Riverside Branch records

1942-1992

In 1894 the Riverside Association began operating a small lending library on West 59th Street in Manhattan. Three years later this library was absorbed by the New York Free Circulating Library (NYFCL) and moved to West 69th Street. When NYFCL merged with The New York Public Library in 1901 the library became that institution's Riverside Branch. In 1905 the branch was moved to a new building at 190 Amsterdam Avenue, constructed with funds provided by Andrew Carnegie. The branch remained there for nearly 87 years, the last 23 in a modern building that replaced the old one at the same site. In September 1992, the Riverside Branch re-opened in a new building at 127 Amsterdam Avenue. The main floor features extensive collections for adults and teenagers. The Children's Room on the second floor combines materials from the Riverside Branch with the specialized children's collections formerly housed at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.