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Please note: Due to new Library policy, e-bikes, e-scooters, and electronic transportation devices are not permitted inside any NYPL location. This does not apply to mobility aids.
Request a Class Visit or Group Tour
Learn more about the Library’s wide array of free resources, classes, events, and more! Book an in-person or virtual class visit or group tour now.
Featured at Ottendorfer Library
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Get Event Updates for Ottendorfer Library
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Discover Books with Shelf Help
Don’t know what you're looking for? Try Shelf Help, NYPL’s new personalized book-selection service! Tell us your reading interests and our librarians will pick five books for you and have them sent to your branch for pickup!
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Explore All Online Classes & Events
People of all ages can engage with the Library through our online classes, programs, book clubs, and more
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Find Community Support Resources
During these challenging times, the Library is here to help our communities to find the resources they need.
For Kids
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Storytime at 6th and B Community Garden
Monday, June 5 | 10:30 AM -
Baby/ Toddler Storytime
Wednesday, June 7 | 10:30 AM -
Preschool Stories & Crafts
Wednesday, June 7 | 3:30 PM
For Teens
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Button Making (June 2023)
Monday, June 5 | 3 PM -
Gaming for Teens (June 2023)
Friday, June 9 | 3:30 PM -
Game Design with MakeCode Arcade (June 2023)
Monday, June 12 | 3 PM
For Adults
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Open Lab: Computer Basics
Tuesday, June 6 | 9:30 AM -
Open Lab: Computer Basics
Tuesday, June 13 | 9:30 AM -
The Bibliophiles In-Person Book Discussion: Herzog by Saul Bellow
Tuesday, June 13 | 5:30 PM
Current Showcases
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Mauro Carachini: Authorative
OngoingOttendorfer LibraryCurrently on display, nine works by Mauro Carachini: words and phrases, once uttered, replay in our minds. they take on meaning, and…
24/7 Resources
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E-Books & E-Audiobooks
Explore e-books and e-audiobooks available for free from NYPL—from children's books to bestsellers.
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Additional E-Materials & Databases
Discover bestselling magazines, world newspapers, streaming classical and world music, and more from home with your library card.
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Digital Collections
Search thousands of digitized items, including historic prints, photographs, maps, and manuscripts.
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From Our Blog
Check out explorations on a wide array of topics, programs, and services across the Library.
About the Library
The Ottendorfer Branch of the New York Public Library opened in 1884 as New York City's first free public library. Designed by German-born architect William Schickel, this landmark building combines Queen Anne and neo-Italian Renaissance styles with an exterior ornamented by innovative terracotta putti. The branch was a gift of Oswald Ottendorfer, owner of the New-Yorker Staats-Zeitung newspaper.
Learn more about this location Learn about capital construction projects at this location