St. Agnes Branch Information

Branch History

Beginning in 1893 as a parish library at St. Agnes Chapel on West 91st Street, the St. Agnes Branch also housed a small collection for the Library for the Blind. The following year, in 1894, the chapel's pastor, in order to keep pace with a rapidly growing community, expanded the library to neighborhood status. St. Agnes Free Library was chartered by the University of the State of New York and moved several times before its consolidation with The New York Public Library in 1901. In 1906, the St. Agnes Branch opened its doors in its present home on Amsterdam Avenue. The branch is in the vicinity of the American Museum of Natural History and near Central Park and many shops and restaurants. The three-story structure, featuring gracefully arched windows at the first and second floors and a strongly detailed roofline, was designed by Babb, Cook and Willard and erected with funds given to the city by Andrew Carnegie for the construction of branch libraries throughout the five boroughs.

Collections & Services

• Book collections for adults, young adults, and children available for borrowing and use in the library, including materials in Spanish
• Diverse collection of newspapers and periodicals
• Large-print books
• Videos, CD-ROMS, books-on-tape, CDs, and DVDs for adults and teenagers
• Lifelong Learning collection for adult new readers of English
• Test preparation collection
• Center for Reading and Writing for adult new readers of English
• Community Information collection
• Personal computers and software for free public use by appointment
• Internet access for free public use by appointment

Programs

• A variety of programs for adults including a monthly book discussion and weekly films
• Films, story hours, and reading-aloud programs for children
• Class visits by appointment

Other Neighborhood Branches

Community Information