Project Updates

Week of April 14 & April 21, 2025

Thank you all for your patience during our weeklong closure. The good news is that it was a productive week and the contractors completed all the noisy and disruptive work that they had set out to do. Any additional demolition required will be done before opening hours to minimize disruption.

A big reminder that for the time being, we have no public restroom on the first floor. We expect the new restroom to be put in service in May.

Work continues on the 4th floor (new member space, conservation lab, rare books reading room, and ta da! Head Librarian's office!) and in the basement for the new staff offices. AND...(taps wood) - we hope to open the new 4th floor to members in June! 

As always, I'm here if you have questions or concerns. Feel free to reach out!

Carolyn

[email protected]

Week of April 7, 2025

The big news this week is that the Library WILL BE CLOSED Mon, April 7 - Fri, April 11.  We will, however, be open the weekend before and the weekend after. 

There will be noticeable changes when we reopen on April 12. First, and most importantly, the 1st floor public restroom will be out of service. We will also temporarily be without a coatroom. Members may use the restrooms and coatracks on the upper floors. We will not have a restroom for the public until the new 1st floor bathroom is built out. That timing is still to be determined, but we are working to minimize the inconvenience as much as possible. 

As always, please reach out to me with questions or concerns. While the building is closed, there's still plenty for members to do: check out an e-book or read a digital magazine from the thousands we have on offer; re-watch an event on our YouTube channel; join us for digital teatimes and other events. Here's a full round-up of how to connect with the Library remotely: https://www.nysoclib.org/Resources-Available-During-Closure

best, Carolyn

Week of March 17, 2025

I would like to inform all members and visitors that asbestos abatement is scheduled to take place in the CS level, which is in the basement, one floor below the Circulation Hall. The work will be conducted in strict accordance with all relevant regulations set forth by the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the New York State Department of Labor (NYS DOL).

The abatement is set to commence on Thursday, 03/20/25 and is expected to be completed within a week to a week and a half.  Hours of work will be 8:00 am to 5:00 pm beginning Thursday 3/20/25. Abatement work will occur every day, including weekends.

Library users are not permitted in the CS level at all. Abatement workers will be entering and exiting the building only through the service entrance stairs from the street to the basement.
 

The contractors will also be continuing with demolition work on the 4th floor and in the Circulation Workroom on the first floor. We apologize for any inconvenience.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to me at [email protected] or at 212-288-6900.

best,
Carolyn

Carolyn Waters, Director & Head Librarian

Week of March 10, 2025

This week, the contractors will be doing some more demolition work, in the basement (just below the main Circulation Hall), on the 4th floor, and in the Circulation Workroom on the first floor. We apologize for any inconvenience.

February 26, 2025

We tried to avoid it, but alas, the Library will be closed Monday, April 7 - Friday, April 11. During those 5 days, the construction work will be particularly loud and disruptive, and includes demolition to break through the Circulation Hall floor to build the new staircase to the new staff level, among other activities. The building will be completely closed to staff and members during this time. We apologize in advance for the inconvenience. Please note that the Library will be closed only for those 5 days; we will be open the weekend prior and the weekend after.

In exciting news, our new rear yard book storage wing is now complete and staff are loading materials into the Jean Weiller Leigh Book Stacks! The entry to this staff-only space is from stacks 3 and 4 and the high-density compact shelving system (from Bruynzeel, a company in the Netherlands) will house all of the approximately 30,000 CS (closed stacks) books that were previously stored in the basement. 

The construction crew continues to work on the build-out of the 4th floor, which will be open for member use, and also house offices for the Director, Controller, Rare Books, and Book Conservator. We aim to open the 4th floor in mid-May.

 As always, if you have any questions, please reach out to Carolyn Waters, Director & Head Librarian, at [email protected]. 

December 23 - 27, 2024

Well, it's a holiday week - remember that the Library will close at 5pm on 12/24, and will be closed all day 12/25 & 12/26. We are going to try and do some of the noisier work this week, when we expect fewer members onsite. There will be demolition (noise!) on the 4th floor from about 7am - 3:30pm on the days we are open. So please plan accordingly!!

Also, we sincerely apologize, but stack 3 (social science) will be closed for this week while some additional construction work is happening. Staff will be unable to access the books. Check this space for when stack 3 will reopen.

Any questions or concerns, please email me at [email protected]. 

And happy holidays to all! 

December 9 - 13, 2024

This week should be pretty quiet in the main building as our construction crew is working in the new storage wing putting in plumbing and the HVAC system and adding insulation and cladding to the exterior.

And a heads up: While timing could change, we are currently planning the holiday week of December 23 to close stack 3 for additional work to remove a useless duct (which will eventually give us more space for books!) and for some noisy work to complete demolition on the 4th floor. Please always check this page for updates to building conditions. As always, staff will be available to fetch books if stacks are closed to members.

November 18 - 22, 2024

A reminder that STACK 3 is open to members again. Some books remain inaccessible, however, so if you have any trouble finding anything, just ask a staff member.

The work this week will focus on installing new entrances at stacks 3, 4, and 6 to the new book storage wing and installing cladding on the exterior of the new building. The noise should be minimal for those working in the building.

October 14 - 18, 2024

Construction work continues, but noise should be minimal this week. The asbestos abatement work has concluded.

October 7 - 11, 2024

The week of October 7, asbestos abatement will take place on the Fourth Floor. The work will be conducted in strict accordance with all relevant regulations set forth by the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the New York State Department of Labor (NYS DOL.) The abatement will begin on October 7 and will take one week. A notice of abatement will be placed on all approaches to the Fourth Floor which includes the contractor performing the work, the air monitoring firm, and the scope of the abatement. The Fourth Floor is and has been closed to staff, members, and visitors and all doors leading into the floor are locked. 

If there are any questions, please contact Carolyn Waters, Director & Head Librarian at [email protected] or 212-288-6900 x244.

October 1 - 4, 2024

Please note that additional demolition on the Fourth Floor is required and will be performed from Tuesday, October 1 - Friday, October 4. This work may be noisy. 

In addition, stack 3 and the Reference Room remain closed. However, should you need materials from either of these areas, please just ask a staff member.

September 16, 2024

Dear Members,

As you are probably aware, the renovation work has now moved inside, which means that there will be a bit more noise than we've had this past spring and summer. The demolition of the 4th floor, however, is complete and the doors through stacks 3, 4, and 6 to the new book storage wing have been cut. Keep your eyes on the e-news and on this page for regular updates.

Looking forward, there will be some demolition and construction occurring in the 2nd floor women's bathroom to create an additional stall, and on the 5th floor to create an additional study room. We will provide as much notice as possible before that work begins.

In the meantime, please don't hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns. I can be reached at [email protected], 212-288-6900 or at the Reference Desk at noon most days!

all the best,
Carolyn

Director & Head Librarian