Science, Industry and Business Library

Science, Industry and Business Library. The Science, Industry and Business Library was a major research branch of the New York Public Library system, dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, and students. It occupied a purpose-built facility within the historic Heckscher Foundation building on West 34th Street in Midtown Manhattan. Conceived as a state-of-the-art resource for the information age, it consolidated specialized collections from the Astor Library and the Lenox Library to serve the city's commercial and technological sectors until its closure and consolidation in 2020.

History

The library's origins trace to the 1990s strategic vision of the New York Public Library under leaders like Paul LeClerc to modernize its business and science services. It was created by merging the historic science and business collections from the central Stephen A. Schwarzman Building with resources from the former Mid-Manhattan Library. The facility opened in 1996 following a significant renovation of the Heckscher Foundation for Children building, a project supported by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. This consolidation aimed to create a comprehensive public resource akin to specialized libraries at Harvard University or the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, but freely accessible. Its operations were later integrated into the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building and the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts system as part of a broader reorganization, culminating in its closure in 2020.

Collections and resources

The library housed an extensive non-circulating research collection focused on applied science, industry trends, and global commerce. Its core holdings included decades of corporate annual reports, Securities and Exchange Commission filings, a vast array of domestic and international trade directories, and comprehensive market research reports from firms like Frost & Sullivan and Mintel. The science collection covered major disciplines such as chemical engineering, biotechnology, and computer science, with deep runs of technical standards from organizations like the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the International Organization for Standardization. It provided access to hundreds of specialized databases, including Bloomberg Professional, Thomson Reuters's Web of Science, and LexisNexis, alongside a premier collection of United States and international patents.

Services and programs

A hallmark of its mission was providing direct, expert assistance to patrons launching startups, seeking investors, or conducting technical research. Services included one-on-one consultations with librarians specializing in business planning, patent searching, and competitive intelligence. The library regularly hosted workshops and seminars on topics like writing business plans, securing venture capital, and leveraging social media for marketing, often in partnership with organizations like SCORE and the Small Business Administration. It also offered a popular "How-To Festival" and programs connecting entrepreneurs with mentors from the New York City Economic Development Corporation and the Flatiron School. Its electronic resources were accessible remotely to any holder of a New York Public Library card, extending its reach across the Five Boroughs and beyond.

Architecture and location

The library was located at 188 Madison Avenue, within the renovated eight-story building originally constructed for the Heckscher Foundation for Children in 1931. The Art Deco structure, designed by the firm Voorhees, Gmelin and Walker, was adaptively reused to house the library's modern functions. The interior design emphasized open, flexible spaces to accommodate both quiet study and collaborative work, featuring a soaring public atrium, numerous computer workstations, and dedicated training labs. Its strategic position in Midtown Manhattan placed it near major corporate hubs like the Empire State Building, Penn Station, and the Garment District, facilitating access for professionals and students from institutions like Baruch College and the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Impact and recognition

The library was widely recognized as an indispensable public resource for New York's innovation economy, praised by publications like The New York Times and Crain's New York Business. It served tens of thousands of users annually, from solo inventors and NASDAQ-listed executives to researchers from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and the Columbia University Fu Foundation School of Engineering. Its model of free, high-level business and technical assistance influenced public library services nationwide, contributing to the development of similar centers in cities like San Francisco and Chicago. While its physical space is no longer in operation, its specialized collections and core mission continue within the flagship research divisions of the New York Public Library system.

Category:New York Public Library Category:Libraries in Manhattan Category:Defunct libraries in the United States