Top 10 Best Libraries in Manhattan NYC

1. The Morgan Library and Museum

This is the private library of industrialist titan J.P. Morgan. It’s a private collection and museum that cannot be missed. Here, you’ll find original music manuscripts, Americana such as John Steinbeck’s original manuscripts and more. The building’s stunning architecture alone makes the library worth visiting.

2. Stephen A. Schwarzman Building – New York Public Library

This is the flagship location of the New York Public Library system. The building houses numerous collections of historical works, American and English literature, research literature, photographs, and more. The library’s Rose Main Reading Room is an iconic, grand reading hall perfect for immersing oneself in the library’s one of a kind literature.

3. Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture – NYPL

This is one of NYPL’s most renowned research facilities. Containing one of the largest collections of Black Literature, the Schomburg Center is a world leading cultural institution. They are entirely devoted to the research, preservation, and exhibition of materials focused on African American, African Diaspora, and African experiences.

4. Jefferson Market Library – New York Public Library

Jefferson Market Library is another branch of the New York Public Library system. The building is a National Historic Landmark, with impressive Gothic architecture reminiscent of a mini-castle. The building is currently undergoing improvements, and it will be exciting to see what the future brings for the library.

5. The Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library – NYPL

Heiskell Library is a vast collection of accessible reading material in the Flatiron District. They provide free reading materials to patrons who are blind, visually impaired, or are otherwise unable to read standard print. The formats include braille, apps, players, talking books, and more. Be sure to check out the group workshops.

6. The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center

As part of the NYPL system, the Library for the Performing Arts houses one of the world’s most wide-ranging and large-scale research collections of theater, film, dance, music, and recorded sound materials. There are a variety of collections circulating for the public, as well as special collections reserved for those who create a Special Collections Account.

7. Poets House

“Poets House is a comfortable, accessible place for poetry—a library and meeting place which invites poets and the public to step into the living tradition of poetry.   Poets House seeks to document the wealth and diversity of modern poetry, to stimulate dialogue on issues of poetry in culture, and to cultivate a wider audience for the art.” – Mission Statement pulled from organization’s website   Poets House is guided by their commitment to inclusivity and diversity. They seek to utilize the power of poetry to “promote a deeper conversation between individuals, communities, and cultures.”

8. New York Academy of Medicine

The New York Academy of Medicine’s library houses one of the most extensive, significant, and important collections of medicine and public health research information in the world. They seek to safeguard the heritage of medicine to inform the future of health. The materials include anatomical atlases, cardiology, cookery, dermatology, health, historical medicine of NYC, neurology and much more.

9. New York Society Library

The New York Society Library has a growing collection of nearly 300,000 volumes that reflect the locals’ interests over the years. The library has an extensive array of fiction and literature, as well as biographies, history, social sciences, the arts, travel, and books about the city.

10. National Archives at New York City

The National Archives at NYC hold permanent records created by Federal agencies and courts in NJ, NY, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. These archives hold everything from founding documents to family history, genealogy, and more. Many New Yorkers are able to tie their personal family history and roots back to the origin when they visit the research room.

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