Paperback writers, rejoice! The New York Public Library's (NYPL) transformed Central Circulating Branch, now known as the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library, will reopen on June 1.
The former Mid-Manhattan branch, located at 40th Street and 5th Avenue, will reopen after a three-year upgrade project, followed by a year-long near-shutdown due to coronavirus pandemic.
“Clifford the Big Red Dog and a giant stuffed giraffe moved into their new digs… as they and staffers crossed Fifth Avenue from their temporary home in the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, the library's iconic research branch, in a procession reminiscent of the Beatles' Abbey Road album cover,” the New York Post reported.
The $200 million redo is designed to be a highly aesthetic public space open to all New Yorkers and visitors alike.
"This donation is the culmination of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation's multi-year commitment to supporting libraries around the world," said NYPL President Tony Marx.
"Public libraries are a prime example of public institutions offering local communities a range of key services that go beyond book lending. The various roles that public libraries can play place them - today more than ever - at the centre of civil society," said Andreas Dracopoulos, Co-President and Director of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.
The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library features open stacks for 400,000 books, a full floor for kids and teens, and a publicly accessible rooftop terrace.
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