About the Baychester Library

The Baychester branch of The New York Public Library has been serving Co-op City and the surrounding community since it opened on March 13, 1973. The Baychester Library’s staff is dedicated to providing information, education, culture, and inspiration to the community of Co-op City. We encourage our patrons to pursue life-long learning, the enjoyment of books, CDs, DVDs, online resources, and free programs at our library.

A spruce-up of the Baychester library in 2003 provided: 22 public computers for adults, young adults, and children; new shelving for non-print materials, lighting, flooring, ceiling tiles, furniture, and circulation desk; and a refurbished community room. At the celebration of the library’s reopening after the renovation, Assemblyman Stephen B. Kaufman, who was a key contributor to the renovation, stressed the importance of this new access to computers and other materials.

Located in the Bartow Shopping Mall, the Baychester library is a very popular resource for community residents, and this contributes to it being one of the busiest branches in the Bronx. The separate adult, young adult, and children’s collections, as well as the reference, magazines, and media collections, are housed on one spacious floor, and all are wheelchair accessible. Library users can access computers and receive assistance from trained staff. The Baychester library also offers a variety of educational and recreational programs in the 70-seat community room for children, teens, and adults on a regular basis.

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Library Site Manager: Leslie Brown, 718-379-6733
Children’s Services: Arianna Gonzalez, 718-379-6700
Young Adult Services: Vijay Kumar, 718-379-6700
Adult Service: Vijay Kumar, 718-379-6700

Community District Information

For more information about your Community District, including census data, community board information, local schools, and other resources, see here.