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The main branch of the New York Public Library is one of the city’s major attractions, so it’s no surprise that it gets more of the public’s attention than its Midtown branch just a couple of blocks south at Fifth Avenue and 40th Street. And yes, compared to the main library’s imposing building and famed reading room, the midtown facility (a circulation library which opened during the 1970s in a space originally intended for a department store) is a dowdy affair indeed. All that, however is likely to change, thanks to a much need renovation of the place scheduled for 2018.
Among the notable features: A larger public space that will incorporate five floors of open stacks, as well as a rooftop terrace. Children and teen libraries will be added along with an adult learning center and a business library. With any luck, if everything goes according to plan, the refresh should earn the Midtown branch a lot more love from city bibliophiles.