The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL), New York Public Library’s central circulating branch, strains the definition of “library” to offer an expansive program of free, public-serving events, from children’s story hours and intergenerational crafting events to adult career services and English classes. This approach means it has something to offer every visitor—and it saw more than one-and-a-quarter million last year alone.
Totally remade through a grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), which transformed the by all accounts tired Mid-Manhattan library into a beautiful, welcoming “palace for the people,” SNFL officially opened in June 2021, following a grab-and-go checkout soft opening during the pandemic. From five usable floors, the renovation opened up eight, replacing, for instance, a basement used for storage with a Teen Center and Children’s Center. Natural light and specially commissioned art illuminate the space.
Since then, it’s become a much loved—and much used—fixture in the city. Last year alone, it held 9,173 programs that welcomed 137,341 people, lent out 442,891 books and other items, and created 30,299 new library cards.
Patrons include Aissatou D., who worked with Kathy in SNFL’s Career Services and said, “I truly appreciated [Kathy's] optimism and encouragement—they meant a great deal to me and helped me stay grounded and confident through the job search process.” Aissatou has since reached out to Kathy to let her know she landed one of the jobs they discussed together.
Another patron, Maria T., moved from Mexico to the US to join her son, a United States Marine, arriving without English. With hard work, SNFL’s English Conversation Hour and Adult English Language and Literacy program helped her build the skills to confidently navigate everyday tasks in New York.
An endowment to provide ongoing support for programming at SNFL was a key part of SNF’s grant. As SNF Co-President Andreas Dracopoulos said when the grant was announced, “Public libraries are paradigmatic public institutions offering communities an array of critical services that extend far beyond the lending of books, The varied roles of public libraries place them, more than ever before, at the heart of our civic societies.”