Tompkins Square Library
🏢 New York Public Library · new-york, New York
Tompkins Square Library
One of the oldest Carnegie branches in Manhattan, Tompkins Square Library has anchored the East Village at 331 East 10th Street since 1904 — a landmarked McKim, Mead & White building that today pairs its Italian Renaissance Revival limestone facade with a state-of-the-art Teen Center and free ESOL classes for adults.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9am–7pm |
| Tuesday | 11am–7pm |
| Wednesday | 11am–7pm |
| Thursday | 11am–7pm |
| Friday | 10am–6pm |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 331 East 10th Street, new-york, NY 10009
Phone: (212) 228-4747
Website: nypl.org
Plus Code: 87G8P2G9+VQ (new-york, NY)
📱 Scan for directions
Point your phone camera at the code to open turn-by-turn directions in Google Maps.
👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Tompkins Square Library
The Tompkins Square Library traces its roots to 1887, when it opened as the Fifth Street Branch of the Aguilar Free Library, a lending institution that served the Lower East Side's large immigrant population. When the New York Public Library assumed operations and secured Carnegie funding, Andrew Carnegie's 1901 gift of $5.2 million to the city financed a network of branch libraries across the five boroughs — and Tompkins Square became the ninth Carnegie branch built in Manhattan. The present building, designed by Charles McKim of the celebrated firm McKim, Mead & White and completed on December 1, 1904, is a three-story limestone and granite structure in the Italian Renaissance Revival style, with arched windows, ornamental swag-and-shield friezes, and second-floor tympanums bearing the NYC seal. The building was designated an individual New York City landmark by the Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1999 and is also part of the East 10th Street Historic District. For well over a century, the branch has served successive waves of East Village residents — from German, Italian, Jewish, Polish, and Ukrainian immigrants who once filled the neighborhood to the artists, activists, and longtime families who define it today.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Carnegie-funded Italian Renaissance Revival landmark designed by McKim, Mead & White, open since December 1, 1904 — the ninth Carnegie branch built in Manhattan
- Designated a New York City individual landmark (1999) and part of the East 10th Street Historic District
- Expanded Teen Center with 3D printers, 3D pens, silkscreen and Cameo printing, gaming consoles, cameras, iPads, drawing tablets and editing software — free for all teens
- Free adult ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) classes offered both in-person and online
- No late fines — NYPL eliminated overdue fines system-wide, so there is no cost penalty for returning materials late
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Tompkins Square cardholders can borrow, stream and research free through NYPL's digital collections and New York State's statewide resources:
📚 Services
- Teen Center with 3D printers, silkscreen printing, Cameo vinyl cutting, gaming consoles, cameras, iPads and design software
- Free adult ESOL classes (in-person and online)
- STEAM Discovery Kits available for borrowing
- Public computers, printing and free Wi-Fi
- Meeting and community space
- Fully accessible facilities (ADA)
- No overdue fines — NYPL fine-free policy
🎸 Programs
- Teens 360 (Tisch Youth Education Program)
- College & Career Pathways for teens
- Teen Reading Ambassadors
- Teen Center Ambassadors
- Children's storytimes and literacy programs
- Adult ESOL instruction
- Year-round programming for all ages
📍 Nearby Libraries in Manhattan
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
When did Tompkins Square Library first open, and who designed the building?
The current building opened on December 1, 1904, funded by Andrew Carnegie's landmark 1901 gift to New York City. It was designed by Charles McKim of McKim, Mead & White in the Italian Renaissance Revival style — the same firm behind Penn Station and Columbia University's Low Library. It was the ninth Carnegie branch completed in Manhattan and was designated a New York City individual landmark in 1999.
Does Tompkins Square Library charge overdue fines?
No. The New York Public Library eliminated overdue fines system-wide, so there is no cost penalty for returning materials late. You can borrow books, DVDs, and other materials without worrying about accumulating fines.
What can teens do at the Tompkins Square Teen Center?
The Teen Center is packed with creative technology: 3D printers, 3D pens, silkscreen and Cameo vinyl-cutting equipment, gaming consoles, cameras, tripods, lighting kits, iPads with Apple Pencils, drawing tablets and editing software including Procreate and Stop Motion Studio. It is free and open to teens, and programs like Teens 360 and College & Career Pathways run throughout the year.
Does Tompkins Square Library offer language classes for adults?
Yes. The branch offers free English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes for adults, available both in-person and online. The East Village has historically been one of New York's most multilingual neighborhoods, and the library's language programming reflects that heritage — the branch provided naturalization assistance and language classes to immigrant communities as far back as the early 1900s.
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