Reimagining the Library for the Future

NYPL is reimagining its libraries for the future... open, active, and democratic hubs where New Yorkers of all ages and all backgrounds can come together to find inspiration, create new ideas, and forge communities. We want to hear from you about what you want your library to look like. Read about our plan and join the discussion. Help build the Library for the Future that New Yorkers need and deserve. READ MORE >>

On May 22, 2012, magazine n+1 hosted a public forum on NYPL's Central Library Plan at the New School. National Book Critics Circle President Eric Banks moderated the discussion, and panelists included NYPL President Anthony Marx, NYPL Trustee Robert Darnton, n+1 associate editor Charles Petersen, Professor of Social Science at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton Joan Wallach Scott, architect and preservationist Mark Alan Hewitt and CUNY Graduate Center Professor of History David Nasaw. WATCH THE VIDEO  >>

NEW YORK CITY NEWSPAPERS PRAISE NYPL'S PLANS: In a May 9 editorial, The New York Times called proposals for the 42nd Street Library "both necessary and forward-thinking." Meanwhile, the Daily News wrote on May 7 that the plan "promises to well serve the city." SEE ALL NEWS >>  

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED: NYPL President Anthony Marx responds to user questions submitted to this site in The Huffington Post. “Our absolute priority,” he writes, “is to preserve the integrity of the Library and its collections” and the quality services we offer. READ THE FULL ARTICLE >>

EXPANDING ESOL PROGRAMS (English for Speakers of Other Languages): Two of the NYPL’s ESOL experts discuss and take questions about plans to expand services in adult literacy and ESOL. READ THE TRANSCRIPT >>

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

“I keep getting appeals from the library saying that if City funding is cut, branches will have to reduce hours, cut book acquisition, etc. Yet the ‘re-imagining’ plans described on your site will clearly cost billions, and speak of expanding hours, services, technology, etc. Is the library rich or poor?”

—  Susan E. Fridie, a regular NYPL patron who got her first library card in 1958.

READ THE FULL ANSWER IN THE FAQ section >>