An Important Update About NYPL's Grand Central Library

The New York Public Library has decided that it will not renew the lease on its Grand Central branch, a temporary location that opened in 2009. The lease expires at the end of this year, so the branch will cease operations beginning December 1, 2022.

This decision was not easy, but after careful consideration, it is clear it is the right one. The Grand Central Library was opened in a leased space on 135 East 46th Street in 2009 to accommodate patrons during construction of the 53rd Street Library. While the library was always meant to be a temporary branch, the lease was extended in 2015, as construction on 53rd Street was not complete, and the Library knew work would soon begin on a full renovation of its central circulating branch, now called the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL).

The Grand Central Library served midtown admirably, but now, with both 53rd Street and the 180,000-square-foot SNFL open nearby—two of the largest and most modern libraries in The New York Public Library system, representing a nearly $225 million investment in midtown we can no longer maintain this third, much smaller branch in close proximity to these new bigger branches. The Library has limited resources to serve this diverse city, and needs to be strategic and equitable about how it maintains its system and footprint. It is a challenge that requires tough decisions and this is one of them. 

While we understand this news is difficult—communities grow to love their libraries, even if they are temporary sites—what made the Grand Central Library so special was its staff. The six full-time staff from Grand Central will continue to do amazing work throughout the NYPL system, and we are working to ensure that some of the great programming that took place at Grand Central continues to happen at nearby locations. All of the books at Grand Central will also remain in the Library’s collection, accessible by request from any location (as always).

We encourage you to visit SNFL or the 53rd Street Library, both of which offer wonderful experiences. And thank you for embracing Grand Central Library, which did a superb job serving the midtown community while critical branch improvements were made.