58th Street Library

Not available.

Kent Trompiz

If you’re seeking a quiet place to study, this library is not the ideal spot. The staff members are constantly talking and laughing, making it difficult to focus. Additionally, the entrance is right in front of the tables, so you’ll be constantly hearing people coming and going, along with their conversations with the front desk. Two stars just because it is still a library.

Jessica Lee

I love this library as it is small and cozy and easy to find a workstation with a charging station. The staff are super helpful and people study and work in peace here. For noise, I always have my headphones on and it’s way better than being in a coffee shop! As I could not find a seat at Capital One Café I just come here with a cup of coffee and it is absolutely great. If you want a more modern library, I’d suggest venturing out 10 minutes west to the 53rd street library.

Rachel L

It's a convenient location but quite small. There are ~24 seats at shared tables that have outlets, and ~10 public computers with a printer and scanner. There are of course books, but not a lot of space to read. While the seating area is a "Quiet Zone," anyone talking on the otherside of the space can be heard everywhere. It's clean and the seats are fine, but I'll probably go to a different NYPL to get work done.

Albeliza Perez

This location is very quiet. On the day I visited the crowd was primarily older adults. I was able to return my books, and find a seat on a charging worktable to sit and compose a few emails and do some research using my own laptop. I can't speak to borrowing equipment here but I did see a few open seats at the library's computer stations midday. Many libraries also let people borrow laptops, although I didn't see anyone at my worktable using a library-issued laptop so I can't speak to whether this location offers that service (although many NYPL do). It looks bigger on the outside than the actual footprint inside. The wifi is strong and fast. The location is in a prime shopping area, afterwards, I was able to make some returns to popular chain stores (sephora, aerie). I want to respond respectfully to the many people who complain about the homeless using the libraries. When I was working at my station there were a couple of folks that I assumed to be homeless. They obviously lacked the resources or capacity needed to regularly maintain their hygiene. I worked nearby them. Not once did it occur to me to look down on them for their condition. I cannot imagine how difficult it must be to just survive another day in a city like NYC without regular access to basic necessities like showers, laundromats, and the mental toll it takes on a person to worry about their own safety among basic necessities like warmth, and cover from the elements. On top of all of those challenges, they live with the daily visible contempt and hatred directed at them for using public spaces intended for humans to use. Homeless people, lest we forget, are people. Shamefully, those who have more privilege, more access, greater faculty of care, and connection look down at these folks and speak of them terribly in public forums like this one. How dare they think of themselves of worthy of being able to exist in a public space?! Homeless people deserve to live, to access books, warmth and shelter where they can, for at least a few hours, be around other humans in silent company. They don't need your contempt and hatred. Rest assured, their lives are hard enough in ways many of you cannot even begin to imagine - your hatred and contempt only compounds what is already a challenging and difficult existence. BFFR.