Contact Information (press inquiries only) The New York Public Library Public Relations Office 188 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10016 phone: 212.592.7700 fax: 212.592.7729 
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The New York Public Library's New $50 Million Bronx Library Center Opens to the Public, January 17, 2006 Innovatively-Designed Hub of Learning and Knowledge to Serve Entire Borough with Largest Public Collections and Specialized Services Center Is NYPL's First "Green" Facility The New York Public Library's much-anticipated Bronx Library Center – a beacon to readers and researchers, toddlers and teens, job-seekers and entrepreneurs – will open its doors to the public on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 with a ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony at 10:30 a.m. The public is also invited to celebrate the opening of the new facility during two days of festivities on Saturday, January 21 (10 a.m. - 5 p.m.) and Sunday, January 22, (1 - 5 p.m.), featuring free music, dance and theater performances, staged readings, storytelling, and tours.
Located at 310 East Kingsbridge Road in the heart of the borough's busy Fordham Road commercial district, this Library Center is the anchor of the Bronx's 34 branch libraries and offers residents the most extensive and comprehensive collections, services, and programming in all of the borough. With its distinctive swooping roof and glistening glass-curtain façade, the Library Center presents sweeping views of the Bronx skyline including the New York Botanical Garden and Fordham University's clock tower. "The Bronx Library Center is a state-of-the-art center for enrichment, with extensive resources for users of all ages and interests," said Catherine C. Marron, Chairman of The New York Public Library's Board of Trustees. "It also is a shining example of a Library tailored to serve the needs of its local community. For generations to come this new library will stand on East Kingsbridge Road as a portal to knowledge for all of the Bronx." "The Bronx Library Center is an important project for the growing population in the Bronx, and will provide for the cultural, educational, business, and technological research needs of the Borough," said Governor George E. Pataki. "This building will allow the Library to better serve all New Yorkers, which is why I was pleased to provide support to help fund its construction." "Not only does this library mark The New York Public Library's largest capital project in two decades, it also represents a magnificent collaboration of City, State, and private resources coming together to improve this community," said Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. "And, it's wonderful to be opening an institution that truly reflects the background of the community it serves. I know that children and adults alike will benefit greatly from having such a wonderful library in this community, and I'd like to thank all of you who made this long-awaited project a reality today." "This project is truly a result of inspired effort by community members, elected officials, and supporters who came together with determination to forge a spectacular new library for the Bronx," said Paul LeClerc, President of The New York Public Library. "The State of New York, the City of New York, and dedicated private funders have joined together to make an investment in the Bronx and the City at large." "In the past, libraries kept us linked to our history. Now, they connect us to our future, and the Bronx Library Center is a shining example of this - literally," City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn said. "In this beautiful glass building, people will search for jobs, plan vacations, and finish research papers at the more than 100 Internet-accessible computers here. New Yorkers will learn at the Center for Reading and Writing for Adult Literacy, participate in conferences, and attend events in the auditorium. And let's not forget the thousands of books they'll be able to read. This new Bronx Library proves that libraries are not static institutions, but interactive cultural centers with unrestricted access to information." "The Bronx deserves a state-of-the-art library and we certainly have it in the Bronx Library Center!" Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrión, Jr. stated. "I am so pleased that I was able to facilitate bringing this library to the Bronx, and I know that it will quickly become a vital part of the Bronx community. This fantastic new library will be a wonderful resource for the entire Bronx to enjoy." "The Bronx Library Center represents the finest efforts of a team of talented NYPL staff members," said Susan Kent, Director and Chief Executive of The New York Public Library's Branch Libraries. "It offers the Bronx the best resources, services, technology, and information expertise available in libraries today." "Libraries provide educational and economic returns for both the surrounding community and the entire borough. We are proud and gratified to have been able to support such an important project," said Empire State Development Chairman Charles A. Gargano. "Today, The New York Public Library's Bronx Library Center became a cornerstone of this community," said New York State Assembly Member José Rivera. "I was glad to have been a part of making this Center possible, as it will hopefully inspire and educate children and adults for years to come." "The Bronx Library Center will not just empower individuals, it will empower the entire Bronx community by providing access to countless resources, absolutely free of charge," said City Council Majority Leader Joel Rivera. "I believe strongly in the mission of our City's public libraries – that is why I worked to provide funding for the Bronx Library Center." The state-of-the-art, five-story structure is instantly recognizable by its spectacular glass-curtain façade. Heralded for its environmentally responsible design, the new building incorporates a wide range of ecologically sound features and is The New York Public Library's first "green" building. The $50-million library brings increases in collections, advancements in technology, and enhanced specialized services to the vibrant and diverse community that comprises nearly a quarter of New York City's population. The library is also home to a Latino and Puerto Rican Cultural Center, which celebrates the spectrum of the Latino and Puerto Rican experience. "I am so pleased to have been able to help with this beautiful new Bronx Library," said Roger Hertog, who contributed the lead private gift for the project. "My wife Susan and I both grew up in the Bronx where the branch libraries enhanced and augmented our public school education. Advances in technology and educational philosophy have redefined the mission of libraries, converting them from book repositories to community resource centers. We are grateful for the privilege of being part of this process, and hope that this state-of-the-art library will serve the diverse and multi-faceted needs of this community well." [Bronx Library Center Overview Fact Sheet] Architecture and Design
Designed by Dattner Architects, the entire street elevation is faced with a high performance curtain wall that provides abundant natural light to all collection areas while preventing glare. Exterior horizontal fins on the face of the building control light entering the building and horizontal light shelves mounted on the interior of the windows bounce light deep into the collection areas. With daylight such an integral component of the design, the color scheme of furnishings throughout the building is subdued, allowing natural light to display and change the natural textures of stone, wood, and masonry. Wood surfaces are maple with a clear finish. A durable laminate with a maple pattern was used in locations that will receive heavy wear. The fourth-floor ceiling is covered with perforated acoustic maple panels. Information desks are red for high visibility; durable upholstery is black in the adult section, blue in the young adult area, and a variety of bright hues in the children's rooms. Elegant terrazzo lines the floors of the main entrance and concourse-level entrance, with carpet in the auditorium and fourth-floor reference area. Stairway walls are accented with channel glass that diffuses light from the outdoors and the interior fluorescent lighting. Minnesota granite on the building's exterior and interior complements the brick texture of the library's surrounding neighborhood. Its signature swooping roof soars 80 feet from the sidewalk at its highest point, and is also an ingenious design feature that allows for a fifth-floor mezzanine. Approximately 80 percent of the building's wood-based materials were grown in environmentally responsible forests; over 90 percent of demolition debris was recycled; and 55 percent of its construction materials were manufactured within 500 miles of the site. The building's energy usage is projected to outperform the state energy code by 20 percent. A special highlight of the center is renowned artist Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle's award-winning Portrait of a Young Reader. Located on the staircase and walls leading from the Concourse Level to the First Floor, this stunning large-scale artwork is a scientifically accurate, yet abstract DNA portrait of an anonymous young person rendered in steel and colored glass. Collections and Services
With 78,000 square feet and 127 computers for public use, the new library triples the capacity of the former borough center, nearby Fordham Library Center, which served as the Bronx's central branch since 1923. The new facility's expanded circulating and reference collections, spacious reading areas with wireless connectivity, and multilingual materials will be utilized by the hundreds of thousands of users who annually accessed the more than 125,000 books, periodicals, and multimedia items housed at the former Borough Center and which number 200,000 at the new Library Center. Accessing the Library Center's vast collections has never been easier for children, young adults, fans of fiction and non-fiction, and researchers, with sleek, user-friendly checkout stations, plentiful reference desks, and additional seating. From story time programs and craft workshops for infants and toddlers in the spacious new Story Hour Room to computer training and career counseling, a multitude of specialized services have been designed to meet the ever-changing needs of the community. The Borough's largest Center for Reading and Writing is located within the library, and advanced assistive technologies are available for the hearing- and visually-impaired. Educational and cultural programs as well as multimedia exhibitions will be presented at the Library Center. The library's Latino and Puerto Rican Cultural Center offers 20,000 volumes of fiction and non-fiction in English and Spanish, ranging from scholarly works on history and culture to popular fiction by both internationally-renowned and local authors. Educational and career workshops, and extensive databases in English and Spanish, are available. A wide range of educational and cultural programs and exhibitions reflecting both individual cultural experiences and the broader Latino culture will be hosted at the Library Center. "Urban libraries are microcosms of the city they serve," said Daniel Heuberger of Dattner Architects. "No longer simply storehouses for books, libraries are expected to fulfill the needs of a multicultural and multilingual clientele in an era of rapid technological change. The design of the new Bronx Library Center, represented most singularly by its open glass façade, communicates a sense of its internal activity and multiple functions and spaces to the neighborhood." Support for cultural programming at the Bronx Library Center has been provided by Bank of America. "This state-of-the-art Library Center will serve as a tremendous resource for the Bronx community," said Alan Rappaport, New York Market President for Bank of America. "This partnership with The New York Public Library is evidence of Bank of America's ongoing commitment to the city and to neighborhood excellence. As our presence in New York grows, so too does our focus on being an integral part of the city's civic landscape." The New York Community Trust has also provided funding for cultural programming at the Library Center. Bronx Library Center Hours Fact Sheets This building was generously funded by The State of New York: George E. Pataki, Governor; Charles A. Gargano, Chairman, Empire State Development Corporation; the New York State Assembly and Assemblyman José Rivera; and The City of New York: Michael R. Bloomberg, Mayor; Christine C. Quinn, City Council Speaker; Adolfo Carrión, Jr., Bronx Borough President; the Bronx City Council Delegation and City Council Majority Leader Joel Rivera. A major grant from Roger and Susan Hertog provided lead private support for the Bronx Library Center. Support for cultural programming was provided by a generous grant from Bank of America, with additional funding from the New York Community Trust. ### Contact: Gayle Snible 212.704.8600 gs:01.09.06:nypl002.1
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