Harlem’s historic 125th Street library branch reopens after renovations
By Jessi Mitchell
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NEW YORK, NY (WCBS) — The New York Public Library celebrated the grand reopening of the 125th Street Branch in Harlem Wednesday. Neighbors explored a space they haven’t been able to access since 2021.
Restoring a staple of 125th Street, the 1904 gift from Andrew Carnegie gleams with new life, light and limitless possibilities pouring through the original walls of tall windows. After being closed for the past three years, the landmarked library underwent a $34.4 million renovation, updating almost the entire interior.
“Much of what you see is the beautiful sort of reality,” said NYPL’s Merryl and James Tisch director Brian Bannon, “but there’s a lot of stuff behind the scenes, so elevator, infrastructure, shoring up the architecture, so that it can serve for another hundred years.”
The third floor saw the biggest transformation. The brand new teen center used to be a custodian’s apartment that had been abandoned for years. The high ceilings and cozy corner nooks were the perfect fit for more than books, now housing a 3-D printer and tech space for teens.
The supporting columns are among few remnants of what was. Harlem collections on each floor highlight the hometown authors who remember.
“The heart of the library is reading,” said Jonathan Neris, a patron perusing the selection. “There’s a lot of stuff the internet can’t teach you, you know.”
“It was like a cultural wasteland” Harriet Sepinwall got her first library card at the branch in first grade, in the 1940s.
“When I read all the books that I wanted, they would take me in the back in the room with new books coming in and let me pick from there,” Sepinwall recalled. “They were really nice.”
Sepinwall credits the love she fostered for learning in the library, for leading her to a career as a history and teacher education professor, specializing in reducing prejudice. When the building fell into disrepair, she spent years writing letters and even sent her own donations to help bring it back.
“It really means a lot to me because I kept thinking about the children who lived here,” Sepinwall said. “It was nothing here. It was like a cultural wasteland, except there were a few movie theaters … but the library was wonderful, and now more people get to use it.”
With workshops and storytime scheduled regularly, eager readers can enjoy every step on their educational journey.
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