The New York Public Library (NYPL) is New York City’s public library system. Its well-known Central Building is located on the western side of Fifth Avenue, occupying the two blocks between 40th and 42nd Streets, in Manhattan (Handbook 7). Today, the collection of the NYPL exceeds 65 million items (nypl.org), ranking with those of the British Library, the Library of Congress, and the Bibliothèque nationale de France (nypl.org). It is considered the third largest library in the United States (ala.org). NYPL is comprised of 90 locations (Beyond the Lions 3), including four research centers and a network of neighbourhood libraries throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island (nypl.org). The library is organized into two major components – the Branch Libraries and the Research Libraries (Williams xxix). The library’s existence depends on a tradition of private philanthropy that began with John Jacob Astor, James Lenox, and Samuel Tilden, and that continues with gifts and pledges from individuals, corporations, and foundations (Annual Report 12).
When the NYPL was organized in 1895, it was a consolidation of the Astor Library, the Lenox Library, and the Tilden Trust (Annual Report 12). The Astor Library was founded in 1848 by John Jacob Astor, the wealthiest man in the United States, at the time (Dain 3). It was the largest and most endowed reference library (Dain 3). The most common criticism of the Astor was its short opening hours (Dain 4), and was further criticized for its snobbishness (Dain 8).
In 1839, before his death, John Astor placed a codicil in his will that provided for an endowment of $400,000 for a “Public Library” in New York City, “for general use, free of expense to persons resorting thereto, subject only to such control and regulations, as the Trustees may from time to time exercise and establish for general convenience (Dain 4).”
At the time of the Astor Library, there existed another important public reference library – The Lenox Library (Dain 11). The Lenox Library was founded by another wealthy New Yorker and member of prominent family, James Lenox (Dain 11). The Lenox had an even worse reputation than The Astor (Dain 11), with even shorter opening hours (Dain 12). Lenox had an impressive collection of treasures – now belonging to the NYPL (Davidson and McTigue 4) – including the first Gutenberg Bible brought to the United States, the original autograph manuscript of George Washington’s farewell address, and a Gilbert Stuart portrait of Washington (Dain 11). Perhaps for this reason, the Lenox was administered more like a public museum than a public library (Dain 12) and could not satisfy the needs of the growing New York City population.
When Samuel J. Tilden, Governor of New York, died in 1886 (Dain 35), he left an estimated five million dollars to found “an institution to be known as the Tilden Trust, with capacity to establish and maintain a free library and reading room in the city of New York, and to promote such scientific and educational objects as my said Executors and Trustees may more particularly designate (Dain 35).” It was from this Tilden bequest, with the consolidation of the Astor and Lenox libraries, that The New York Public Library was born ( Dain 35).
Citizens rejoiced that New York would finally have a public library “commensurate with its size, wealth, and intellectual attainments (Dain 1).” Many believed that such a library might provide the means for the lower classes to educate themselves and thus improve their condition (Dain 29). The NYPL offered haven to students and workers eager for knowledge and advancement, who otherwise had no money for books or any other luxuries (Dain 289). The appreciation for a library of this calibre is reflected in a letter by Harold Barger to The New York Times (Barger 1923) defending The NYPL as a national collection of books for true scholars.
Today, the NYPL continues to adapt to its ever changing environment, and with its website and online catalogue, allows its holdings to be accessible to users worldwide (nypl.org).
Works Cited
ALA Library Fact Sheets. American Library Association, 2012. Web. 15 Jan. 2012.
Barger, Harold. “New Yorks Public Library.” New York Times (1923-Current file):
16. ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The New York Times (1851-2007). Feb 12
1949. Web. 15 Jan. 2012. (Print)
Beyond the Lions: A Guide to the Libraries of the New York Public Library. New York,
1973. Print.
Dain, Phyllis. The New York Public Library: A History of Its Founding and Early Years.
New York: New York Public Library, 1972. Print.
Davidson, Marshall B, and Bernard McTigue. Treasures of the New York Public Library.
New York: H.N. Abrams, 1988. Print.
Handbook of The New York Public Library. New York, 1916. Print.
Lyndenberg, Harry M. History of the New York Public Library: Astor, Lenox and Tilden
Foundations. New York: New York Public Library, 1923. Print.
New York Public Library. The New York Public Library, 2012. Web. 15 Jan. 2012.
The New York Public Library Annual Report for 1986. New York, 1986. Print.
Williams, Sam P. Guide to the Research Collections of the New York Public Library.
New York: New York Public Library, 1975. Print.