Founded in 1895, The New York Public Library (NYPL) is the nation’s largest public library system, featuring 88 neighborhood branches throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island and four scholarly research centers. The Library’s world-renowned research collections include millions of treasures, from a copy of the Declaration of Independence handwritten by Thomas Jefferson to Virginia Woolf’s walking stick and Maya Angelou’s archives. 

HAVE NYPL LOCATIONS AND SERVICES BEEN CLOSED/SUSPENDED DUE TO COVID-19? Yes. All NYPL physical locations have been temporarily closed. Select NYPL services can be accessed remotely. Plans to reopen NYPL with limited service has begun. Visit "How to Access the Library's Digital Resources 24/7" to learn more. For updates to the NYPL's response to COVID-19, please visit www.nypl.org/about/coronavirus.