*Gasp* Say What?

I was just reading the New York Times online, while waiting in the cafeteria for my Genetics lab. I came across an article about the New York Public Library, in particular, the location on 5th Avenue near Bryant Park and the Mid Manhattan Location. For those who use this location many times, this must be pretty old news, but for me, a Biology Major with few happy memories of researching in the Rose Room, it was a big jolt.

I obviously started to read the article, because I remember how in freshman year, for my Peopling of New York seminar with Professor Salzman, I went to the library at least a dozen times to access the non-circulating stacks in the Rose Room, and to peruse the maps in the Map Room to better research my topic of the Stonewall Riots in Greenwich Village. Since I'm not a history major where I have to always write up research papers, having the opportunity to write such a research paper for the seminar was a great experience, as it allowed me to truly appreciate the great many resources we have at our disposal in the city, especially within the NYPL system. This semester, I have my Jerusalem in the 20th Century seminar, an already great history course with Professor Schor which requires a huge paper at the end,and therefore, frequent trips to this beautiful library.

When I read how the Bryant Park location would soon be turned into a circulating branch, I was a bit hesitant and distrustful of the whole notion. The library already does tend to get crowded, and knowing that many of the non-circulating stacks would be moved to storage in NJ to accommodate the circulating stacks at Bryant Park, I knew this would be a great impediment to serious scholars. Many sources would only be available within a 24 hour period by scanning or delivery, rather than the often instantaneous results in my prior (yet limited) experience.

Whatever does happen, I really hope this is a public project that has results in a timely fashion that everyone can enjoy.

Here is a link to the article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/16/books/new-york-public-library-revives-its-overhaul-plan.html?_r=1