Posts by Rosa Li

Grumpy Cat, Henri, the Existential Cat, Lil Bub, Colonel Meow… Sure, cats are the stars of social media nowadays but beware of crossing them—as these tales illustrate.

As you will see, my obsession with horror began in elementary school when my reading list consisted mostly of ghost tales. Thanks to the following authors I often found myself reading under the covers with a flashlight late at night.

Forget the terrible twos, last week’s blog Horror Books that Go Bump in the Night list led to a discussion of Rosemary’s Baby and other similar tales in which parents suffer at the hands of their offspring. None of the children in the following books are supernatural and I suppose that's what make them so terrifying.

Now I admit it, think of any horror scenario and I would probably be the first one voted off the island. I don’t have much fight or flight in me, I would willingly become a zombie because survival just takes too much effort. Still, I love reading (and watching films) in which others try their best to make it. Here is a list of the books that kept me up at night long after I was done with them in 2014.

Several branches throughout the three boroughs have special collections that focus on local history or are of special interest to their respective communities.

A.T. Stewart opened New York City’s first department store in 1846. New Yorkers flocked to the palazzo style “Marble Palace," on Broadway between Chambers and Reade Street to browse through a wide array of merchandise arranged by department.

Related Books: Zaida Ben-Yusuf: New York Portrait Photographer by Frank H. Goodyear III. Buffalo Bill's Wild West Warriors: A Photographic History by Gertrude Käsebier by Michelle Delaney. Gertrude Käsebier: The Photographer and Her Photographs by Barbara L. Michaels. Jessie Tarbox Beals, First Woman News Photographer by Alexander 

This year the musical Newsies got nominated for eight Tony Awards. The popularity of the Disney Broadway show based on the Disney film has led many of our younger patrons to ask about the newsboys and the strike they led in 1899 on which the film and play are based.

If you are interested in learning more about the strike of 1899 (there were other strikes before and after) simply do 

Since 2004 around April 17 the city celebrates Immigrant Heritage Week, an event in which the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs and its partners host various events that celebrate our rich immigrant culture. Why is it celebrated around April 17? On that date in 1907, 11,747 individuals entered the country through Ellis Island, the highest number in New York City’s history.

As an immigrant myself I found 

Once a month, Beth Neuman and her dog Forest, an 11 year old toy poodle, volunteer at Ottendorfer Library’s Paws ‘n’ Books program. The literacy program offers children ages six and older the opportunity to read aloud to a four legged friend for 15 minutes, helping to boost their reading confidence. We interviewed Beth before one of their Paws 'n' Books sessions.

NYPL: How did you meet Forest?

Eleven years ago a friend I worked with 

April showers bring Sydelle's flowers at Ottendorfer!

The Bear by Anne StannerIn her January/February exhibit at the Ottendorfer Branch longtime Lower East Side resident and artist Anne Stanner showcases some of her sculptures which were created from recycled scrap metals. You can view three of her pieces here (The Bear, Horses and Antelope, and The Bull) from her series "Dreams of Lascaux."  You can view the rest of her exhibit on the first floor of the branch until the end of February.  I sat 

With one of the coldest winters in recent memory upon us what better time to learn the art of knitting? I joined some of the ladies of the Ottendorfer Branch knitting circle on one blustery cold Saturday afternoon to chat.

Who here has been knitting the longest?

Louise: I have. I started when I was eight.

Have you ever taught others to knit? You seem to help out the group a lot.

Louise: I tried teaching my kids but it didn’t take. Now I have more patience.

Mary this is the first time 

Zombies are making a comeback thanks to the critically acclaimed television series The Walking Dead on AMC. Vampires everywhere must be rolling in their graves. This past Sunday marked the season finale of the show but never fear, a second season will soon begin production. For now you can get your zombie fix with these reads:

The Walking 

On December 8, 1884 the Ottendorfer Branch opened its doors to the public.

You can relive that day 126 years ago thanks to this article, "Mrs. Ottendorfer’s Gift, The New Branch of the New York Free Circulating Library" which appeared in The New York Times on December 7, 1884.

When Anna Ottendorfer, who along with