Gothamist: Underneath the New York Public Library

Kingpin

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 18:59:20 -0500

The 1991 reference is to the storage space that lies beneath the park rather than the main Library building. I read it as that the Bryant Park storage space was a extension built near the end of the last century, and officially opened for use in 1991.

JoHonnyBoy

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 14:41:25 -0500

By the way, I assume the stacks opened around 1908-1911, so I thought maybe you wrote 1991 instead of 1911, but the part about the new storage unit confused me...

JoHonnyBoy

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 14:31:22 -0500

Not to be too rude, but I'm confused by the 2nd paragraph, due to some grammatical errors. Did the storage open in 1991 or the stacks? And, which is being renovated. The 2nd paragraph is missing some words and seems to be inconsistent with the first, and I couldn't find any information from your links. Did you get these numbers from anywhere in particular?

Jen Chung

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 12:49:17 -0500

@cga, flynn110 is right--basically the NYPL wants to make the Humanities & Social Sciences branch more accessible to the public. Right now, it's just for research.

flynn110

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 12:42:54 -0500

@#4 as far as I understand it they are doing renovations there and moving the collection from the midtown branch (across the street) to the bryant park library, thereby making it a reference and loaner library. this is all an attempt to bring more users in and legitimize it's existence. this library just isn't being used much.

Splicer

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 12:39:55 -0500

But will there be room for the Ark of the Covenant and the Roswell Flying Saucer?

cgs

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 12:33:11 -0500

does anyone know why they are renovating the library? it seems so pointless... esp. when the branch libraries are so dumpy, and funds are tight as it is...

bagelman

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 12:10:51 -0500

i was down there once. the vertical conveyor system for delivering books up to the reading room (visible in the first two images) is awesome - in that turn of the 20th century sort of way.

Mr Mel

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 11:54:29 -0500

I understand that they have storage vaults that run under 42nd St and under the Grace Building. I heard that they were once flooded after a water main break. That had to be one nasty cleanup.

Tgirl

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 11:51:55 -0500

The NYPL is a national treasure and deserves our support. I make sure to send them a few bucks every year and hope that others will too. http://www.support.nypl.org/