=Newspaper Room.= In the Newspaper Room (No. 84) about sixty daily newspapers are on racks for free use, without the need of any application. About twenty-five foreign newspapers are obtainable upon application at the desk. A bulletin board at the right of the entrance gives full information about these and other resources of the Newspaper Room. On the western side of the entrance corridor, near the door of the Circulating Library, is a bronze tablet with the following inscription: [Seal of The New York Public Library] THIS BUILDING IS ERECTED UPON A PART OF THE COMMON LANDS WHICH WERE GRANTED BY ROYAL CHARTER TO THE MAYOR ALDERMEN AND COMMONALTY OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK IN 1686, THE SECOND YEAR OF THE REIGN OF JAMES THE SECOND KING OF ENGLAND. THE CITY OF NEW YORK IN 1897, WILLIAM L. STRONG BEING MAYOR, UNDERTOOK TO CONSTRUCT, AT THE PUBLIC EXPENSE, A BUILDING UPON THIS SITE TO BE USED AND OCCUPIED BY THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY, ASTOR, LENOX AND TILDEN FOUNDATIONS SO LONG AS IT SHOULD MAINTAIN HEREIN A FREE LIBRARY AND READING ROOM FOR THE PEOPLE. WORK WAS BEGUN BY THE CITY IN 1899, ROBERT ANDERSON VAN WYCK BEING MAYOR. THE CORNERSTONE WAS LAID IN 1902, SETH LOW BEING MAYOR. THE BUILDING WAS COMPLETED IN 1909, GEORGE BRINTON McCLELLAN BEING MAYOR. IT WAS OCCUPIED AND OPENED TO THE PUBLIC IN 1911 WILLIAM JAY GAYNOR BEING MAYOR. [Illustration: NORTH STAIRCASE] =Central Circulation Branch= (sign over door reads, "Circulating Library") (No. 80). This is one of the forty-four Branches of The New York Public Library, intended for the circulation of books for home use. In this instance alone the Branch is situated in the Central Building and is supported by the funds of the Library and not by the City. The room is interesting because of its activity. The view of it reproduced in this book had to be taken when but few people were there, but during afternoons and evenings, especially in the autumn, winter, and spring months, the room is frequently over-crowded with readers and borrowers of books. As over 500,000 books were borrowed from this one room during 1915 it may be said that there are few, if any, busier library rooms in the country, or, indeed, in the world. There is a collection of over 50,000 books, with a reserve collection of somewhat more than 70,000. The room is open 9 a. m. to 10 p. m. week days, including all holidays, and 2 to 6 p. m. on Sundays. =Children's Room.= Near the 42nd Street entrance a corridor runs east to the Children's Room (No. 78). The visitor to the building should not fail to see this room, with its attractive furnishings, its collections of brightly colored picture-books, and pictures.