Paperback writers, rejoice: the long and winding reconstruction of the New York Public Library’s biggest branch is almost complete.
The former Mid-Manhattan Library at 40th Street and Fifth Avenue will reopen June 1 after a three-year upgrade project — followed by a year-long near-shutdown due to coronavirus.
With a little help from their friends, Clifford the Big Red Dog and a giant stuffed giraffe moved into their new digs Thursday, 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 NYPL recently put the finishing touches on the eight-floor, $200 million redo of the system’s largest circulating facility.
The building, now known as 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.