Print Publications: Reference

Rarity Revealed: The Benjamin K. Miller Collection

Scott R. Trepel with Ken Lawrence

The Benjamin K. Miller Collection of U.S. Postage Stamps, considered one of the outstanding collections of U.S. stamps in the world, has been in the keeping of The New York Public Library for over 80 years. Rarity Revealed tells for the first time the story of Benjamin K. Miller and his legendary collection, which includes many rarities, including philately's most famous error, the 24-cent Inverted "Jenny" and a 1-cent Z Grill, the rarest and most valuable of all U.S. stamps. The Miller collection was on prominent display at the Library for more than 50 years until, in 1977, it was placed in secure storage after a theft of some of the stamps. In 2006 and 2007 the stamps will be on

184 pages, 200 color illustrations. Published by Smithsonian National Postal Museum and The New York Public Library, 2006.

The New York Public Library American History Desk Reference, 2nd edition, revised and expanded

"The New York Public Library American History Desk Reference is a handy and indispensable reference useful for more than just looking up the odd fact. It offers a complete look at the varied aspects of American History…. I can think of few better books to have on a deserted island."

-- Douglas Brinkley, historian and author, from the Introduction

Providing a compact, easy-to-use overview of the fascinating story of America, The New York Public Library American History Desk Reference is packed with information on a variety of topics from military and foreign affairs to education and science. Organized

576 pages, Illustrated. Published by Hyperion, 2003.

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The New York Public Library's Your Home Library Kit

Kathie Coblentz

Including software CD and book, Guide to Organizing a Home Library, by Kathie Coblentz"... a bibliophile's dream come true ..." -- Bookreporter.com In her Guide to Organizing a Home Library, the central feature of this new kit, Kathie Coblentz has deftly adapted the expertise and methods of librarianship for the individual book buyer and collector. Her smart, down-to-earth advice for assessing, organizing, culling, cataloguing, maintaining, and expanding a home library celebrates the myriad joys of being a book lover, and addresses such issues as evaluating and organizing a collection, and keeping it in place with bookends and shelves

130 pages.Published by Running Press, 2003.

The New York Public Library Amazing U.S. Geography

Andrea Sutcliffe

Guided by author Andrea Sutcliffe, follow a chinook over the Rocky Mountains. Trace the course of the Mississippi River from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. Discover where gold is mined and fish are farmed in the United States. Explore our fascinating nation from Alabama to Wyoming, and find answers to all your questions about U.S. geography.

Where is the highest waterfall in the United States? What is a sand sea? Why does California have so many earthquakes? Why are people from new England called Yankees? How many U.S. presidents were born in Ohio? Where did the Santa Fe READ MORE ›Read More ›

170 pages, illustrated. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2002.

The New York Public Library Desk Reference, 4th edition

"A veritable research goldmine…" — New York magazine (praise for earlier editions) In today's fast-paced world, where do you turn for answers when you are not at your computer? To The New York Public Library Desk Reference, the ultimate one-volume resource for quick answers to all your questions. For over 12 years, the Desk Reference has been the home reference of choice for thousands of users. Now it's back in a fourth edition that is as comprehensive and easy-to-use as ever. Fully updated with more than 1,000 pages, including an all-new atlas and index, The New York Public Library Desk Reference is packed with answers to READ

1,015 pages.Published by Hyperion, 2002.

Hardcover. $34.95.
Available online from The Library Shop

The New York Public Library Amazing World Geography: A Book of Answers for Kids

Andrea Sutcliffe

Guided by author Andrea Sutcliffe, follow the Ring of Fire from New Zealand to South America. Navigate the Blue Nile and walk the Great Wall of China. Meet the first person to reach the South Pole and witness the "Green Revolution" in India. Explore the people, landscapes, and languages of our fascinating planet and uncover the answers to all your questions about world geography . . .

How old is the earth? Can volcanoes form underwater? What are maquiladoras? Why are rain forests so important? Where and what are the Pillars of Hercules? Is the Red Sea really red? READ MORE ›Read More ›

176 pages, illustrated. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2002.

The New York Public Library Amazing Scientists

Jim Callan

In this entry in this series, Jim Callan introduces young readers to the findings of some of the world's greatest scientists. Discover the moons of Jupiter with Galileo. Uncover the science of radiation with Madame Curie. Travel forward in time with Einstein. Find out how scientists learned to cure diseases, how they discovered gravity, and how they determined the structure of the atom.

What is the Hippocratic Oath? How did Archimedes single-handedly hold off the entire Roman army? Which famous physician learned about human anatomy in a gladiator ring? What is natural selection? What was the READ MORE Read More ›

172 pages, illustrated. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2001.

The New York Public Library Amazing Explorers

Brendan January

In this entry in the Library's popular series, Brendan January invites young readers to journey through history. Sail down the Ivory Coast with the ancient Phoenicians. Meet the Kublai Khan with Marco Polo. Join the Antarctic explorers in their race to reach the South Pole. Discover vast new lands, plumb the depths of the deepest oceans, and venture into outer space. Find answers to everything you've ever wanted to know about the world's greatest adventurers and explorers ...

Who was the greatest general & explorer of the ancient world? What was the Silk Road? What caused the Age of Exploration? What was considered Read More ›

169 pages, illustrated. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2001.

Rare Polonica in The New York Public Library: Books of the 15th-18th Centuries

Documenting one of the most significant collections of its kind in the United States, Rare Polonica is an important guide for scholars, librarians, and bibliophiles to 514 volumes dating from the 15th through the 18th centuries held by The New York Public Library. Materials include books printed in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth; books printed outside of the homelands by Polish printers; titles by ethnic Polish writers, regardless of place of imprint or language of publication; and works by non-Polish writers printed in the Polish language, or on subjects connected with Poland and/or the Rzeczpospolita. Among the works documented are many early

227 pages.Published by Norman Ross Publishing, Inc., 2001.

Hardcover. $80.00.
Available online from The Library Shop

The New York Public Library Amazing Mythology

Brendan January

In this entry in the Library's popular series, Brendan January offers an interesting and informative answer book on mythology, through questions such as:

192 pages, illustrated. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2000.