Public Employee Press

Snapshot
Edited by Alfredo Alvarado

Iconic Rose Reading Room reopens

After two years of repair work, the New York Public Library Schwarzman Building's legendary Rose Main Reading Room and Bill Blass Public Catalog Room reopened on Oct. 5.

The reading room was closed for safety reasons after a plaster ceiling rosette fell 52 feet to the floor of the reading room in 2014. As repairs and the restoration were carried out, the library workers were moved to another room, where they continued their duties until the reopening.

At the opening ceremony for the room, which has served as a vital resource for tens of thousands of researchers since the library's opening in 1911, New York Public Library Guild President Local 1930 Valentin Colon hailed the restoration, which affected Librarians and Library Technical Assistants.

The project included the installation of a state-of-the-art delivery system for the Millstein stacks, now located under Bryant Park.

"I am really happy with the new delivery system, with a revamped train that delivers books to the reading room in 5 minutes," Colon said. "This was desperately needed."

To see how the new delivery system works, go to http://bit.ly/2dJtXD3.