Pros
They have a staff discount in the shop, if that's your thing.
Cons
President Tony Marx is unfit. Chuck Schumer's wife is the CFO of the Library. BIPOC are primarily in "paraprofessional" jobs - i.e., not librarians - except at the Schomburg Center. Very unfriendly to LGBTQ+ visitors *and* staff. Schwarzman Building is dirty, crowded with tourists and not fit for research or work, and yet there are really expensive rentals in the building all the time. Library departments regularly lack basic office supplies. Staff are under-compensated. There is little room for upward advancement as many management jobs are never advertised (internally or externally). Staff do not have access to private restrooms. Staff lounge (<800 sf) is open to anyone who "works" in the building, including individuals who may be temporarily in the building (like construction contractors). Schwarzman Building is considered "the best bathroom" in midtown, and that's why people visit. No gender-neutral restrooms. Family restrooms in the Schwarzman Building are primarily used by single men. Food is prohibited in the Schwarzman Building, allegedly to deter vermin, but the Library Lions dinner and other black-tie events are held, with food and drink, in the Main Reading Room and other collections spaces. This double-standard is rampant at NYPL. There's almost nothing in the stacks - it's used as storage space for NYPL Events. Collections are disturbingly segregated. Items that fall under "American history" as well as "African-American history" are only found at the Schomburg Center.
