Lionizing the public library, 5 ways
The New York Public Library in Manhattan celebrates its centennial the weekend of May 21-22, 2011. Credit: Jonathan Blanc
Happy birthday, New York Public Library! The landmark Stephen A. Schwarzman building -- the one with the lions, on Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street -- opened its doors 100 years ago this month, at a ceremony with President William Howard Taft. Long a favorite with tourists for its majestic beaux-arts architecture and high-ceilinged Rose Reading Room, the library is worth a special visit this weekend to check out the newly refurbished facade and attend the centennial festival. There are activities for the whole family; a complete schedule of events is available online at nypl.org/100. Here are some highlights:
1. Take a tour
WHAT Learn about the architecture and history of the library on a building tour. You'll also have the chance to explore the library's stacks -- miles of books (literally) that are usually closed to the public.
WHEN | WHERE Building tours and stacks tours hourly Saturday (10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) and Sunday (1:30 to 4 p.m.).
INFO Sign up at the information desk in the Astor Hall, on the first floor.
2. See an exhibit
WHAT A new exhibit, "Celebrating 100 Years," showcases artifacts that belonged to literary figures such as William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens and Charlotte Brontë, as well as items related to the history of the library and historical events of the past 100 years.
WHEN | WHERE Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. in the D. Samuel and Jeane H. Gottesman Exhibition Hall, first floor.
3. Attend a panel
WHAT The Believer magazine presents a panel on the art of interviewing, with TV host Dick Cavett, New York Times science reporter Claudia Dreifus, author Kenneth Goldsmith and Paris Review editor Lorin Stein.
WHEN | WHERE Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m., Celeste Bartos Forum on the ground floor.
INFO Make reservations at nypl.org/100 or call 888-718-4253
4. See a performance
WHAT The Elevator Repair Service company, which won acclaim for its production of "Gatz" at the Public Theater last year, debuts "Shuffle," a new half-hour performance piece where the script is generated in real time by computer algorithms that recombine phrases from iconic works by Faulkner, Fitzgerald and Hemingway.
WHEN | WHERE Performances Saturday from 1 to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. in the DeWitt Wallace Periodical Room on the first floor.
INFO No reservations required.
5. Listen to a bedtime story
WHAT The New Yorker magazine presents "Bedtime Stories for Grown-Ups," with a Tobias Wolff story read by David Hyde Pierce; a ZZ Packer story read by Anika Noni Rose and a Roddy Doyle story read by Gabriel Byrne.
WHEN | WHERE Saturday from 9 to 10:30 p.m. in the Rose Reading Room on the third floor.
INFO Make reservations at nypl.org/100 or call 888-718-4253
