stephen a. schwarzman building is the main branch of the new york public library.
what is the main branch of the new york public library?
stephen a. schwarzman building
new york public library main branch





















































the stephen a. schwarzman building, commonly known as the main branch or the new york public library, is the flagship building in the new york public library system and a landmark in midtown manhattan, new york city. the branch, one of four research libraries in the library system, contains nine separate divisions. the structure contains four stories open to the public. the main entrance steps are at fifth avenue at its intersection with east 41st street. , the branch contains an estimated 2.5 million volumes in its stacks.
new york public library main branch
the circulating facilities at the main branch continued to grow, and in 1961, the new york public library convened a group of six librarians to look for a new facility for the circulating department. the arnold constable & company department store at 8 east 40th street, at the southeast corner of fifth avenue and 40th street across from the main branch, were bought by the new york public library in 1961. the library started leasing the fourth through sixth floors in 1964. the new circulating branch, the mid-manhattan library, opened in a temporary location beside the arnold constable building in 1970. the main branch had become overcrowded and could not accommodate additional patrons, and the children's library at the main branch had closed due to a lack of space. the new branch, which was intended to be the main circulating facility in the new york public library system, had of floor space and could accommodate 350,000 volumes as well as the displaced children's branch. the main branch's circulating collection was moved to the mid-manhattan library at that point. the mid-manhattan library did not move into the arnold constable building until 1981.
new york public library main branch