The New York Public Library

New York Public Library is one of the three public libraries (besides Brooklyn and Queens) in New York as well as one of the leading world’s libraries. Its main building is located on the Fifth Avenue between 40th and 42nd Streets, right next to the Bryant Park. It is one of four libraries that comprise New York Public Library’s Research Libraries and it is specified on the Humanities and Social Sciences.

The organization of New York Public Library was established in 1895, on May 23. John Bigelow combined resources of another three men to create "The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations" (Astor and Lenox supported with books from their previous libraries, Tilden’s bequest was aimed to create a public library). In 1901 the Public Library consolidated with The New York Free Circulating Library and Andrew Carnegie donated money to create new branches that would be maintained by New York. The New York Public Library is thus a partnership of city government with private philanthropy. Nowadays, it has 86 branches. Its collection contains more than 5,800,000 books. To most priceless exemplars belongs for example Gutenberg Bible of Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica.

The Fifth Avenue building was built in Beaux-Arts style according to the design of Carrère and Hastings, in 1897 – 1911. The building was dedicated on May 23 and opened next day. Lions on both sides of the entrance, created by Edward Clark Potter, were originally named Leo Lenox and Leo Astor, during the Great Depression renamed by Fiorello LaGuardia to Patience and Fortitude.

In the 1980s the library added more than 12,000 square metres (125,000 square feet) of space to its storage capacity. It is located beyond the ground level, under the Bryant Park which had to be closed during the works.