York Public Library]

THIS BUILDING IS ERECTED
UPON A PART OF THE COMMON LANDS
WHICH WERE GRANTED BY ROYAL CHARTER
TO THE MAYOR ALDERMEN AND COMMONALTY
OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK
IN 1686,
THE SECOND YEAR OF THE REIGN OF JAMES THE SECOND
KING OF ENGLAND.

THE CITY OF NEW YORK IN 1897,
WILLIAM L. STRONG BEING MAYOR,
UNDERTOOK TO CONSTRUCT,
AT THE PUBLIC EXPENSE,
A BUILDING UPON THIS SITE
TO BE USED AND OCCUPIED BY
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY,
ASTOR, LENOX AND TILDEN FOUNDATIONS
SO LONG AS IT SHOULD MAINTAIN HEREIN
A FREE LIBRARY AND READING ROOM FOR THE PEOPLE.

WORK WAS BEGUN BY THE CITY IN 1899,
ROBERT ANDERSON VAN WYCK BEING MAYOR.
THE CORNERSTONE WAS LAID IN 1902,
SETH LOW BEING MAYOR.
THE BUILDING WAS COMPLETED IN 1909,
GEORGE BRINTON McCLELLAN BEING MAYOR.
IT WAS OCCUPIED AND OPENED TO THE PUBLIC IN 1911
WILLIAM JAY GAYNOR BEING MAYOR.

[Illustration: NORTH STAIRCASE]

=Central Circulation Branch= (sign over door reads, "Circulating Library")
(No. 80). This is one of the forty-four Branches of The New York Public
Library, intended for the circulation of books for home use. In this
instance alone the Branch is situated in the Central Building and is
supported by the funds of the Library and not by the City. The room is
interesting because of its activity. The view of it reproduced in this
book had to be taken when but few people were there, but during
afternoons and evenings, especially in the autumn, winter, and spring
months, the room is frequently over-crowded with readers and borrowers
of books. As over 500,000 books were borrowed from this one room during
1915 it may be said that there are few, if any, busier library rooms in
the country, or, indeed, in the world. There is a collection of over
50,000 books, with a reserve collection of somewhat more than 70,000.
The room is open 9 a. m. to 10 p. m. week days, including all holidays,
and 2 to 6 p. m. on Sundays.

=Children's Room.= Near the 42nd Street entrance a corridor runs east to
the Children's Room (No. 78). The visitor to the building should not
fail to see this room, with its attractive furnishings, its collections
of brightly colored picture-books, and pictures.

The object of the room is not only to perform the usual work of a
children's room, but also to interest and help parents and others in
selecting children's reading. Authors, artists, and publishers com