New York Society Library
librarySubscription library and New York City's oldest cultural institution, founded in 1754 and housed since 1937 in the former John S. Rogers Mansion. Open for reading and reference, it offers membership lending, events, and notable special collections and research resources.
Upcoming Events (50)
Seminar: Parenthood and Horror
Award-winning author Claire Jiménez leads a lively discussion at the New York Society Library on how books blend magic, horror, and myth to illuminate the anxieties of parenthood.
Denny S. Bryce, Where the False Gods Dwell
Author Denny S. Bryce discusses her historical novel Where the False Gods Dwell at the New York Society Library. Inspired by Katherine Dunham’s 1935 Caribbean voyage, the story follows three women aboard the Dunham expedition and their search for destiny amid a pivotal moment in
Dinosaur Daze
A preschool dinosaur-themed storytime at the New York Society Library for ages 3 and up, featuring engaging dinosaur tales, simple activities, and a cozy reading-room atmosphere in a classic Manhattan library.
Mother Goose Magic
Mother Goose Magic: A cozy storytime for ages 2 and up at the New York Society Library, featuring nursery rhymes, songs, and storytelling in a warm, book-filled library setting.
Creation Station
Join Creation Station at the New York Society Library for an all-ages, hands-on art workshop featuring library-inspired crafts in a cozy, historic setting.
Storytime Surprise
Storytime Surprise at the New York Society Library invites readers of all ages for a cozy, imagination-filled storytelling session inside a historic Manhattan library. Engaging tales, friendly hosts, and a playful twist make this family-friendly outing special.
Seminar: Reincarnating The Modern Soul? Mishima's Sea of Fertility
A four-session seminar at the New York Society Library led by Nicholas Birns examining Mishima's Sea of Fertility, exploring reincarnation, beauty, mortality, sexuality, and Japan’s modern crisis within his life and era.
Happy Hour
Relax after work with wine and light refreshments in the elegant Members' Room at the New York Society Library—a welcoming, adults-only social hour for members and their guests.
Willa Cather Seminar with Jane Mallison
Join a formal, intellectually engaging seminar at the New York Society Library as Jane Mallison leads a close-reading of Willa Cather's life and works—from My Ántonia to The Professor's House and Death Comes for the Archbishop—in New York City.
Monster Mash
Join the New York Society Library for a Monster Mash storytime, a playful, age-3-and-up event with spooky stories, songs, and crafts in a cozy library setting—perfect for little readers and their families.
The Writing Life: Live from the Library
Festive evening at the New York Society Library with members reading from their own short stories, novels, poetry, memoir, and plays, plus wine and light refreshments in a scholarly, library setting.
YA Snack Chat
Join the New York Society Library for YA Snack Chat, a relaxed teen book club for ages 10–16. Come for snacks, lively discussions, and book recommendations in a cozy, kid-friendly library setting.
Joy of Reading Book Club, with Tonya Fox
Join Tonya Fox for the Joy of Reading Book Club at the New York Society Library, a welcoming gathering for general readers to explore great books old and new, share what inspires you, and enjoy thoughtful discussion in a classic setting.
Zany Zoo
Join a lively preschool storytime at the New York Society Library featuring zoo-themed tales, interactive activities, and hands-on animal fun for ages 3 and up—perfect for curious little readers and their families.
The Power of Life: Lamarck and the Invention of Biology
Stanford historian Jessica Riskin reassesses Lamarck, the man who coined biology, arguing his ideas endure in modern biology through epigenetics and niche construction, in an engaging lecture at the New York Society Library.
Writing Life Workshop: Prompt! Online with Charlie Allenson
Join the Writing Life Workshop: Prompt! online with Charlie Allenson via Zoom for Friday mornings at the New York Society Library. A friendly, member-led hour of prompts, writing, and sharing—perfect for writers seeking practice and community.
Picture Perfect
Picture Perfect invites kids aged 5+ to a friendly storytime at the New York Society Library, blending picture-book storytelling with light art activities during a cozy weekend visit to the historic indoor library.
Nicholas Lemann, Returning: A Search for Home Across Three Centuries
Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Nicholas Lemann probes Jewish identity and family memory across generations in a lucid, literature-focused talk at the New York Society Library, tracing three centuries of belonging.
Closing: Easter 2026
The New York Society Library closes for Easter on Sunday, April 5, 2026, with all services paused for the day. Expect quiet stacks and holiday hours as staff observe the festive break.
Write Some Poems for National Poetry Month, with Esther Cohen
Join Esther Cohen for a poetry-writing afternoon at the New York Society Library as National Poetry Month sparks private thoughts into public verse, offering creative prompts and shared reflection in a warm literary setting.
National Poetry Month: An Evening of Library Poets
Celebrate National Poetry Month with an evening of poetry readings by New York Society Library member poets, marking the library's 272nd anniversary with light refreshments in an intimate, scholarly setting.
Writing Prompts Workshop with Carol Weston
Join Carol Weston for a monthly morning writing workshop at the New York Society Library. Engage with creative prompts, write, and share in a supportive, member-friendly session that sparks ideas and helps you refine your craft.
The Trembling Hand: Reflections of a Black Woman in the Romantic Archive
An insightful history of British Romanticism, unveiling how the transatlantic slave economy shaped beloved poets and their archives, presented by Mathelinda Nabugodi at the New York Society Library. A provocative, timely look at race, empire, and literature.
Transcendence for Beginners: Life Writing and Philosophy
A one-time talk at the New York Society Library where Clare Carlisle discusses life-writing and philosophy, drawing on Spinoza, George Eliot, and memoirists, in conversation with Noreen Khawaja.
Let's Read Shakespeare for Fun
Monthly informal gathering at the New York Society Library to read aloud a Shakespeare play, inviting readers of all levels to participate in accessible discussion and shared appreciation in a historic, bookish setting.
Gothic Secrets: Witch Trials
Join a literature reading at the New York Society Library for a gothic thriller by the author of The Bequest, as a grieving archivist uncovers a link between disappearances and a town’s witch-trial history.
Writing Life Workshop: Folklore Retellings with E.S. McLeod
Join the New York Society Library for a Writing Life Workshop with E.S. McLeod as she explores folklore retellings, fairy tales and classical myths, guiding writers on selecting sources and crafting imaginative, respectful retellings.
My America: Langston Hughes on Democracy
Renowned scholar Randal Maurice Jelks examines Langston Hughes’s democratic vision, showing how poetry and Harlem Renaissance ideals illuminate art as resistance and democracy today at the New York Society Library.
Poetry Café: Ode & Celebration Poems with Ellen Hagan & David Flores
Join poets Ellen Hagan and David Flores for a kid-friendly Poetry Café at the New York Society Library, a poetry-writing workshop where young readers explore ode and celebration poems in a welcoming, library setting.
Le Conversazioni: An Evening with Katie Kitamura
An intellectually rich literary evening at the New York Society Library as novelist Katie Kitamura (author of the Booker Prize-shortlisted Audition) discusses forgotten cinema with Antonio Monda and screens select clips.
Closing: Memorial Day Weekend 2026
The New York Society Library will close for Memorial Day weekend from May 23 to May 25, pausing access to collections and services as staff observe the holiday; members and visitors should plan around the three-day closure.
Closing: Juneteenth 2026
The New York Society Library closes on Friday, June 19, 2026, in observance of Juneteenth, inviting patrons to reflect on freedom and history as the historic library pauses services for the holiday.
Closing: Independence Day 2026
The New York Society Library closes for Independence Day on July 4, 2026. This all-day closure marks the public holiday at this historic New York City library, guiding patrons to plan around the brief pause.
Closing: Labor Day Weekend 2026
New York Society Library will be closed for Labor Day weekend from September 5 to 7, 2026, with no public access on those days. Plan ahead for a holiday closure as the library observes the long weekend.
Library Closing: Italian American Heritage Day & Indigenous Peoples Day
On Oct 12, 2026, the New York Society Library closes for Italian American Heritage Day and Indigenous Peoples Day, inviting reflection on two rich histories as this iconic NYC library observes the day with an all-day closure.
Special Hours: Thanksgiving 2026
The New York Society Library announces Thanksgiving 2026 hours, outlining altered opening and closing times for the holiday. Plan visits to its historic reading rooms and curated collections in Manhattan around this seasonal schedule.
Special Hours: Christmas 2026
The New York Society Library hosts a special Christmas 2026 schedule, offering extended hours on Christmas Eve in a quiet, book-filled setting. Explore historic rooms, peruse rare volumes, and enjoy a festive, literary atmosphere for visitors of all ages.
Closing: Christmas 2026
Holiday hours announced by the New York Society Library for Christmas 2026, noting a special closure on Christmas Day at the historic Manhattan venue and adjusted access during the holiday period. Plan around a quiet, festive library visit.
This Magazine Life: Nicholas Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic
Join Nicholas Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic, at the New York Society Library for a candid discussion on magazines, journalism amid polarization and AI, with stories and insights drawn from his career and memoir The Running Ground.
National Poetry Month: An Evening of Library Poets
Celebrate National Poetry Month with an evening of poetry readings by NYSL members, marking the library’s 272nd anniversary. Enjoy live verse and light refreshments in a refined NYC literary setting.
This Magazine Life: Nicholas Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic
CEO Nicholas Thompson of The Atlantic surveys the future of magazines amid polarization, journalism threats, and AI, sharing career insights and tales from his memoir during a This Magazine Life conversation at the New York Society Library.
Closing: Memorial Day Weekend 2026
Note from the New York Society Library: the building will be closed for Memorial Day weekend (May 23–25, 2026), pausing in-person lending and services. Regular hours resume the following business day.
Wiggles & Giggles
Join Wiggles & Giggles, a storytime program for babies and toddlers (0-24 months) at the New York Society Library. Expect songs, rhymes, and gentle stories as caregivers participate in a cozy, kid-friendly library setting.
Wiggles & Giggles
A cozy storytime for babies and toddlers (0–24 months) at the New York Society Library, featuring gentle books, songs, and nursery rhymes designed to spark early literacy in a warm, family-friendly setting.
Creation Station
Creation Station at the New York Society Library invites kids, families, and adults to a hands-on art and craft workshop inside a historic library, offering creative activities, friendly guidance, and a cozy, bookish atmosphere for all ages.
Writing Life: Live from the Library
Join New York Society Library for a festive evening of members reading from their own short stories, novels, poetry, criticism, memoir, and plays, with wine and light refreshments in a warm library setting.
Le Conversazioni: An Evening with Katie Kitamura
An evening at New York Society Library as acclaimed novelist Katie Kitamura discusses forgotten cinema with Antonio Monda, pairing film clips with literary insights in a lively author-talk at a historic NYC venue.
National Poetry Month: An Evening of Library Poets
Enjoy an intimate evening of poetry readings celebrating National Poetry Month at the New York Society Library, featuring readings by NYSL member poets in a historic indoor setting to mark the library's 272nd anniversary—light refreshments afterward.
Closing: Thanksgiving 2026
The New York Society Library announces Thanksgiving 2026 closing hours, guiding patrons to plan visits around the holiday schedule. Check the library's events page for the updated hours and any day-specific changes.
Closing: Juneteenth 2026
The New York Society Library closes on Friday, June 19, to honor Juneteenth, marking the emancipation holiday with a moment of reflection on freedom, history, and culture in a landmark NYC literary venue.