Seward Park Library (NYPL)

Regular hours as posted by NYPL. Summer and holiday hours differ (the branch has closed on Saturdays in summer), so check NYPL before a special trip.

• Lower level: literacy center
• 1st floor: adult books, movies and media, and books in world languages
• 2nd floor: children's room
• 3rd floor: adult, reference and young adult (teen) collections

• Computers and Wi-Fi for anyone with a library card
• Printing from your own phone or laptop: 20¢ per black-and-white page; send files to nypl-se-bw@printspots.com and pick them up within two hours
• NYPL After School: a free drop-in program for ages 6 to 12, Monday to Thursday during the school year, with homework help, reading and snacks
• Shelf Help: tell librarians what you like and they'll set aside five books for you to pick up
• Class visits and group tours, in person or online, free for teachers and groups
• 24/7 online: e-books, audiobooks, magazines, newspapers, streaming music and research databases
• No late fines on anything you borrow

The branch runs free programs every week. Recent examples: family storytime on Tuesday and Saturday mornings, crafternoons for kids, teen workshops (board-game design, college and career prep), film screenings and beginner game workshops for adults. Schedules change each month; see NYPL's events listing for this branch, linked below.

A card is free for anyone who lives, works, goes to school or pays property taxes in New York State. Adults and teens can apply online or at any branch; children 12 and under apply in person with a parent or guardian. You need a physical card to borrow and to use the computers. Cards are renewed every three years.

With a card you also get Culture Pass: free reservations for passes to dozens of New York City museums and cultural institutions.

This corner has been a library since 1891, when the Aguilar Free Library Society opened a reading room here. The current building opened on November 11, 1909, one of 65 branches paid for by Andrew Carnegie. It was designed by Babb, Cook & Welch in red-brick Renaissance Revival style, and in its early years had a rooftop reading garden with awnings and electric lights for evening reading. A 2004 renovation restored the building and added an elevator, ramps and air-conditioning; the main floor was refreshed in 2015.

The branch faces Seward Park, a short walk from the Seward Park co-op buildings and the western end of Grand Street. It's a good after-school stop for kids at nearby schools such as P.S. 134 on East Broadway.