The New York Public Library Celebrates Centennial of George Bruce Branch in Harlem on June 2

June 2 – The New York Public Library is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the George Bruce branch moving to Harlem. Initially located on West 42nd Street, the George Bruce Library moved north on June 2, 1915 after the construction of a Carrere and Hastings-designed building at 518 West 125 Street. A full day of free family-friendly activities have been planned to mark the occasion and will feature remarks from NYPL President Tony Marx and community leaders.

“The George Bruce Library has served New York City for over a century, strengthening its community and providing the public with critical services needed to succeed and grow,” said NYPL President Tony Marx. “George Bruce has been a cherished part of the Harlem community for 100 years; we will be proud to keep serving its residents for the next 100 and beyond.”    

The branch has planned a wide variety of activities for the community to enjoy:

• An oral history booth, where local residents can record their memories of the neighborhood and the Library itself,
• Art and music programming for children and teens,
• A dance demonstration from local performing arts group,
• Musical performance by local musician Warren Adams, Jr.,
• A slideshow of historic images that chronicle the Library's rich past and vibrant present.

The popular branch is a go-to resource for the community. Library patrons checked out over 100,000 materials last year with top titles including TASC: Test Assessing Secondary Completion, Letters to an Incarcerated Brother, The Complete Houseplant Survival Manual and The Fault in Our Stars. More than 12,000 people attended programs, such as NYPL TechConnect (which provides technology workshops to the public), NYPL’s after-school program Innovation Labs, and Baby Playtime that supports early childhood literacy.

George Bruce was a well-known typefounder and inventor of printing machinery. In 1877, his daughter Catherine contributes $50,000 for the construction of a library in memory of her father. Completed in 1888, the original George Bruce Library was located in Midtown. After the completion of the main branch at 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue, the George Bruce Library moved to Harlem into a handsome brick and sandstone building.

“Every neighborhood deserves a first-class library, and today we celebrate the George Bruce branch’s 100 years of service here in the heart of Harlem,” said Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer. “This library checked out more than 100,000 books and other materials in the last year and has been a true community resource for generations.”

“George Bruce Library has been a treasured part of the Harlem community for the past 100 years. Their wide literary selections and diverse educational programs appeal to New Yorkers from all backgrounds and promote a genuine passion for learning. It is my hope that George Bruce Library will be a resource for the Harlem community for many years to come, and I congratulate the library’s many dedicated staff and volunteers on this momentous occasion,” said Council Member Mark Levine.

“As the representative of the 69th District for the past thirteen years, I am consistently impressed by the staff’s efforts at George Bruce Library to cultivate a love of learning in individuals of all ages in the community. I have worked with the librarians of George Bruce for many years on my annual book festivals and know that they are a caring and compassionate group. I am honored to take part in the Library’s celebration of 100 years of being in Harlem, and I look forward to seeing what George Bruce will do in the future. Congratulations on 100 years,” said Assembly Member Daniel J. O’Donnell

The George Bruce Library - located at 518 West 125 Street - is open: Monday, 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Tuesday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Wednesday, 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Thursday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.;  Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

About The New York Public Library

The New York Public Library is a free provider of education and information for the people of New York and beyond. With 92 locations—including research and branch libraries—throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, the Library offers free materials, computer access, classes, exhibitions, programming and more to everyone from toddlers to scholars, and has seen record numbers of attendance and circulation in recent years. The New York Public Library serves more than 18 million patrons who come through its doors annually and millions more around the globe who use its resources at www.nypl.org. To offer this wide array of free programming, The New York Public Library relies on both public and private funding. Learn more about how to support the Library at nypl.org/support.