As we head into the fall, The New York Public Library is pleased to announce that 50 locations across the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island are now open for grab-and-go service. See below for how the grab-and-go process works (it’s easy!), plus how to find an open branch near you. While we’re excited to bring back what in-person services we can to even more of our communities, remember that you can also check out a wide array of online events and resources—including our September book club announcement, tools to help your child get ready for school whether from home or in person, plus the Schomburg Center's second annual literary festival, now reimagined as a week-long series of exciting digital events. Read on to find out about all of our latest offerings!

In the Spotlight

Starting Today: Grab & Go Now at 50 Locations

We’ve reopened even more branches for grab-and-go service so you can reserve books online or over the phone for pickup—now at one of 50 NYPL locations. For your safety, your books will be checked out to your account as soon as they're ready so you can come to the branch for contactless pickup. All you have to do is wait for a notification that your items are ready, then head to your designated branch and grab your items from the holds area—no need to go to the checkout desk. And most importantly, don't forget your mask! Learn more about the grab-and-go process and find an open branch near you to get started.

September Book Club: The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

NYPL and WNYC's book club continues into the fall with Brit Bennett's latest novel, The Vanishing Half. You can download the novel right now on our free e-reader app, Simply-E, no holds or waiting—all you need is a library card (and if you don’t have one, you can get one for free using the app!). Join the conversation with our librarian-led discussion groups, and don't forget to tune in to our special livestream event on Thursday, October 1 at 7 PM for a chance to hear from the author herself.

Featured Events

Register Now for the Second Annual Schomburg Center Literary Festival

Lift Every Voice | Thursday, September 17
Literary Festival | September 21–26
The Schomburg Center Literary Festival has been reimagined as an exciting virtual series of events taking place over six days, featuring conversations with Nicole R. Fleetwood, a former NYPL Cullman Center Fellow, Roxane Gay, Eddie S. Glaude Jr., Dean Atta, Akwaeke Emezi, and more. Plus don't miss the Schomburg Center's pre-festival event, Lift Every Voice: 250 Years of African American Poetic Traditions, presented in partnership with Library of America on Thursday, September 17.

Interviews from the Theatre on Film & Tape Archive: Laura Linney with James Naughton

Monday, September 14 | 5:30 PM
Sign up to be the first to access a previously unreleased conversation between actors Laura Linney and James Naughton from the Theatre on Film and Tape Archive—one of the world-class collections preserved at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. Get first-hand insight into Linney’s career as they discuss her decision to pursue acting, her education at The Juilliard School, how she researches for a role, and her experiences on projects such as the 2000 film You Can Count on Me and the 2017 Broadway stage revival of The Little Foxes. 

LIVE from NYPL | Never Alone: Natan Sharansky & David Remnick

Thursday, September 10 | 8 PM
​​Join The New Yorker's David Remnick for a conversation with Natan Sharansky about his new memoir, Never Alone: Prison, Politics, and My People, and his multiple lives as a political prisoner, politician, and human rights activist. The annual Joy Gottesman Ungerleider Lecture explores themes represented in the holdings of The New York Public Library's renowned Dorot Jewish Division. 

LIVE from NYPL | We the Women: Fighting for Equal Rights

Tuesday, September 15 | 8 PM
As told in her new book, leading legal scholar Julie C. Suk shines a spotlight on the bold women who created and fought for the Equal Rights Amendment, and explains how the long, complicated history of the ERA has left its future hanging in the balance.

Celebrating the 20th Annual Young Lions Fiction Award

Established by the Library in 2001, NYPL’s Young Lions Fiction Award is a yearly prize awarded to a writer age 35 or younger for a novel or a collection of short stories. And in this anniversary year, we're going digital. A new interview with each of the five finalists will be released each day, starting on Sunday, September 13. Following the final interview on Thursday, September 17, stick around for select readings from the finalists' works, the impact of the Fiction Award over the past 20 years, and the announcement of the 2020 winner. RSVP today and, starting September 13, you'll receive a daily email reminder letting you know when the next interview will be live, plus exclusive recommended reading lists curated by the finalists themselves.

Census Countdown

Don't Forget! Get Counted Before It's Too Late

The time is now! With less than three weeks to go until the September 30 deadline to take the 2020 Census, everyone living in the U.S.—and everyone in our city—needs to be counted. That means you, your family, friends, and neighbors. The count from the Census helps determine how much funding our communities will get for critical needs such as infrastructure, education, healthcare, and more. It also informs how many representatives New York should have in Congress—so if you want our voices to be heard, we all need to get counted. Right now, almost 40% of New Yorkers in all communities have not been counted. This leaves all of us at a disadvantage. Complete your Census today and remind five friends, family members, or neighbors to do the same!

Quiz: What Exactly Does the Census Support?

You’ve probably heard that an accurate Census count helps NYC get the funding it deserves, but what does that actually mean? While it would take a long time to list everything the Census impacts, take this quiz to see how much you know.

Back to School

Get Ready for School with NYPL

This school year, parents, students, and teachers are facing new challenges around remote and in-person instruction. The Library is here to help. Find digital resources that support blended learning, e-books and audiobooks with school stories to help kids find their confidence, craft projects to get excited for a year of learning, and more! Plus, sign up for our NYPL Kids e-newsletter to stay up to date with all of our back-to-school offerings for families and students.

Back-to-School Storytime Special

Help the little learners in your life get ready for the start of the school year with our back-to-school storytime, featuring readings of School's First Day of School by Adam Rex and Dinosaur vs. School by Bob Shea. Want even more fun with reading? NYPL offers daily weekday storytimes you can view with your little ones. Plus, double the excitement with bonus STEAM storytimes every Wednesday to help kids learn about science, technology, engineering, art, and math.

Info Session: The SHSAT & Specialized High School Admission Process During COVID-19

Thursday, September 10 | 5 PM
​Join us for an information session about the New York City specialized high school admissions test (SHSAT) and the application process provided by The Princeton Review. Every year, more than 30% of New York City eighth graders choose to take the SHSAT for admission into one of the eight specialized high schools that require it. We will explore the effects of COVID-19 on the admissions process, and what further changes students and families can expect. 

Highlighted Resource

For Researchers: Expanded Scan & Deliver Service

We’ve expanded our Scan & Deliver service while our research centers remain closed to the public so that writers, scholars, college students, and creators can get increased remote access to more material than ever before from the Library's world-class research collections. Researchers can use the Shared Collection Catalog to request materials, including book chapters, articles, indexes, and more, from the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, and The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts to support their work.

More Events & Resources

Doc Chat: Abolitionism in Black & White

Thursday, September 24 | 3:30 PM​ 
Doc Chat is a virtual program series that digs deep into the stories behind the Library’s most interesting collections and highlights ways that teachers can incorporate them into the classroom. In this new installment, explore an anti-slavery illustration from the Library’s collections and what it can tell us about the racial politics of abolitionism.

Círculo de lectura: Primer encuentro virtual de "Tertulia y Libros" ¿Qué estás leyendo?

Miércoles 9 de septiembre | 2 PM
El Centro Bibliotecario del Bronx y su círculo de lectura "Tertulia y Libros" ofrecerá su primera reunión virtual. ¿Qué estás leyendo? ¿cuáles son tus libros preferidos en español? Participa y conoce otras lectoras y lectores como tú que disfrutan leer en español. En esta ocasión discutiremos sobre los libros que hemos leído durante los últimos meses. Podremos compartir nuestras historias, personajes y diálogos favoritos. Aprovecha esta oportunidad para hablar de libros que te hayan ayudado a atravesar estos momentos inciertos. ¡Aprenderemos sobre nuestros libros favoritos y descubriremos nuevos títulos que desearemos leer! This is the first virtual meeting of the Bronx Library Center's Spanish-language reading group.

Online Chinese Conversation for Beginners

Thursdays, September 10–24 | 7 PM
In this online course, you will learn basic Mandarin Chinese conversation from a native, experienced instructor. This online class requires no previous knowledge of the Chinese language, and will emphasize correct pronunciation and commonly used phrases. The class will be held on Google Hangouts Meet.

Career & Business

Social Media Marketing for Job Search

Thursday, September 10 | 12 Noon

Mutual Funds: What Every Investor Needs to Know

Tuesday, September 15 | 12 Noon

Career Networking Done Right in a Technical Age

Thursday, September 17 | 12 Noon

Understanding Your Customer Base for Business Owners

Thursday, September 17 & 24 | 6 PM

New & Noteworthy

Looking Back: NYPL's Rooftop Reading Rooms

Rooftop reading rooms used to be popular in early 20th-century New York, including branches of The New York Public Library. Follow one librarian's journey back in time to explore the open-air reading rooms of yore.

Virtual West Indian American Day Celebration

While you may not have been able to attend the West Indian American Day Carnival in person with millions of spectators and participants this year, you can still celebrate virtually by checking out these reads about Caribbean culture.

The Finer Things Club: Classic Literature by Authors of Color

If you are a fan of the American rendition of The Office, then you are probably already familiar with “The Finer Things Club,” where employees at Dunder Mifflin would get together to discuss a book over lunch. Sharing a meal can only enhance the experience of a good book club. To help, here is a list of classic works by authors of color. Why not take some time to reconnect virtually with friends over one of these juicy novels and a savory meal? 

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