Dude. What’s Up With Your Library?
. . . . is what you might say to me if you met me on the street.
Apparently a frightening number of you read The New York Times architectural section on Wednesdays. Who knew? Had you done so yesterday you might have stumbled on a lovely little piece by Robin Pogrebin called, New York Public Library’s Donnell Branch to Share Space With Hotel. For those of you wondering why this should even matter, allow me to inform you that the Central Children’s Room of New York Public Library is located in the Donnell Branch. Where I work.
Here’s the point where I wimp out on you. Obviously I can’t give you scintillating bits of heresay and conjecture relating to the sale of my branch or what that might mean for yours truly. I can tell you the following bits of information, however.
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Everyone will be out of Donnell in one year’s time
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Winnie-the-Pooh and the N.C. Wyeth paintings will go the Humanities and Social Sciences Library (a.k.a. the-one-with-the-lions) while we are closed.
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There will be a temporary Donnell site during the construction
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More details as information is released (preferably through a nice little news source like the Times).
Stay tuned, faithful readers.
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About Betsy Bird
Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Kirkus, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on BlueSky at: @fuse8.bsky.social
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Betsy – I just started to write you an email, and decided to check your blog on this topic first. Sure enough – you delivered! Perhaps you can create your own personal book-mobile and just park it outside while the construction is underway. Or a book-cart like a hot-dog-cart.
I was thinking more along the lines of spreading a blanket on the floor somewhere in the Times Square subway station. I’d sign up people for library cards, talk up my favorite books… it’d be awesome. That’s the dream, eh?
Oh, that’s too bad (I guess?)….these old library buildings are so difficult. Surely they’re going to transfer the Donnell people…?
They say that they’re trying to avoid layoffs. That means I should start looking for other branches to work in. Oh, sweet and beautiful Jefferson Market . . . .
Oh god, Jefferson Market… insufferable yuppies… go to Brooklyn instead, or maybe WAY uptown…
I live way uptown, and trust me when I say that the yuppies in Morningside Heights are 500 times worse than anything I ever encountered at Jefferson Market. The thing about the rich folks at JMR is that they never go into a library. By contrast the truly horrible Columbia University folks LOVE going into Morningside Heights for the sole purpose of belittling the staff. Trust me, I’ve worked both places. JMR is pure heaven when you’re there.
JMR looks lovely from the black and white picture I see on NYPL’s site-would love to see what it looks like on the inside.
Do a Google image search of it sometime. That way you can see the cool stone carvings on the inside. Not to mention the stained glass, stucco, and the bricked areas where the jail cells used to be.