Riverdale Library — Attraction in New York

We love supporting public libraries, so when we moved to the neighborhood, we were excited to be within walking distance of this one. However, we have been disappointed, for two reasons:

First, whenever our toddler smiles and waves hello to the staff, she gets glares back. We say thank you to folks restocking shelves and goodbye as as we leave and no one responds or acknowledges us. The staff seem strangely bothered to see people using the space. We put our books back neatly and we respect the quiet atmosphere; I'm not sure why they're so upset by our presence.

Second, why a library in a largely Modern Orthodox neighborhood would be closed on Sundays is beyond me. These hours make the library virtually unusable to Jewish families that work during the week. There are also constantly extended holiday closures for even for fairly minor holidays (e.g., three day closure for Labor Day, three day closure for Memorial Day). If you finally have the day off work/school and hoping to take a trip to this library, it...

Excellent customer service, quiet and elegant ambiance, safe and without any jokers or crazies like in other NYPL branches. The book collection is moderate but always something interesting. The computer work station section is useful and for those who really come to do work. There is a quiet meditative garden by the entrance. This is place and area are unlike anything in the Bronx or...

This is a great library that supports a diverse community! It is an integral part the neighborhood we have in Riverdale. The librarians care about encouraging kids to read, and they are giving away pro-LGBTQ+ books. There are many places to just sit and read comfortably and programs for all ages. I wish I had more time to fully take advantage of all that his library has to...