My Town Monday: The New York Public Library

With Patience and Fortitude lending their leonine presence to its majestic front steps, theNew York Public Libraryopened its doors nearly 100 years ago. A world-famous institution serving over 15 million people yearly, the library owes its existence to the generosity and foresight of former New York Governor, Samuel J. Tilden, who at the time of his death in 1866, bequeath most of his fortune—a then whopping $2.4 million dollars—to “establish and maintain a free library and reading room in the city of New York.”

The Library on Opening Day

At that time there were also two private libraries in the city with limited public access. One had been founded by John Jacob Astor, the wealthiest man in America, and the other by James Lenox, bibliophile and philanthropist, who was fortunate enough to count the first Gutenberg Bible in America among his personal collection of rare books. When both of these libraries experienced financial difficulties in 1892, a plan was devised to merge and combine them into the New York Public Library.

Dr. John Shaw Billings, one of the most brilliant librarians of the time, was chosen as the library’s first director. He created a design that included a reading room on top of seven floors of book stacks and a system designed to bring books to patrons as quickly as possible.

Today the NYPL has four major research libraries and 87 neighborhood branches. Its main branch, officially known as the Humanities and Social Sciences Library, is as imposing in stature as it is in reputation. This gorgeous building has always been one of my favorites. Designed in the Beaux-Arts style and constructed by Carrère and Hastings who beat out more well-known architects in a city-wide competition, it’s cornerstone was laid in May of 1902 and the building was completed in 1911 at the cost of $9 million. It was built on the site of the former Croton Reservoir in beautiful white Vermont marble and occupies the two city blocks between 40^thand 42^ndStreets. The main reading room is truly magnificent–78 feet wide and 297 feel long with 52 feet high ceilings—and is lit by massive windows and grand chandeliers that highlight the thousands of books lining its walls and balcony. Patrons not only enjoy large wood tables, comfortable chairs and warm brass lamps, but also computers and Internet access to the collections

The library was officially dedicated on May 23, 1911. The following day between 30,000 and 50,000 visitors poured through its doors to access the over 1,000,000 books that had been put in place, and the first call slip was filled out and presented. This major research library is organized by collections that include much more than its millions of books.

A recent article in The New York Timesoutlines some of the library’s acquisitions which include 40,000 restaurant menus, the Arents Tobacco Collection, and Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s slippers, just to name a few.

And if that were not enough, mystery has come to the library through a great read. Linda Fairstein’s latest novel, Lethal Legacy, puts the library and its collections in the heart of two Manhattan murders.

The library has been undergoing renovations, which are scheduled to be completed next year when it will celebrate it’s 100^thanniversary looking grander than ever.

Patience and Fortitude were named by Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia in the 1930’s for the qualities he felt New Yorkers would need to survive the economic depression. These names have withstood the test of time and the lions still guard the Library's steps.

Thanks to Terrie Farley Moran for passing on the New York Times article.

For more My Town Monday posts, visit the My Town Monday blog.