New York City Public Library
Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street
On the most beautiful spring day, I spent several hours at the New York City Public Library. There were three books I absolutely had to look at, and I knew they were there because I had checked their card catalog. Once at the library, I went immediately to the Milstein Division (history and genealogy section), on the first floor. See posts about two previous (interesting visits) I was there, HERE. Photos below show the open stacks and no library card is needed. However, I needed one because I wanted books in the closed stack area. I applied for it and received it almost immediately. For the books I wanted, I had to fill out a request form for each book. An employee retrieved them and I was looking at them within minutes.
Milstein Division (history and genealogy section)
The Rose Reading Room, where non-genealogists go (above and below).
UPDATE 3/5/17: "This timelapse footage of 52,000 books being reshelved is strangely beautiful.
After closing for a two-year renovation, the New York Public Library's historic Rose Main Reading Room has finally reopened."
https://www.facebook.com/qznews/videos/1484476841586013/
Picking up requested books to look at on-site.
If you want to make copies, which I did, (60 at .15 each) you'll need to buy a copy card. I was very fortunate, since I was able to make them all at the same time, no line, and used the only one copy machine. I shudder to think if there were lots of people needing copies.
As indicated in my photos, it was a very quiet afternoon in the genealogy section, and only two people were in the microfilm room, located a few doors away! The next time I go, I intend to visit the Manuscripts and Archive Room, to see if I can find anything about one of the earliest families in Amsterdam / New York City, my Ten Eyck ancestors. That's a real goal of mine.