The 42nd Street Library Book Stacks Have Been Emptied!

We have received multiple reports that the historic book stacks in the 42nd Street Research Library have now been emptied. Removing the books is a prelude to the proposed demolition of the stacks later this year or early in 2014 as part of the Central Library Plan.  The removal process started many months ago.

Construction has not yet started on the additional book storage space that has been promised under Bryant Park. Furthermore, ReCAP, the book storage facility in central New Jersey where NYPL’s offsite books are supposed to be stored, was essentially full as of December 2012, and the new storage modules at ReCAP which are intended to hold the additional books from 42nd Street won’t be finished until mid-summer.

Several sources have reported that books from the 42nd Street stacks are being temporarily warehoused at a Bronx storage facility [Update: apparently the facility being used for temporary storage is actually in Westchester].