondtown Library . The New York Public Library . March 14, 2019.
  34. Web site: About the South Beach Library . The New York Public Library . March 14, 2019.
  35. Web site: St. George Branch Records. The New York Public Library. June 5, 2015.
  36. Web site: About the Stapleton Library . New York Public Library . February 28, 2019.
  37. Web site: Mud Lane asks city to reconsider Stapleton library renovations . June 25, 2009 . SILive.com . 2012-09-04.
  38. Web site: About the Todt Hill-Westerleigh Library . The New York Public Library . April 18, 1991 . March 19, 2019.
  39. Web site: About the Tottenville Library . The New York Public Library . March 14, 2019.
  40. Web site: About the West New Brighton Library . The New York Public Library . March 14, 2019.