Posts from Ottendorfer Library

Collect NYC stories and make history. Volunteers needed in the LES, Chinatown, and Kips Bay.

... because it's time for some binge-reading. Start some series that you might want to race through the same way you raced through Making a Murderer.

Perhaps as much has been written about Hemingway as was written by him.

While waiting between shows at Fashion Week, you might be in need of a good book. Champagne Supernovas: Kate Moss, Marc Jacobs, Alexander McQueen and the ‘90s Renegades Who Remade Fashion is reading for the runway.

When the library first opened, its collections were half in German and half in English, and the purpose was to help German immigrants in the area assimilate and learn English. The Ottendorfer Library opened in 1885, a time when it was customary to have closed stacks in libraries. Much has changed in the East Village since the library first opened its doors.

Fall is a wonderful time to be in New York City. Take advantage of the cooler climate by exploring all NYC has to offer! Saturday September 15, the Ottendorfer Library will proudly present the New York City Explorers. This wonderful duo will give a brief 30 minute lecture at the library before bringing you on a walking tour of historic Astor Place.

Ever wonder who this Astor fellow was and why his name is everywhere in New York? Astor parlayed his fur-trading fortune 

Visit NYPL's BiblioCommons for these lists and many more. You can also create your own and share them with us in the comments! See below for some interesting staff picks from the past month, on topics both timely and timeless:

Nonfiction Job Hunting Resources Most Talked About Female Biographies

This summer, children at the Ottendorfer Library are participating in our library advocacy campaign. Children are invited to tell Mayor Bloomberg how much they love their library by stopping in our children's room to write or color a special letter to the Mayor.  Support for our libraries is more important than ever before, so parents don’t forget to sign your own letter while visiting the library!

"thinking of Home"Stop by our children's room to see the amazing work of local Brooklyn artist Naoko Stoop. Naoko has graciously lent the Ottendorfer Library several of her pieces from her series "Red Knit Cap Girl."

Having grown up in Tokyo, Japan, Naoko is a self taught artist who captures the colors, energy, and essence of childhood. Her whimsical illustrations take you on the adventures and experiences of the Red Knit Cap Girl, and several of her woodland friends.

Naoko's newest picture book Red Knit Cap Girl 

Visit NYPL's BiblioCommons for these lists and many more. You can also create your own and share them with us in the comments! See below for some interesting staff picks from the past month, on topics both timely and timeless:

April is Poetry Month, and April 26 is Poem in Your Pocket Day. Don't be caught unprepared; NYPL staff can help you find the perfect poem.

Every November, thousands of aspiring authors and literary daredevils from around the world attempt to write 50,000 words in 30 days as part of National Novel Writing Month (or NaNoWriMo for short.)

The New York Public Library is hosting NaNoWriMo Write-ins all over the city, creating an opportunity for you to meet other participants, work on your novel, and be cheered on to the lexical finish line. Some do it for the digital certificate and sense of achievement, while other NaNoWrimo novelists eventually go on to have their works published. Why you write, what you write, and how 

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 

It is 8th Street, but from Third Avenue to Avenue A it is called St. Marks Place and is named for St. Mark’s Church in-the-Bowery, which is not even on 8th Street, or St. Marks Place, but at the intersection of 10th Street, Second Avenue, and Stuyvesant Street. The land there has been a site of Christian worship since 1660. The history of St. Marks Place doesn’t go back that far, but a surprising amount of history has happened on these four 

January 23, 2010 marks the centennial of the birth of Django Reinhardt. Reinhardt grew up in gypsy camps outside Paris and began playing violin, banjo, and guitar at a young age. A fire destroyed his caravan when he was 18 and he was badly burned. The third and forth fingers of his left hand were partially paralyzed but he amazingly relearned how to play and by the early 1930s he was recording with his Hot Club of France Quintet. All of those solos were