 |
Libraries
There are three separate public library systems in New York
City: The New York Public Library System for Manhattan, the
Bronx and Staten Island; The Queens Borough Public Library
System; and the Brooklyn Public Library System. The Mid-Manhattan
Library (Fifth Avenue between 39th and 40th Streets) is the
central library of the New York system. There is also a library
center in each borough: Donnell in Manhattan, Fordham in the
Bronx, St. George on Staten Island, Central Library in Brooklyn,
and Central Library in Queens. Aside from these, there are
about 200 neighborhood branches throughout the five boroughs,
including a branch for the visually impaired and physically
disabled at 40 West 20th Street in Manhattan.
Library privileges are free and enable you to borrow
books, films, CDs, cassettes and other materials from any
branch in the system where you are registered. Proof of residency
(such as a rent, telephone or electric bill) is required in
order to obtain a library card. Library materials can be borrowed
at no cost for 1–3 weeks; however, an “overdue fee”
is charged should you return an item later than the date it
is due. For specific information on the New York Public Library,
call their information number: (212) 930-0800/0830 or go to
www.nypl.org.
Another valuable number is the Library’s telephone reference
service at (212) 340-0849, which will connect you to librarians
who will try to answer any general interest or scholarly question
you need researched.
Reference materials are available in every branch, but the
most extensive collections are found at the five library centers
and at the Mid-Manhattan Library. These materials must only
be used in the library building; a photocopying service is
provided. There are also four Research Libraries, with archives
housing over 6 million volumes printed in more than 3,000
languages and dialects. These facilities are mainly designed
for scholars, advanced students and specialists conducting
original research or intensive study.
The Research Libraries include:
 |
Humanities and Social Sciences Library (Fifth Avenue
and 42nd Street) |
|
Annex, The Research Libraries (521 West 43rd Street)
|
|
Science, Industry and Business Library (188 Madison
Avenue) |
|
New York Public Library for Performing Arts (40 Lincoln
Center Plaza) |
|
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture (515
Lenox Avenue) |
You can find a significant foreign language collection at
the Donnell Library Center located at 20 West 53rd Street.
|
|
