West Farms Branch Information

Branch History

The West Farms Branch, which began as a "sub-branch" of The New York Public Library in 1929, has been serving residents of the South Bronx in its present location on Honeywell Avenue since 1954. Its patrons include a diverse Hispanic and African American population as well as immigrants from Albania, Italy, and Yugoslavia. West Farms was recently renovated through the Library's Adopt-a-Branch Program. Among the improvements are restored walls and finishes, new air conditioning, and the installation of a ramp and elevator providing full access to persons who use wheelchairs. The Branch has reading rooms for adults and young adults on the first floor, and a children's room on the second floor with a toddler area and a separate story hour room. A 1,200 square-foot outdoor reading area opens off the library's first floor.

Collections & Services

• Book collections for adults, young adults, and children available for borrowing and use in the library
• African American heritage collection
• Spanish-language collection
• Lifelong Learning collection for adult new readers of English
• Assistive Technology:
  • Closed-Circuit Television Enlarger (CCTV) - enlarges printed material 45-60 times
  • Personal Reading Machine - scans printed text and reads aloud in synthetic speech
  • Computer screen magnification software
• Community Information collection
• Personal computers and software for free public use by appointment
• Internet access for free public use by appointment

Programs

• Lectures, films, and performances for adults and teenagers
• Story hours, picture book hours, and other programs for children
• Class visits by appointment

Other Neighborhood Branches

Community Information