[Seal of The New York Public Library]
THIS BUILDING IS ERECTED
UPON A PART OF THE COMMON LANDS
WHICH WERE GRANTED BY ROYAL CHARTER
TO THE MAYOR ALDERMEN AND COMMONALTY
OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK
IN 1686,
THE SECOND YEAR OF THE REIGN OF JAMES THE SECOND
KING OF ENGLAND.
THE CITY OF NEW YORK IN 1897,
WILLIAM L. STRONG BEING MAYOR,
UNDERTOOK TO CONSTRUCT,
AT THE PUBLIC EXPENSE,
A BUILDING UPON THIS SITE
TO BE USED AND OCCUPIED BY
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY,
ASTOR, LENOX AND TILDEN FOUNDATIONS
SO LONG AS IT SHOULD MAINTAIN HEREIN
A FREE LIBRARY AND READING ROOM FOR THE PEOPLE.
WORK WAS BEGUN BY THE CITY IN 1899,
ROBERT ANDERSON VAN WYCK BEING MAYOR.
THE CORNERSTONE WAS LAID IN 1902,
SETH LOW BEING MAYOR.
THE BUILDING WAS COMPLETED IN 1909,
GEORGE BRINTON McCLELLAN BEING MAYOR.
IT WAS OCCUPIED AND OPENED TO THE PUBLIC IN 1911
WILLIAM JAY GAYNOR BEING MAYOR.
NORTH STAIRCASE
Central Circulation Branch (sign over door reads, "Circulating Library") (No. 80). This is one of the forty-four Branches of The New York Public Library, intended for the circulation of books for home use. In this instance alone the Branch is situated in the Central Building and is supported by the funds of the Library and not by the City. The room is interesting because of its activity. The view of it reproduced in this book had to be taken when but few people were there, but during afternoons and evenings, especially in the autumn, winter, and spring months, the room is frequently over-crowded with readers and borrowers of books. As over 500,000 books were borrowed from this one room during 1915 it may be said that there are few, if any, busier library rooms in the country, or, indeed, in the world. There is a collection of over 50,000 books, with a reserve collection of somewhat more than 70,000. The room is open 9 a. m. to 10 p. m. week days, including all holidays, and 2 to 6 p. m. on Sundays.
Children's Room. Near the 42nd Street entrance a corridor runs east to the Children's Room (No. 78). The visitor to the building should not fail to see this room, with its attractive furnishings, its collections of brightly colored picture-books, and pictures.
The object of the room is not only to perform the usual work of a children's room, but also to interest and help parents and others in selecting children's reading. Authors, artists, and publishers come here for information about books for children. Another purpose is to furnish suggestions for similar rooms elsewhere. A number of libraries, in other parts of the world, have adopted suggestions which they found here. Exhibitions on various subjects are held from time to time, and there is a collection of children's books of the old-fashioned kind. Open 9 a. m. to 6 p. m. week days.
CHILDREN'S ROOM
Library School. Here a two years' course in training for library work is given to a body of students averaging about seventy-five in number. The office of the School (where inquiries should be made) is in Room 75, on the inner or western side of the corridor which runs along the front of the building, parallel to Fifth Avenue. The Library School class room, not open to the public, is on the other side of the corridor.