1. Whether carving a house out of rock or engineering a gizmo that opens a ceiling to the sky, architect Tom Kundig connects people with nature and architecture, which is why we’re thrilled he’ll be at the Library tomorrow  to share his innovative designs and discuss the beauty of architecture with Town & Country’s own Mark Rozzo.

  2. For you history buffs out there, boy do we have a treat for you. Tomorrow at The New York Public Library’s Hudson Park Branch (66 Leroy Street, off Seventh Ave. South) preeminent historian Eric Foner will be discussing his 2011 Pulitzer Prize winning book The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery. The program begins at 2 pm and admission is free. 

    For you history buffs out there, boy do we have a treat for you. Tomorrow at The New York Public Library’s Hudson Park Branch (66 Leroy Street, off Seventh Ave. South) preeminent historian Eric Foner will be discussing his 2011 Pulitzer Prize winning book The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery. The program begins at 2 pm and admission is free. 

  3. Examining Pop Culture’s Heroes, and Himself →

    “‘Pulp­­head’ is the best, and most important, collection of magazine writing since [David Foster] Wallace’s ‘A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again.’”  - says New York Times reviewer Gideon Lewis-Kraus. And you can hear about it for yourself at NYPL on December 15 when Pulphead’s author John Jeremiah Sullivan discusses his latest work with fellow acclaimed author Wells Tower (both were fellows at the Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers).  

  4. Are You Experienced?

    Actually, the question we want to know is: Where will you be tomorrow night at 6pm? We think you should be at the Library where New York Times art critic Ken Johnson, author of Are You Experienced?: How Psychedelic Consciousness Transformed Modern Art, will discuss the book’s thought-provoking look at art through the lens of psychedelic experience and culture with artists Deborah Kass (of the image above) and Chris Martin. 

    Intrigued? See you tomorrow night!

  5. Read Away Your Overdue Book Fines!

    So let’s face reality - everyone forgets to bring back Library books sometimes. And when they do, they rack up fines. Sure, the fines aren’t that steep, but over time, they can add up. Here at NYPL, if you rack up $15 or more in fines, your card gets blocked and you can’t check out books anymore … and that’s sad. In this economy, even a small amount of money might be too much for some families, so one forgotten returned book becomes the end of the library for a while. So this summer, we are helping kids eliminate those fines (whether they be $1, $15 or more) with our new Read Down Your Fines program! Kids should sign up for our Summer Reading Program, then head down to their local library and explain that they want to read down their fines. For every 15 minutes they read, they get $1 off their fine. Great, right? We think so. Our priority is to get kids in the library, reading and learning all summer. So this is what we’re trying. This program goes until Sept. 9 - so hop to it! And in the meantime, enjoy the image above from the early 20th Century of “Heidi and Her Uncle Reading” from our Mid-Manhattan Picture Collection.

  6. Come See The LEGO Lions - One Weekend Only!

    OK, people. It’s finally here - our weekend Centennial festival to celebrate the 100th birthday of our landmark Stephen A. Schwarzman Building. There are TONS of amazing things to do at the building today, such as take a rare Stack tour (first come, first served), eat free ice cream from Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory (while supplies last), watch Gabriel Byrne talk, listen to library stories at The Moth, go to an exhibit with 250 amazing artifacts from our collection, see a magic show or a production of Alice In Wonderland with your kids, watch NY Classical Theatre do a rehearsal of a rarely performed Moliere play or … see two replicas of our iconic lions Patience and Fortitude made out of LEGO! Done by artist Nathan Sawaya in honor of our 100th birthday, they will be outside of the building today and tomorrow … and that’s it! So come to 42 Street and Fifth Avenue and say hi to us! We’ll be Tumbling photos throughout the day of the festivities, so come join us!!!!!

  7. Cool Book-Related Event: Diary Of A Wimpy Kid Cast

    The “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series is one of the Library’s most popular amongst kids, so we’re letting our loyal patrons know about a cool event happening at the Barnes and Noble at 97 Warren Street in downtown Manhattan at 4 pm today - author Jeff Kinney and the cast of the new 20th Century Fox film “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules” will be appearing and signing books. Nice, huh? If you can’t make it (or if, for shame, you haven’t read these books yet) stop by the Library and check one out!  

  8. Get Blindfolded At The Library - It’s Art!

    Looking for something free and fun to do Saturday at around 2 pm? Go to our Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library at 40 W 20th Street in Chelsea and check out dance group Dana Salisbury and the No-See-Ums, who will perform “Bark,” one of their original “unseen dances.” See, after you arrive, they’ll take your stuff, blindfold you, walk you into the theater and spend the next 45 minutes or so dancing around you while making noises. They also move you, ask you to lay on the floor, ask you to stand, ask you to sit and so on. At first, it seems a wee bit weird. By the end, it’s simply amazing. You really feel like you’ve gone on a trip or something. The dance forces your other senses to come alive, and your imagination really runs wild. It’s very cool. Check out what WNYC and the Staten Island Advance wrote about it. Now go and see for yourself! Want more info? Get it here.



  9. Want To Not See Something Cool This Weekend?

    Looking for something fun to do this weekend? Head to the Richmondtown Library (200 Clarke Avenue at Amber Street in Staten Island) at 2 p.m. on Saturday to see Dana Salisbury and the No-See-Ums perform “BARK,” one of their original “unseen dances.” Audience members are blindfolded and brought into the performance space, then dancers perform all around them, occasionally asking them to stand up or sit down. The audience then experiences dance through sense other than sight. Neat, right? The program (which was written about in the Staten Island Advance and will happen at three other branches in Manhattan on Saturdays throughout March) is being brought to NYPL by our Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library, which provides services to the blind (these dances are not specifically designed for the blind, FYI). Mark McCluski, head of that library, commented after watching a sample performance, “It’s like a carnival simulation ride, but without the machinery.” So come on down. It’s free! Below are the other performances. We can’t wait to not see you there!

    March 12 at 2 p.m.
    Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library
    40 West 20th Street New York, NY

    March 19 at 2 p.m.
    Webster Library
    1465 York Avenue (near E. 78th St.), New York, NY

    March 26 at 2 p.m.
    115th St Library
    203 West 115th Street, New York, NY

  10. Have you always wanted to learn Manuscript Illumination 101 without taking an entire college course on it? If so, this is definitely your week to stop by the Library and take advantage of our free programming!  The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts is in town from London and will be at several of our Library locations starting tomorrow and through this Wednesday, February 2. For these programs, the focus is on manuscript illumination (gold leaf, pigments, illuminated letters) and some calligraphy but more of a focus on design (symbolic content, artists’ intent, material choice). A drop in program (that’s right, get there any time you choose!) will be happening at the Three Faiths Scriptorium (at the Library on Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street) on Saturday, January 29 from 10am - 6 pm; Sunday, January 30 from 1-5 pm; Monday, January 31; and Tuesday, February 1 and Wednesday, February 2 from 11:30 am - 5:30 pm. A children’s program is happening this Sunday, January 30 from 1:30-3:30 pm in the Children’s Center at 42nd Street. Additional programming is happening at several of our other branches as well. This winter weather gives a great opportunity to uncover your artistic side, so we hope you join us!  For information on any Three Faiths-related proramming, visit the Three Faiths website. These programs have been supported through the generosity of the Coexist Foundation.

    Have you always wanted to learn Manuscript Illumination 101 without taking an entire college course on it? If so, this is definitely your week to stop by the Library and take advantage of our free programming!  The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts is in town from London and will be at several of our Library locations starting tomorrow and through this Wednesday, February 2. For these programs, the focus is on manuscript illumination (gold leaf, pigments, illuminated letters) and some calligraphy but more of a focus on design (symbolic content, artists’ intent, material choice).

    A drop in program (that’s right, get there any time you choose!) will be happening at the Three Faiths Scriptorium (at the Library on Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street) on Saturday, January 29 from 10am - 6 pm; Sunday, January 30 from 1-5 pm; Monday, January 31; and Tuesday, February 1 and Wednesday, February 2 from 11:30 am - 5:30 pm. A children’s program is happening this Sunday, January 30 from 1:30-3:30 pm in the Children’s Center at 42nd Street. Additional programming is happening at several of our other branches as well.


    This winter weather gives a great opportunity to uncover your artistic side, so we hope you join us!  For information on any Three Faiths-related proramming, visit the Three Faiths website.

    These programs have been supported through the generosity of the Coexist Foundation.