Librarian in Residence – Goethe-Institut New York

The New York Public Library is again in the headlines. On November 7, 2008, the New York Times reported that the Donnell Library branch, or rather the building in which it is housed, directly across from the Museum of Modern Art, had been sold to the Orient-Express Hotels chain. Now, given the crises in the economy, Orient-Express Hotels wishes to abandon this plan. What will happen next is uncertain. In discussion is the postponement of the plans for renovation as well as the possibility that the library might even return to the space.

The Mid-Manhattan branch of the New York Public Library (NYPL) was supposed to have been put up for sale. But the weak real estate market has persuaded Paul LeClerc, the director of the NYPL, to push back the plans to sell, because they will not receive an attractive price for the property. The report in the Library Journal.

…here is the chance to ask it. Today the New York Times featured an article ,Ask about the New York Public Library".

If you have a look at the first questions submitted to the newspaper’s website, it is interesting that most people ask for more, better and expanded service. Only two questions (up to now) tackle the topic of the role of public libraries in the digital age.

By the way: a public Question & Answer session of a library in a newspaper seems to me a great idea to get publicity…

The last news that hit the papers from the New York Public Library -- and got quite a bit attention -- was the closing of the Donnell branch of the NYPL, which formerly housed the World Languages collection. The property was sold to make way for a hotel that will also accommodate a (somewhat reduced) branch of the New York Public Library.

Another, much more pleasant tidbit that came out recently was the announcement that Stephen A. Schwarzmann is going to donate $100 million towards the $1 billion that the renovation of the main building of the NYPL is anticipated to cost.

All these developments could lead to some pretty interesting questions to Paul LeClerc, the director of the New York Public Library, and I am sure he would be delighted if he would even get some questions from German librarians.