Page 144 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - New York City

142  NE W Y ORK CIT Y AREA B Y AREA

Doorway leading to New York Public
Library’s Main Reading Room
8 New York
Public Library
5th Ave & 42nd St. Map 8 F1. Tel (212)
930-0830. q 42nd St-Grand Central,
42nd St-5th Ave. Open 10am–6pm
Mon & Thu–Sat (till 8pm Tue & Wed),
1–5pm Sun. Closed Jul & Aug: Sun,
public hols. 7 8 11am & 2pm Tue–
Thu. Lectures. = ∑ nypl.org
Barrel vaults of carved white marble over the stairs in the Astor Hall
In 1897 the coveted job of
designing New York’s main considered the epitome of New Thomas Jefferson’s hand written
public library was awarded to York’s Beaux Arts period. copy of the Declaration of
architects Carrère & Hastings. The Built on the site of the former Independence to T. S. Eliot’s
library’s first director envisaged a Croton Reservoir (see p26), it typed copy of “The Waste Land.”
light, quiet, airy place for study, opened in 1911 to immediate More than 1,000 queries are
where millions of books could be acclaim, despite having cost the answered daily, using the vast
stored and yet be available to city $9 million. The vast, paneled database of the CATNYP and LEO
readers as promptly as possible. Main Reading Room stretches computer catalogs.
In the hands of Carrère & Hastings, two full blocks and is suffused This library is the hub of a
his vision came true, in what is with daylight from the two network of 82 branches, with
interior court yards. nearly seven million users. Some
Below it are 88 miles branches are very well-known,
(142 km) of shelves, such as the New York Public
holding over seven Library for the Perform ing Arts at
million volumes. A the Lincoln Center (see p206) and
staff of over 100 and the Schomburg Center in
a computerized Harlem (see p223).
dumb-waiter can
supply any book
within 10 minutes. 9 Times Square
The Periodicals Room Map 8 E1. q 42nd St-Times Sq.
holds 10,000 current n NYC Information Center, Broadway
periodicals from 128 Plaza, between 43rd and 44th sts,
countries. On its walls 9am–6pm daily. 8 (212) 484-1222.
are murals by Richard ∑ timessquarenyc.org
Haas, honoring New
York’s great publishing The 1990s saw a transformation
houses. The original in Times Square, reversing a
library combined the decline that began during the
collections of John Depression. The Square is now
Jacob Astor and James a safe and vibrant place where
The Main Reading Room, with its original Lenox. Its collections Broadway traditions comfortably
bronze reading lamps today range from coexist with modern innovations.

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