Library Stuff

WSJ – “Passions are being roiled around the city by what some see as the nefarious actions of the trustees of the New York Public Library. The story to date: to consolidate its holdings, update its infrastructure and strengthen its endowment, the NYPL intends to sell two large mid-town branches, and to oust seven stories of closed stacks in the main research library on 42nd and Fifth to make room for a lending library, and maybe a coffee shop. There are good reasons to deplore certain aspects of this plan, as NYPL trustee Robert Darnton notes in his measured essay in the June 7 issue of The New York Review of Books. Chief among these is the loss of storage space – according to Darnton, approximately half of the books now stored in the stacks will be moved to the ReCAP facility in Princeton, requiring researchers to order them twenty-four hours in advance.”

Village Voice – “Yes, books and reading and anything that involves words on actual paper are totally screwed. But that doesn’t mean New York City libraries aren’t valuable! That was kind of the message behind Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s announcement this morning that he is expanding the city’s efforts to help unemployed New Yorkers find jobs through partnerships with public libraries.”

LA Times – “Bibliophiles can turn to several tourist spots in New York City, including the public library and Book Row, to get a good read on the printed word and its writers.”