and
museums. It holds special exhibitions, meetings, and celebrations of
interest to children and to parents. Between fifty and sixty reading
clubs for the older boys and girls meet at the Branch Libraries. Groups
of children gather in the Branches from November to May, to attend
"story hours."

=Lectures and meetings.= The Branches are used as meeting places by
literary, educational and social organizations and clubs. Assembly rooms
in the Branches are open for any meeting of an instructive or literary
nature, provided that no admission fee is charged, and that nothing of a
political or sectarian character is discussed. Many classes of
foreigners learning English meet regularly in the Branch Libraries.

[Illustration: AT A STORY HOUR]

HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE LIBRARY

The New York Public Library, as it exists to-day, is the result of the
generosity of a few private citizens, combined with the efforts of the
City itself. Its corporate existence, in its present form, began on May
23, 1895, by the consolidation of: "The Trustees of the Astor Library,"
"The Trustees of the Lenox Library," and "The Tilden Trust."

[Illustration: LIBRARY'S INSTRUCTOR TEACHING THE BLIND TO READ]

[Illustration: READING WITH THE FINGERS IN THE LIBRARY FOR THE BLIND]

=The Astor Library=, originally incorporated in 1849, was founded by John
Jacob Astor. His gifts, together with those of his sons and grandsons,
amounted to about $1,700,000. Washington Irving was the first
President of the Library, and Joseph Green Cogswell its first
Superintendent, or Librarian. In its building on Lafayette Place (now
Lafayette Street) it was for many years one of the literary landmarks of
New York. At the time of its consolidation with The New York Public
Library it had an endowment fund of about $941,000, which produced an
annual income of about $47,000. It contained then 266,147 volumes. It
was solely a reference library,--the funds were given with the
understanding that the books should not be lent for use outside the
building.

[Illustration: SUMMER AFTERNOON STORY HOUR]

[Illustration: CORNER OF CHILDREN'S READING ROOM, HARLEM LIBRARY
BRANCH]

=The Lenox Library.= James Lenox, one of America's greatest book
collectors, was born in New York City in 1800 and died there in 1880. In
1870, by the incorporation of the Lenox Library, he gave to the city of
his birth his books and art treasures. The building, which formerly
stood on Fifth Av