The New York Public Library: A Universe of Knowledge

This richly illustrated popular history tells the fascinating story of one of the great libraries of the world. Founded in 1895, three years before the consolidation of New York City's five boroughs, The New York Public Library grew with the city and today consists of internationally renowned scholarly research collections as well as a vast network of neighborhood libraries with popular collections for young and old. Virtually all its collections and services are freely available to all comers, with no questions asked. The construction of its Beaux Arts central building; the Carnegie gift that built 39 branches in the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island; the impact on its character and fortunes of such world events as immigration, the Russian Revolution, the Depression, and the information explosion; its superb collections of rare books and original manuscripts; and its educational role in an ethnically diverse city are all a part of the story of one of the nation's cultural treasures.