All the Details of the New York Public Library

Library architecture is a beloved subject here at The Scholarly Kitchen, and while in the past we’ve linked to a detailed look at the re-opening of the New York Public Library’s Rose Reading Room (and the re-shelving process), that represents only one room in one of New York’s most remarkable buildings. Here, the folks from Architectural Digest take a deep dive into the architecture of the library and its timeless style that lends such an air of formality and importance.

Beyond the actual architecture, this is a fun tour — you’ll learn the details of the library’s underground storage center, complete with an automated trolley system to deliver books. Other highlights include the library’s famous lions (named “Patience” and “Fortitude” by Mayor LaGuardia, for the two qualities New Yorkers needed most to get through the Great Depression), Charles Dickens’ writing table, and the original stuffed animals that inspired “Winnie The Pooh” (sans Roo, who apparently was lost on a family picnic in the 1930s).

David Crotty

@davidacrotty

David Crotty is a Senior Consultant at Clarke & Esposito, a boutique management consulting firm focused on strategic issues related to professional and academic publishing and information services. Previously, David was the Editorial Director, Journals Policy for Oxford University Press. He oversaw journal policy across OUP’s journals program, drove technological innovation, and served as an information officer. David acquired and managed a suite of research society-owned journals with OUP, and before that was the Executive Editor for Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, where he created and edited new science books and journals, along with serving as a journal Editor-in-Chief. He has served on the Board of Directors for the STM Association, the Society for Scholarly Publishing and CHOR, Inc., as well as The AAP-PSP Executive Council. David received his PhD in Genetics from Columbia University and did developmental neuroscience research at Caltech before moving from the bench to publishing.