The New York Public Library has just launched Stereogranimator, a site that lets you turn their historic collection of stereographs into animated and 3-D images. In other words: old timey animated gifs! That option sort of gives us seizure-type feelings, but if you're stronger than us, definitely check it out and give it a spin right here. We happen to have 3-D glasses at our desk, and we highly recommend picking some up and checking out the streets of 19th century New York in 3-D. If you need 3-D glasses, we hear you can pick some up at Portatronics (at West 46th Street and 5th Avenue), or a comic book store—where else can you buy them? more ›

In 2007, the Reverend Al Sharpton and celebrated polemicist Christopher Hitchens, who died yesterday of cancer at the age of 62, met for an intellectual debate on the existence and nature of God at the New York Public Library. As the Times happily reported, despite the incendiary and polarizing nature of both men, the debate turned out to be "the public intellectual event of the evening, a bit like Bertrand Russell vs. C. S. Lewis." more ›

New York Public Library president Anthony Marx is not going to be driving again for awhile. Marx pleaded guilty today to driving while intoxicated back in November. No more sloppy Sunday afternoon drives for Marx! more ›

Earlier this week, we traveled backwards through time to check out the New York Public Library's fabulous collection of the Thanksgiving menus of yesteryear. Today, the NYPL is trying to archive the Thanksgiving menus that your great great grandchildren will look upon fondly. The Library is looking for photographs, stories, videos and audio clips of different Thanksgiving traditions, old and new alike, and they need your help. more ›

Maybe you're eating out for Thanksgiving this year, or maybe you're entertaining at home with the Best Turkey Ever. But either way, take a moment to reflect upon the Thanksgiving menus of yesteryear, culled from the fantastic menu archives at the New York Public Library. more ›

New York Public Library president Anthony Marx was charged with DWI, DUI and operating a motor vehicle while impaired after "he sideswiped a parked vehicle with a... car registered to the library," yesterday afternoon, Metropolis reports. Police say that Anthony Marx had a blood alcohol level of 0.19, which is more than twice the 0.08 legal limit. more ›

Leaping forward into the 21st century, the New York Public Library has announced that readers who refuse to physically go to the library can now borrow even more e-books from from their virtual collection, which will conveniently deliver books straight to your Kindle with the simple click of a button. more ›

While all you working stiffs are wasting the best years of lives clocking in and out of some dead and job to barely keep your head above water, area man Andrew Hansen had it all figured out: lifting books from public libraries and selling them to used bookstores for a hefty profit, according to prosecutors. Authorities tell the Post that Hansen, who used to work in publishing before developing a drug problem, is "well known to NYPL gumshoes and local bookstores," and he allegedly stole so many books the library sent photos of Hansen to local bookstores. And recently the chickens came home to roost. more ›

Gather 'round for a night of highbrow art appreciation this Friday at the New York Public Library, which is celebrating the 70th birthday of avant-garde theater director Robert Wilson, with a little help from some of his famous friends. Wilson collaborators like musician/author/elder statesman Lou Reed, operatically inclined singer Rufus Wainwright and dancer/choreographer Lucinda Childs will all be on hand to toast to Wilson's life and works. more ›

And now, for your Absolutely Adorable break of the day: Six-year-old Morningside Heights resident Helen Stone spent her Sunday morning selling lemonade and homemade cookies to benefit the New York Public Library. Ramona Quimby would be so proud! more ›

Were you planning on meeting up with your good looking boyfriend Jake Gyllenhaal in the library during the storm? Well you can forget about it, honey, because the public libraries are shutting things down for the weekend. more ›

Young bookworms who can't keep track of a deadline are no longer in danger of losing their borrowing privileges at the library, thanks to a new measure granting thousands of kids amnesty from late fees. Call off the book detectives! more ›

There will be no new Tom Otterness sculptures in Battery Park City. Though Otterness already did the lovely "penny park" at the north end of the park, the Battery Park City Authority has nixed an anonymously gifted $750,000 bronze lion and cubs sculpture by the artist meant for the Battery Park branch of the New York Public Library. Though the BPCA says the decision was because of a "lack of transparency" regarding control of the work and where it came from, the world-renowned sculptor's history of animal abuse (and the many petitions deriding it) is the more likely culprit. more ›

Hurrahs are in order for the New York Public Library today, which was saved from potentially devastating city budget cuts. It was a tough battle, with a supporting campaign that involved publicly hugging the stone lions in front of the Stephen A. Schwartzman building, and vaguely threatening letters from small children ("Dear Mr. Mayor, DO NOT I repete DO NOT CUT the Librarys Buggets OR Else!!"). more ›

Jack Kerouac's seminal Beatnik classic On The Road, which was famously typed out on a continuous 120-foot scroll, has gone mobile with the release of a new iPad app. more ›

The New York Public Library's Stephen A. Schwarzman Building may be made of stone, but that doesn't mean it couldn't use a hug, right? Tomorrow the group Urban Librarians Unite is planning to do just that—they're holding a "hug the library" event! more ›

The New York Public Library keeps delivering the goods as they continue to celebrate their centennial. This time it's the lions getting the tribute... in LEGOs! Our library friends tell us, "the lions will be on display for just the Centennial weekend [that's this weekend] on the Plaza outside the 42 Street building." They will be unveiled by artist Nathan Sawaya this Friday at 10 a.m. (get your free book if you drop by), staying through Sunday at 8 p.m. Let's have some fun with them now, shall we? Here's a photo of one of the LEGO lions (we can't tell if it's Patience or Fortitude)—get thee to Photoshop and give her a fun New York City backdrop! After all, the lions haven't roamed off their perch on 5th Avenue in nearly 100 years. more ›

Taking a page out of their "Find the Future"-themed centennial celebration exhibition this year, the New York Public Library unveiled today their first-ever iPad app, called Biblion: The Boundless Library. For those who can't get up to The Stacks in person, it's a nifty little way to peruse history from your lap. more ›

Remember how some people are really convinced that kids are watching tons of porn at the library? And how that's not actually the case, like, at all? Well, turns out a few Councilmen didn't get the message, and they're introducing a bill that would make it a misdemeanor to watch porn within 100 feet of a child in a public library. more ›

Two years ago when sculptor Tom Otterness was installing his latest piece in Brooklyn, his past came back to haunt him. As you might recall, back in his younger days he adopted a shelter dog, chained it to a fence, and shot it... for art. Now that he's been commissioned to sculpt bronze lions at the Battery Park Branch of the New York Public Library (for $750,000!), his dark past is resurfacing again, with PETA protesting and petitions popping up. But the NYPL says they're the wrong target. more ›