Nearly All Branches To Open Monday, Nov. 5

The New York Public Library will open all but four of its branches in The Bronx, Manhattan and Staten Island on Monday, Nov. 5. The Library's facilities staff has worked around the clock since Hurricane Sandy repairing minor damage, clearing debris and battling power outages to prepare branches to reopen and serve the public. After a three-day systemwide closure due to the storm, branches started reopening on Nov. 1, and have been packed with New Yorkers charging their phones, using the Internet, enjoying free programming, reading books and just talking to their neighbors -- truly showing the resilient spirit of New York and the importance of libraries as centers of their communities. 

Library staff has worked hard to accommodate New Yorkers in the wake of the hurricane. Staff members whose branches were closed were redeployed to other libraries to serve the public, and additional free programming for kids and teens was often offered because public schools were closed. Additionally, the Library extended the due dates (waiving the fines) on 390,000 items due between October 26 and November 11 until November 13.

Press is invited to visit our branches and speak to New Yorkers using libraries in the wake of the storm. Open branches are operating on a slightly altered scheduled until Friday, Nov. 9, when regular hours are expected to resume. For exact hours, check www.nypl.org. 

The five NYPL branches that remain closed are Van Cortlandt, Hamilton Fish, Dongan Hills, and South Beach. The Library is working to get those branches open as soon as possible. 

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