The retiring Head of Catalog looks back at the books, technology, and people that have made her time here unique.
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Marginalia
TODAY AT THE LIBRARY
Open 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
May 08, 2018The Library was proud to celebrate a handful of 2017's best books about New York City at our annual New York City
May 02, 2018Whether you choose books by method or serendipity, you can find favorites old and new in the stacks. - My Tab
Children
Creation Station
Repeats every week every Sunday and every Saturday until Mon May 21 2018. Saturday, May 5, 2018 - 12:00pm to 3:00pm
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Children's Library | All Ages | For Members Only | Free of Charge
On May weekends drop by the library to color, create or craft.
For Library members only.
Registration is not required for this drop-in activity.
Special Event
The Young Writers Awards Ceremony 2018
Monday, May 21, 2018 - 6:00pm
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For members and guests | Members' Room | free of charge | advance registration required
The Young Writers Awards honor excellent writing by young Library members. Award winners and participants are honored at a ceremony and reception, with writing advice and inspiration from the author judges.
Lecture
Caroline Weber, Proust's Duchess: How Three Celebrated Women Captured the Imagination of Fin-de-Siècle Paris
Wednesday, May 23, 2018 - 6:30pm
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Open to the Public | Members' Room | $15 per person | Advance registration required
From the author of the acclaimed Queen of Fashion – a brilliant look at the glittering world of turn-of-the-century Paris through the first in-depth study of the three women Proust used to create his supreme fictional character, the Duchesse de Guermantes.
Special Event
Gallery Talk: The New York World of Willa Cather
Thursday, May 24, 2018 - 2:00pm
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Open to the public | The Peluso Family Exhibition Gallery | free of charge | no registration required
Join Head of Exhibitions/Curator Harriet Shapiro in the Peluso Family Exhibition Gallery for a chat about the New York world of Willa Cather. The talk lasts roughly thirty minutes.
Gallery talks take place most weeks on Tuesday or Thursday. See nysoclib/events for upcoming listings.
Learn more about the exhibition here.
Photo by Karen Smul.
Children
Tween Scene: Magical Mystery Mural
Thursday, May 24, 2018 - 4:30pm
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Whitridge Room | Ages 9 and Older | For Members and Their Guests | Free of Charge
Calling all tweens! Come share your colorful creativity across our giant banner.
Registration is required and space is limited.
To register, please e-mail children@nysoclib.org or call 212.288-6900 x234.
Please make sure children meet the minimum age requirement listed.
Holiday Closing: Memorial Day
Saturday, May 26, 2018 - 11:00am to Monday, May 28, 2018 - 5:00pm
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Holiday Closing
The Library is closed all day Saturday, May 26, Sunday, May 27, and Monday, May 28, for Memorial Day. Otherwise we observe normal hours.
Reading Group
Seminar: Nicholas Birns, Fortunes of War: Olivia Manning in the Wartime Balkans and Middle East (May 29 session)
Tuesday, May 29, 2018 - 11:00am
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For members only | Whitridge Room | $60 for all four sessions, or $15 per session | advance registration required
Olivia Manning (1908-1980) was a British novelist, poet, writer and reviewer. Her fiction and nonfiction, frequently detailing journeys and personal odysseys, were principally set in England, Ireland, Europe and the Middle East. Her books are widely admired for her artistic eye and vivid descriptions of place.
Lecture
Philip Gorski, American Covenant: A History of Civil Religion from the Puritans to the Present
Wednesday, May 30, 2018 - 6:30pm
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Open to the public | Members' Room | $15 per person | advance registration required
The Yale professor and author of The Protestant Ethic Revisited gives us an authoritative account of the long battle between exclusionary and inclusive versions of the American story.
Children
Mother Goose Magic
Thursday, May 31, 2018 - 10:30am
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Whitridge Room | Ages 2 and Older | For Members Only | Free of Charge
Enjoy favorite nursery rhymes, picture books, and songs.
Registration is required and space is limited.
To register, please e-mail children@nysoclib.org or call 212.288-6900 x234.
Please make sure children meet the minimum age requirement listed.
Children
Butterfly Tails
Thursday, May 31, 2018 - 4:00pm
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Whitridge Room | Ages 3 and Older | For Members Only | Free of Charge
Flutter into the Library for tales about butterflies.
Registration is required and space is limited.
To register, please e-mail children@nysoclib.org or call 212.288-6900 x234.
Please make sure children meet the minimum age requirement listed.
Special Event
Conversation: Religion in the Age of Mass Politics with Suzanne Schneider, Ajay Singh Chaudhary, and Anthony Alessandrini
Thursday, May 31, 2018 - 6:00pm
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Open to the public | Whitridge Room | Free of charge; advance registration required
In our occasional series, experts on a current-events topic bring their knowledge to an informal presentation and discussion with readers who want to get beyond the headlines. Join us for a special live recording of the Brooklyn Institute for Social Research’s Podcast for Social Research, as three experts on Middle Eastern culture, history, and politics consider the relationship between religion and mass politics in the modern age.
Performance
Michael Lasser and Musicians, The Songs of Johnny Mercer
Sunday, June 3, 2018 - 3:00pm
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Open to the public | Members' Room | $25 per person | advance registration required
Even if you’re not aware of it, you know Johnny Mercer. His more than 1,400 songs for radio, records, motion pictures and Broadway include “Laura,” “Come Rain or Come Shine,” “Accentuate the Positive,” and “Moon River.” He was both a top radio personality and recording artist himself and was the co-founder and President of Capitol Records. Johnny Mercer’s poetic genius continues to reflect the romantic yearnings, the wit, the energy, and the personality that is our America dream. Return to a golden age of American songwriting with host Michael Lasser and musicians Cindy Miller (vocals) and Alan Jones (piano and vocals).
Special Event
Willa Cather’s Red Cloud: A Trip Back in Time
Thursday, June 7, 2018 - 2:00pm
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Open to the public | Whitridge Room | free of charge | advance registration required
After a recent visit, Library staff members Harriet Shapiro and Cathy McGowan present a talk with images and music about Red Cloud, Nebraska, the prairie town where Willa Cather grew up.
Special Event
Gallery Talk: The New York World of Willa Cather
Tuesday, June 12, 2018 - 11:00am
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Open to the public | The Peluso Family Exhibition Gallery | free of charge | no registration required
Join Head of Exhibitions/Curator Harriet Shapiro in the Peluso Family Exhibition Gallery for a chat about the New York world of Willa Cather. The talk lasts roughly thirty minutes.
Gallery talks take place most weeks on Tuesday or Thursday. See nysoclib/events for upcoming listings.
Learn more about the exhibition here.
Photo by Karen Smul.
Lecture
Simon Winchester, The Perfectionists: How Precision Engineers Created the Modern World
Wednesday, June 13, 2018 - 6:30pm
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Open to the Public | Members' Room | $15 per person | Advance registration required
The revered New York Times bestselling author traces the development of technology from the Industrial Age to the Digital Age to explore the single component crucial to advancement—precision—in a superb history that is both an homage and a warning for our future.
Reading Group
Exhibition Seminar: James Kraft, Willa Cather in New York (June 2018 session)
Wednesday, June 20, 2018 - 11:00am
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For Members Only | Whitridge Room | $60 for the set of four sessions (recommended); $15 per session | Advance registration required
Popular seminar leader Dr. James Kraft discusses canonical and lesser-known works by a formidable figure in American literature whose many excellent novels explore complex, controversial places and ideas.
Special Event
Member Happy Hour, June 2018
Wednesday, June 20, 2018 - 5:30pm to 6:30pm
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For members only | Whitridge Room | free of charge | no registration required
Join your fellow members every third Wednesday of the month for an informal drop-in hour of wine and light refreshments.
Happy Hour is supported by The Writing Life. The Writing Life events in 2018 are generously underwritten by Jenny Lawrence.
Special Event
Gallery Talk: The New York World of Willa Cather
Thursday, June 21, 2018 - 2:00pm
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Open to the public | The Peluso Family Exhibition Gallery | free of charge | no registration required
Join Head of Exhibitions/Curator Harriet Shapiro in the Peluso Family Exhibition Gallery for a chat about the New York world of Willa Cather. The talk lasts roughly thirty minutes.
Gallery talks take place most weeks on Tuesday or Thursday. See nysoclib/events for upcoming listings.
Learn more about the exhibition here.
Photo by Karen Smul.
The Writing Life
Prompt! with Carol Weston (June 2018 session)
Friday, June 22, 2018 - 11:00am
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For members only | Whitridge Room | free of charge | no registration required
Rediscover the joy of writing in these fun and instructive drop-in sessions with Speed of Life author Carol Weston. Participants receive a prompt and write freely for ten minutes, after which they are encouraged to share their work with the group. Two prompts per class. Ideal for jumpstarting your writing, generating new ideas, or breaking out of blocks.
Special Event
Gallery Talk: The New York World of Willa Cather
Tuesday, June 26, 2018 - 11:00am
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Open to the public | The Peluso Family Exhibition Gallery | free of charge | no registration required
Join Head of Exhibitions/Curator Harriet Shapiro in the Peluso Family Exhibition Gallery for a chat about the New York world of Willa Cather. The talk lasts roughly thirty minutes.
Gallery talks take place most weeks on Tuesday or Thursday. See nysoclib/events for upcoming listings.
Learn more about the exhibition here.
Photo by Karen Smul.
Holiday Closing: Independence Day
Wednesday, July 4, 2018 - 9:00am
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Holiday Closing
The Library is closed all day on Wednesday, July 4, for Independence Day. Otherwise we observe normal hours.
Special Event
Gallery Talk: The New York World of Willa Cather
Thursday, July 5, 2018 - 2:00pm
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Open to the public | The Peluso Family Exhibition Gallery | free of charge | no registration required
Join Head of Exhibitions/Curator Harriet Shapiro in the Peluso Family Exhibition Gallery for a chat about the New York world of Willa Cather. The talk lasts roughly thirty minutes.
Gallery talks take place most weeks on Tuesday or Thursday. See nysoclib/events for upcoming listings.
Learn more about the exhibition here.
Photo by Karen Smul.
Special Event
Gallery Talk: The New York World of Willa Cather
Tuesday, July 10, 2018 - 11:00am
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Open to the public | The Peluso Family Exhibition Gallery | free of charge | no registration required
Join Head of Exhibitions/Curator Harriet Shapiro in the Peluso Family Exhibition Gallery for a chat about the New York world of Willa Cather. The talk lasts roughly thirty minutes.
Gallery talks take place most weeks on Tuesday or Thursday. See nysoclib/events for upcoming listings.
Learn more about the exhibition here.
Photo by Karen Smul.
Special Event
Member Happy Hour, July 2018
Wednesday, July 18, 2018 - 5:30pm to 6:30pm
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For members only | Whitridge Room | free of charge | no registration required
Join your fellow members every third Wednesday of the month for an informal drop-in hour of wine and light refreshments.
Happy Hour is supported by The Writing Life. The Writing Life events in 2018 are generously underwritten by Jenny Lawrence.
Special Event
Gallery Talk: The New York World of Willa Cather
Thursday, July 19, 2018 - 2:00pm
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Open to the public | The Peluso Family Exhibition Gallery | free of charge | no registration required
Join Head of Exhibitions/Curator Harriet Shapiro in the Peluso Family Exhibition Gallery for a chat about the New York world of Willa Cather. The talk lasts roughly thirty minutes.
Gallery talks take place most weeks on Tuesday or Thursday. See nysoclib/events for upcoming listings.
Learn more about the exhibition here.
Photo by Karen Smul.
Pages
Today's Events
Exhibitions
The Library showcases our historic collections and the literary culture of the city with themed public exhibitions on the second floor. Exhibitions are offered for six to twelve months, and both members and nonmembers are welcome to drop by any time the Library is open.
Current Exhibition:
The New York
Society Library
53 East 79th Street
New York, NY 10075
212.288.6900
reference@nysoclib.org
Hours of Operation
Monday / Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday
9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Saturday / Sunday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
The Library Will Be Closed
Saturday, May 26, Sunday, May 27, and Monday, May 28 for Memorial Day.
All areas except Circulation close 15 minutes prior to building closing time.
All areas except Circulation close 15 minutes prior to building closing time.