Posts by Jennifer Yao

New Yorkers know that waiting in line is a fact of life. But there are ways that you can make your visits to the library faster and smoother.

Entering the building. First of all, open your bag as soon as you walk through one of the three doors on 5th Avenue.  All bags must be checked by the security guard. Bags, suitcases and cellos larger than a airplane carry-on are not allowed into the library. Click here to see our bag check policy.

Asking questions. The Courtesy Desk at the entrance can give you basic information and directions for the building. If you have questions about books or materials, however, you must go to 

Q. What do Mid-Manhattan Library and Madison Square Garden have in common?

A. It’s not always obvious where you need to go.

Finding a book can be like finding your seat at Madison Square Garden. First you need to be sure that you’re supposed to be at Madison Square Garden. Maybe your show is at the Theater at Madison Square Garden, or maybe you’re supposed to go to the Beacon Theatre? Then you need to know what section you’re in. You go to that section and then you finally find your row and your seat. Finding your seat at the Knicks game or Ozzy concert might be confusing the first few times, but after you do it a few times, you’ll have a 

The following text and list was originally published earlier this year in a brochure produced by Reference & Advisory Services department head Wol Sue Lee for the New York Library Association.

The history of the Korean movie industry from the silent screen to the present box-office blockbusters has been shaped by changing historical and cultural forces. Many films were destroyed because of political situations, WWII, and the Korean War. During the ‘50s and ‘60s movie theaters began to exist. As a result, young Korean actors and actresses became very popular, appearing in films ranging from crime, suspense and Korean War movies to melodramas. Then in the 

One of the confusing things about libraries is our use of the Dewey Decimal System. It doesn’t help matters that some books, namely fiction and biographies, are actually arranged alphabetically. That means that when you are looking for nonfiction, you must use the online catalog to find where a book is shelved. However, when you are looking for fiction or biographies, you can find books shelved under the last name of the author (for fiction and graphic novels) and by the last name of the subject (for biographies, autobiographies, memoirs and letters). And since the New York Public Library has nearly 90 branches, some with multiple floors and multiple collections, you also need to 

If you’ve ever searched the library catalog, the New York Public Library's online catalog, you’ve probably noticed books and other items listed with a status of “Trace”, “Missing” or something more mysterious. What do exactly do these terms mean?

Trace means that the last time that someone looked for an item, it wasn’t on the shelf. Most of the time, however, the item shows up within a few days…or it was there all along. So look for the item where it’s supposed to be. You’ll probably find it!

Missing items were listed as “Trace” 

Those of you who visited Bryant Park last winter probably remember being treated to an unexpected bit of comedy: watching people fall on their bums while attempting to ice skate at the Pond at Bryant Park. Well, it’s back again this year, and you can still skate for free (skate rentals cost $10, locker locks are $10).

The rink is scheduled to open tonight and will be open until mid-January 2008. Hours are Sunday - Thursday 8am - 10pm and Friday & Saturday 8am - midnight.

I didn’t get a chance to skate last year, but I hope to buy a used pair this year and get on ice skates for the first time in over fifteen years. That should be