Past Events

Below are email notices sent to our membership for, what were then, upcoming events.

Thursday, March 28, 2024 at 11:00 a.m.
A CURATOR-LED TOUR OF THE AKC MUSEUM OF THE DOG
The Retirees Association is pleased to announce an upcoming curator-led tour of the AKC Museum of the Dog. Its mission is to preserve, interpret, and celebrate the role of dogs in society and to educate the public about the human-canine bond. It does this through its exhibits and its collection of art. There are paintings, sculptures, and bronzes, as well as a gift shop. The AKA recognizes 201 dog breeds, and we will be able to learn about them and even find out which breed each of us most resembles! The experience should be a treat for both dog-lovers and the dog-less.  The museum is located at 101 Park Avenue in Manhattan.

Wednesday, October 11, 2023 at 1:30 p.m.
A ZOOM TALK BY MARTHA HODES ON HER NEW BOOK, My Hijacking
We are pleased to announce a Zoom talk by Martha Hodes, historian and author of the new book, My Hijacking, the story of the 1970 hijacking of a TWA jet en route from Tel Aviv to New York. She was twelve years old at the time and was on the way home with her thirteen- year-old sister from a visit to their mother. Hers is a personal account of that event; it is a story of what one remembers and how one pieces events together from other people’s memories.

Ms. Hodes is a respected historian, and it is with an historian’s eye that she tells her story.
The NYT review of the book can be read at--https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/05/books /review/my-hijacking-martha-hodes.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share& referringSource=articleShare
Tablet Magazine also reviewed the book--https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/arts-letters /articles/the-hijacking-martha-hodes
The talk and discussion afterwards will take place on Wednesday, October 11th at 1:30 p.m.

Monday, May 26, and Wednesday, June 8, 2022
POLONSKY EXHIBITION OF THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY'S TREASURES
There are nine themes to the exhibition: Beginnings, Explorations, Performance, Fortitude, The Written Word, The Visual World, Childhood, Belief, and New York City. Among the treasures on display are Winnie the Pooh, a lock of Beethoven’s hair, a letter written by Columbus, photographs of New York over the years, and cuneiform tablets.

Tuesday, October 12 & Thursday, October 14, 2021
TOUR OF STAVROS NIARCHOS FOUNDATION LIBRARY TOUR
Tour conducted by Billy Parrott, Associate Director

Tuesday, May 18, 2021 at 2:00 p.m.
ZOOM DISCUSSION WITH MARIE ARANA
We are pleased to announce that Marie Arana, the Literary Director of the Library of Congress and Senior Advisor to Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, will join retiree Estelle Friedman in a discussion of her most recent book, Silver, Sword, and Stone: Three Crucibles of the Latin American Story. The Zoom program will take place on Tuesday, May 18th at 2:00 pm.
Ms. Arana was born in Peru to a Peruvian father and an American mother and came to the United States when she was nine. She is the author of several non-fiction books, including one on her bicultural childhood and another on the life of Simon Bolivar. She has also written two novels. She has hosted the annual Book Festival on the Mall in Washington and has been a judge for the National Book Critics Circle as well as for the Pulitzer Prize, and the National Book awards.

Tuesday, March 16 at 11:30 a.m.
A LECTURE ON THE PICTURE COLLECTION AND ROMANA JAVITZ
We are pleased to announce that Anthony Troncale, Retirees Association member and  former photography librarian from the Wallach Art, Prints and Photographs Division, will be presenting a Zoom talk for the association on Tuesday, March 16th at 11:30 am. He will be discussing the origins and history of the Picture Collection and Romana Javitz (1903-1980), who headed it from 1928 to 1968. It will include photos and an audio clip of Romana speaking with an interviewer. A signed copy of Anthony's book on this subject, Words on Pictures, will be available at a discount ($35.00, down from $45.99, by credit card or Paypal).

Wednesday, November 18, 2020 at 1:00 p.m.
ZOOM LECTURE BY BOB SINK
Topic: The Struggles of NYPL's Pioneering African-American Librarians

Wednesday, February 26, 2020 at 11 a.m.
RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL BACKSTAGE TOUR
Many of you joined fellow retirees in 2016 on a tour of Radio City Music Hall. We toured many of the public areas as well as some of the more private areas, including the creative departments and the Roxy Suite. Our tour ended with a photo opportunity with the Rockettes.
We were somewhat disappointed because we were unable to tour the performing areas since there was a show in progress. We are now being offered a behind-the-scenes tour that will include such things as the Music Hall’s huge stage with its hydraulic lifts—we will be able to go onto the stage--the mechanical workings of the stage, and the Rockettes’ practice room.

Tuesday, June 11, 2019, 10:30 a.m.
CARNEGIE HALL TOUR
Join the Retirees for an exciting tour of Carnegie Hall, Tuesday, June 11th, 2019, at 10:30 am. The address is 881 Seventh Ave, at 57th St and 7th Ave. in Manhattan. We will be taken throughout this fascinating and well known facility by a knowledgeable guide. Tickets are $12.00 per person.

Friday, May 3, 2019.
ANNUAL LUNCHEON
We are pleased to announce that we will be going to Le Monde, a casual brasserie serving French food of the Loire Valley. It is located at 2885 Broadway, between 112th and 113th Streets. Time: 1:00 - 4:00 pm. We’re hoping for a sunny spring day.
As always, we have tried to keep the cost of the luncheon down while finding a large enough space for all, a difficult thing to do. This year the cost will be $65 per person, but tax and tip are included. Again, we will have a large menu from which to choose. There will be a choice of three appetizers, four entrees, and three deserts.
Coffee or tea is included. A Cash Only Bar will be available for drinks; NO credit cards, please. This lovely and popular restaurant has been in this neighborhood for many years. Their service is good, and there is space in which to mingle.

Friday, November 9, 2018
ARCHIVIST BOB SINK PRESENTS SPECIAL TALK
On Friday, November 9, 2018   Archivist, historian and retiree Bob Sink presents his research examining the sexual identity of the women working in the New York Public Library branch system in the first half of the 20th century. Using Adrienne Rich’s notion of the “lesbian continuum,” he has been documenting personal aspects of their lives to ascertain how many of the librarians would fit this description. In his own words, “I hope that this study indicates that the silence about sexual identity that existed in the period before the LGBTQ civil rights era can be breached by historians—not just for a few famous women but for rank-and-file librarians as well.”

Saturday, September 29, 2018
50TH BIRTHDAY PARTY
For our Summer Reading kickoff event this year, Pelham Parkway-Van Nest Library is planning a 50th birthday party--our current building opened in June 1968. We'd like to invite any interested former Van Nest branch staff out there to join us, and possibly even participate in the festivities. We would also like to invite all NYPL retirees.
David Nochimson | The New York Public Library
Library Manager

Sunday, June 3, 2018 at Staten Island Museum at Snug Harbor
SILENCE AND ACCEPTANCE: The Lesbian Experience at the New York Public Library, 1901-1950
Archivist and historian Bob Sink presents his research examining the sexual identity of the women working in the New York Public Library branch system in the first half of the 20th century. Using Adrienne Rich’s notion of the “lesbian continuum,” he has been documenting personal aspects of their lives to ascertain how many of the librarians would fit this description. In his own words, “I hope that this study indicates that the silence about sexual identity that existed in the period before the LGBTQ civil rights era can be breached by historians—not just for a few famous women but for rank-and-file librarians as well.”

June 2018
PELHAM PARKWAY-VAN NEST LIBRARY CELEBRATION
 For our Summer Reading kickoff event this year, Pelham Parkway-Van Nest Library is planning a 50th birthday party--our current building opened in June 1968. We'd like to invite any interested former VN branch staff out there to join us, and possibly even participate in the festivities. We would also like to invite all NYPL retirees.
David Nochimson | The New York Public Library
Library Manager

Friday, May 18, 2018
NYPL ANNUAL LUNCHEON
The Retirees Association has scheduled our Annual Luncheon for Friday, May18, 2018. We are pleased to announce that we will be going to Arte Café, a “warm, unpretentious Italian restaurant” (NY Magazine) located at 106 West 73rd Street, just west of Columbus Avenue. Time: 1:00 - 4:00 pm. We’re hoping for a sunny spring day.

Sunday, May 6, 2018
50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OF NYPL GUILD LOCAL 1930
You are cordially invited to the 50th Anniversary Celebration of NYPL Guild Local 1930  on Sunday, May 6, 2018 from 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM.  Please join us at the Astoria World Manor, 2522 Astoria Boulevard, Astoria, NY.

Sunday, April 8, 2018
FEEDING THE DRAGON
This spring, Primary Stages will be presenting Feeding the Dragon, a play written by award-winning actress Sharon Washington. Our Association can get group-rate tickets at $45 each if we have 10 or more people interested in attending this NYPL-related autobiographical solo piece. Our group would see the Sunday, April 8, 2018, 3 pm performance at the Cherry Lane Theatre, 38 Commerce Street in the Village.
A talkback is scheduled to follow.  In her performance, Sharon revisits her time growing up in the apartment on the top floor of the St. Agnes Branch where her father was the building’s custodian.  Shrouded in family mystery, Sharon’s story boldly examines how both the power of forgiveness and her lifelong love for the written word have helped her battle dragons of all forms.

Friday, March 16, 2018
GLADYS MARCUS LIBRARY AT FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology)
You are invited to join us as NYPLRA visits the Gladys Marcus Library at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology), located at 7th Avenue at West 27th Street, N.Y.C.,  on Friday, March 16, 2018 from 10:30 a.m. to about 11:45 a.m. This  free  tour and lecture on the collection and special collection there will be given by Professor N.J. Bradeen,  Director of the Gladys Marcus Library at FIT.

Friday, October 6, 2017
TOUR OF THE NATIONAL LIGHTHOUSE MUSEUM
 NYPLRA members are invited to enjoy  a guided tour of the National Lighthouse Museum, located just a walk from the Staten Island Ferry Terminal in St. George.  The address is 200 The Promenade at Lighthouse Point. The date is Friday, October 6, 2017.  Our visit will begin at 11:15 a.m. After our tour, we will lunch at Beso, the Spanish restaurant where our group has been on two previous trips. It is at 11 Schuyler St., also walking distance to the Ferry Terminal. 

Wednesday, September 6, 2017
TOUR OF THE PHILHARMONIC ARCHIVES
On Wednesday, September 6, 2017, at 2 pm, we will tour the Philharmonic Archives, “ … which serves as a repository for more than 165 years of Philharmonic history [and] is one of the oldest and most important orchestral research collections in the world. It traces the entire history of the Philharmonic and its more than 15,000 performances around the world and is an important record of cultural history in New York City.”

Tuesday, August 22, 2017
TOURS OF THE STACKS BENEATH BRYANT PARK
There will be two tours of the stacks beneath Bryant Park on Tuesday, August 22, 2017—one at 10:30 am, the other at 6:30 pm. Participants will gather in the Schwarzman Building on the third floor outside the Rose Reading Room (315) ten minutes before each tour. 

Wednesday, July 27, 2016
ROCKETTES AT RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL
The Retirees have another fantastic deal for you, the final get-together of this season. It is a performance of the all-live New York Spectacular, featuring the Rockettes, at Radio City Music Hall on July 27th at 11:00 A.M. The tickets are $25 each. The show is 90 minutes long and is about two children, a brother and sister, who get separated from their parents and are reunited with them with help mostly from talking statues (including Patience and Fortitude). The amazing Rockettes appear throughout.

Wednesday, May 18, 2016
RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL TOUR
The Retirees Association has scheduled an exciting backstage tour of the legendary Radio City Music Hall, the most famous Art Deco showplace in the nation. We will go behind the scenes to learn the secrets of the Great Stage, and—hold onto your hats—we will even MEET A ROCKETTE.

Friday, April 8, 2016
ANNUAL LUNCHEON AT LA MIRABELLE
The Retirees Association has scheduled our Annual Luncheon for Friday, April 8, 2016. We are pleased to announce that we will be going back to La Mirabelle, a lovely, authentic French Bistro located at 102 West 86th Street, off Columbus Avenue, on the southwest corner. Time: 1:00 - 4:00 pm. This time there should be NO snowstorms!

Friday, November 13, 2015
GOOD HOUSEKEEPING RESEARCH INSTITUTE TOUR
Come join the Retirees Association on Friday, November 13, 2015, for a walking tour of the Good Housekeeping Research Institute in the Hearst Tower on Eighth Avenue between 56th and 57th Streets, located near Columbus Circle. The Institute is on one floor with 6 large labs, but please note, there are few places to sit. We begin our tour at 10:00 am in the Hearst lobby, where we meet.  On the tour, we will discover how their scientists, engineers, and chemists evaluate thousands of products each year, including food, cosmetics, swimwear, and other clothing; kitchen appliances and kitchen accessories; products for children, and many more items. We will tour the test kitchens and meet the nutrition department staff.

Tuesday, June 23, 2015
VOELKER ORTH MUSEUM, BIRD SANCTUARY AND VICTORIAN GARDEN
Join the Retirees Association for a fascinating tour of the Voelker Orth Museum, Bird Sanctuary and Victorian Garden in Flushing, Queens, at 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 23, 2015. We will be given a tour of the original Victorian home, then go outdoors into the flowering, bird-filled Victorian Garden.  Conrad Voelker, a German immigrant, purchased the house in1881. After his death in 1930, his daughter, Theresa and her husband Dr. Rudolph Orth lived there until their deaths. Their daughter, Elizabeth Voelker Orth also remained in the house for most of her life. She established the organization that has now restored the house and maintains the garden, both open for visitors.  The Victorian garden, which was established early, still has many of the plants and trees that were originally planted there. The berry bushes and trees still attract migrating birds as well as local species. In June, the butterfly bush attracts monarchs and swallowtails.  June will be a beautiful month for viewing the garden.

Monday, March 30, 2015
STATEN ISLAND MUSEUM VISIT
On Monday, March 30, 2015, we will be taking a tour of the current and permanent exhibitions at the Staten Island Museum, 75 Stuyvesant Place, at the corner of Wall Street. It will be followed by an illustrated talk on the coming expansion of the Museum to one of the main buildings at Snug Harbor Cultural Center.  Our visit will begin at 11:30 am and will end just before 1 pm. Current exhibitions at the Staten Island Museum include a retrospective of the work of Betty Bressi, one of Staten Island’s most polished and inventive artists, who died last year at age 96.  She did abstract paintings, typewriter conceptual art, poetry projects, and paper weaving.  Accompanying the exhibit will be “Affinities,” a selection from the Museum’s collections related to Ms. Bressi’s works.  Also current is “Kaleidoscope,” an exhibition of porcelain plates from Europe and Asia from the collection of the late Edith and Alfred Susskind.
 We will lunch at Beso at 1 pm.  The restaurant is located at 11 Schuyler Street, just a short walk away.

Friday, March 6, 2015
ANNUAL LUNCHEON
The Retirees Association has scheduled our Annual Luncheon for Friday, March 6, 2015. We are pleased to announce that we will be going to La Mirabelle, a lovely, authentic French Bistro located at 102 West 86th Street, off Columbus Avenue, on the southwest corner. Time: 1:00 - 4:00 pm.  Even with prices going up, we have tried to keep the cost of the luncheon down, as well as find a large enough space for all. This year the cost will be $60 per person, but tax and tip is included. We also have a larger menu to choose from: two tasty appetizers; entrees of Duck a la Mirabelle, Salmon with Leek Sauce, Chicken Breast with Sauce, or Fusilli Primavera with fresh vegetables; and Chocolate Mousse or Mixed Berry Tart for dessert.  Coffee or tea are included. A cash bar will be available for drinks. Several members who have dined there say the food is wonderful.

Wednesday, December 3, 2014
VISIT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN
Join the Retirees Association for an exciting tour of the National Museum of the American Indian (NY) in lower Manhattan on Wednesday, December 3rd.  Our tour will cover "The Infinity of Nations," a spectacular exhibit of 700 works of Native art from tribes living in North, Central, and South America.  After our tour, we will be free to look at the many other exhibits there for as long as we wish and to visit the exceptional gift shop.  While there is no restaurant in the museum, there are many places to eat in the neighborhood.
Please arrive at the museum at 1 Bowling Green at 10:30 a.m.  Enter the building at street level where there is a security system to pass through, similar to ones at the airport.  Take the elevators to the Great Hall on the second floor.  Public lockers are provided for coats and bags.  There are benches to sit on while we wait to meet our docent, Loretta Shapiro, the "Museum Ambassador."  The tour will start at 11:00 a.m. and last for 45-60 minutes.

Monday, April 28, 2014
MEET MARY LEE KENNEDY
On Monday, April 28th from 10 a.m.  - 12 p.m., the Retirees Association members will meet for a get-acquainted talk with Mary Lee Kennedy, Chief Library Officer of NYPL. Our program will be held at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street.  Mary Lee Kennedy was previously Senior Associate Provost for the Harvard Library, appointed by the President of Harvard to lead the transition to the new Harvard Library. She has a B.A. cum laude in social psychology from the University of Alberta, Canada, and a Master's in Library Science with honors from Louisiana State University. Some of us met her when she was introduced at the Retirees Spring Reception last June.  In her position at the Library, she and her staff are focusing on the program strategic plan for FY 15 - FY 17, research and circulating services for current and future Library users, and the NYPL digital experience. Mary Lee is eager to meet with us and "will be happy to talk about the work we are doing and the direction in which our programs are headed and to provide a session open for questions."

Friday, April 4, 2014
VISIT THE RENOVATED STAPLETON  BRANCH & SRI LANKAN COMMUNITY
We have planned a program on Staten Island for our retirees on Friday, April 4, 2014.  It will begin at 11 a.m. with a tour of the recently renovated Stapleton Branch, a 1907 Carnegie building designed by Carrere and Hastings that now has a modern glass addition.  Then we will hear from retiree Faikah Jayman who retired as Senior Clerk at St. George.  She will talk about the large Sri Lankan community on Staten Island.  It is said to be the largest outside of Sri Lanka.  Afterwards, those who wish may join us at the nearby Sri Lankan restaurant, Lakruwana.  The library building is located at 132 Canal Street, corner of Wright Street, a short ride from the Staten Island Ferry Terminal at St. George.  Directions to the branch can be found at http://www.nypl.org/locations/tid/73/directions.  The restaurant is at 668 Bay Street.  For those interested in attending the library program and/or the restaurant lunch please reply to Emily Cohen at (718) 984-3790 or [email protected] by March 29th

Friday, March 14, 2014
NYPL ON FILM
Elena Rossi-Snook, Archivist in the Performing Arts Library's Reserve Film and Video Collection (formerly Donnell Media Center), has a reverence for NYPL history that she is able to employ in her work. On Friday, March 14, 2014, at 11 am, in the Performing Arts Library's Bruno Walter Auditorium, Elena will talk about her project -- preserving films about NYPL -- and screen some of the short films in the collection. We will have an opportunity to identify staff members in the films; their names may then be added to the catalogue record and/or files. There will also be a brief period between films for our comments.  Jane Kunstler and Alan Pally previewed the films and have identified Lillian Lopez, Gerard Alexander, Leonard Gold, Betty Myers, Belle Weinberg, and (possibly) Maria Cimino. Films, made between the 1940s and 1980s, will be selected from the following list:  Business and The New York Public Library, The Impressionable Years, It's Our Job, The Kurzweil Reading Machine: An Open Door to the Printed Word, The Library on Wheels, Library Service on Staten Island, and The Seward Park Branch and the Neighborhood It Serves .

Friday, January 24, 2014
ANNUAL HOLIDAY LUNCHEON
Celebrate the New Year 2014 with friends and fellow members of the NYPL Retirees Association. Once again this year, we will meet for lunch on Friday, January 24th from 1:00 pm until 4:00 pm for a delicious meal at Benoit, the French restaurant located at 60 West 55th Street between 5th and 6thAvenues. The cost is $52 per person, tax and tip included. There will be a choice between two appetizers, two entrees (likely a fish or beef dish), and one dessert. All drinks must be ordered and paid for individually. A cash bar will be available for cocktails and wine. We will be in dining rooms on the 2nd floor; they are accessible by elevator. Seating will begin after 12:30 pm

Friday, October 25, 2013
20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE RETIREES ASSOCIATION
This year, 2013, we will be celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the NYPL Retirees Association. The date on which our festivity will be held is Friday, October 25th, from 2:00 - 5:00 pm at Mid-Manhattan Library, 6th floor, conference rooms B & C. We do hope many of you will join us.

We have excellent entertainment planned. Tantalizing refreshments will be served, including delicious sweets prepared by retiree Marcia Loyd. There will be plenty of time to speak with friends too.

Tuesday, September 17, 2013
JOIN US FOR A TOUR OF THE INSTITUTE OF JAZZ STUDIES AT RUTGERS UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES.
"Retirees have a rare opportunity to tour the Institute of Jazz Studies at the Rutgers University Libraries, Newark Campus.  The date of the tour is Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 11:30 AM.  The Institute houses the largest, most comprehensive library and archive of jazz and jazz-related material in the world -- a "treasure trove of music, photos, history, instruments and memorabilia".  The free tour should last about an hour.  We have made approximately 1:30 lunch reservations at a restaurant in the Ironbound section of NJ. it is very near our train station and easy to get to, It is called Fornos of Spain Restaurant at 47 Perry St. Newark, NJ.

Tuesday, June 25, 2013
TOUR OF THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES, WASHINGTON, D.C.
David Ferriero, former Director of the Research Libraries at NYPL and current Archivist of the United States (AOTUS,) has generously offered to lead a tour of the National Archives.

Wednesday, July 19, 2013
STATEN ISLAND BASEBALL
There is going to be a minor league baseball game at 7 P.M. on Wednesday, July 19th between the Staten Island Yankees and the Brooklyn Cyclones.  It will be played at the Staten Island Yankees' Ballpark which is within walking distance of the Staten Island Ferry. 

Monday, April 15, 2013
HISTORY OF LIBRARIES ON STATEN ISLAND
Andrew Wilson, Strategic Projects Manager with NYPL will give an illustrated talk on the history of libraries on Staten Island beginning before any of the actual buildings were constructed It will last approximately one and a half hours and afterwards we will lunch at Beso, a nearby moderately priced Spanish restaurant at 11 Schuyler St. near Richmond Terrace. Please reply to Emily Cohen at (718) 984-3790 or [email protected] if you would like to attend. If you'll be lunching with us, please reply by Tuesday, April 2nd so we can make restaurant reservations.  As the St. George Library will be closed for repairs that day, we will meet instead at nearby Staten Island Borough Hall.

Friday, January 18, 2013
OUR ANNUAL LUNCHEON
The Benoit French Restaurant, at 60 West 55th Street (between 5th and 6th Avenues), was such a big "hit " last year that we decided to hold our annual holiday luncheon there again.  We will meet for lunch on Friday, January 18th, at 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. for a delicious meal at a cost of $47.00 per person, tax and tip included. For lunch we will have a choice between 2 appetizers, 2 entrees (a choice of chicken or fish), and a traditional French dessert with tea or coffee.  All drinks must be ordered and paid for individually.  A cash bar is available for all beverages as well as cocktails or wine.  We will be in the dining rooms on the 2nd floor which are accessible by elevator.  Seating begins at 12:30 p.m.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012
CREATURES OF LIGHT at AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
The Retirees Association has finalized plans for our visit to the Museum on Tuesday, November 13, at 11 am. The tour begins at 11:30 am. and takes approximately one and one-half hours.  Our own Carol Davies-Gross, a docent at the Museum, will lead the tour.  The "Creatures of Light" exhibit welcomes us to the world of nature's bioluminescence and will give us an opportunity to view fireflies and organisms that glitter.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012
GRACIE MANSION CONSERVANCY TEA TOUR
In 1799, Archibald Gracie built his country home five miles north of what was then New York City.  After changing hands several times, the house was appropriated by the City in 1896, and it and its 11 acres were incorporated  into Carl Schurz Park.  Before it became the official residence of NYC's mayors, it served as a concession stand and restrooms for the park, the first home of the Museum of the City of New York, and an historic house museum run by the Parks Department.  In 1942, Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia moved in.  The Executive Committee of The New York Public Library Retirees Association invites you to join us for a Tea Tour of Gracie Mansion on Tuesday, October 9th, at 1 pm.  The tea will consist of a selection of delicious homemade scones, tea sandwiches, and teacakes.  It will be followed by the tour, led by retiree Fran Nathan. Tea will be served at 1 PM, followed by our tour. Our afternoon at the house will end by 3 PM.

June 25, 26, and 28, 2012
LUNCH, AN EXHIBIT AT NYPL
"Lunch" – the meal that became American on the streets of New York – will be the focus of a major exhibit opening in June 2012 at the Stephan A Schwarzman Building. "Lunch" will highlight the ways New Yorkers have defined and stylized the midday meal to suit the modern workday.   Drawing from the Library's vast culinary collection of cookbooks, menus, recipes, as well as prints, photographs, and periodicals, the exhibit will showcase the dramatic changes brought about by the industrial revolution.  Employees could no longer return home for the noon "dinner" and so "lunch" took on a new identity.  There will be a wide variety of different displays of lunch foods, as well as where people ate.  An early 1900 cafeteria and an reconstructed Automat machine which took only nickles and fed thousands of New Yorkers daily will be exhibited, . We  will see how "Charity Lunches" began, the City's early efforts to feed the needy. The "School Lunch" shows charity workers  feeding lunch to school age children early in the 19th century. Finally came the "Power Lunch' and our modern day Thanksgiving. By the end of our exciting tour, we will know everything about the meal we still call....and eat, "Lunch".

ANNUAL SUMMER BASEBALL!
Thursday, June 21, 2012
The NYPL retirees association is planning its annual trip to Brooklyn to attend a baseball game between the Brooklyn Cyclones and the Staten Island Yankees. It will take place at MCU Park in Coney Island  at 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 21st.  Please join us at the game. Tickets are $16.00 each for field box seats.  You may pick them up on the day of the game at the "Will Call" window at the Park.

Sunday, August 5, 2012
STATEN ISLAND:
The NYPL retirees association is planning its second annual trip to Staten Island to attend a baseball game between the SI Yankees and the AAA farm team of the Boston Red Sox. It will take place on Sunday, August 5, 2012, at 4:00 p.m. at the Richmond County Bank Ballpark, 75 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island.  Please join us at the game, which will be followed by fireworks. There are two ticket prices: $30.00 each for a seat in a “Room With a View” and $25.00 for each seat in the Batter's Box.
The Rooms are air-conditioned, with cable tv, and are located between home plate and 3rd base. The price includes a limited edition S I Yankees hat and all-you-can-eat hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, chips, soda, and water until the end of the 7th inning  The food is served inside the room. We have reserved two rooms, and each has seats for 10 people inside, with 10 fixed seats outside on the terrace in front of the room. There is a limit of 20 people in each room.
The Batter's Box is located behind home plate, and the price includes a limited edition S I Yankees hat and a food voucher for all-you-can-eat hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, chips, soda, and water. You must stand on line at a concession stand to pick up the food. There is a limit of 20 seats in this section.

Thursday, May 24, 2012
GENEALOGY AT NYPL
There is still room to attend this program. If you have never traced your ancestor's you will learn how it is done. And if you have already started finding your ancestors, Maira says, come with your notes and questions, you will learn more.
Join retirees on Thursday, May 24, for an exciting opportunity to trace your ancestors in NYPL's Local History and Genealogy Division at the Stephen A.Schwarzman Building at Fifth Ave and 42nd St.  Maira Liriano, Manager of The Milstein Division of United States History, will lead an introductory class on how to get started on your own personal genealogy expedition, which will be followed by a brief tour of the Division. The program lasts from 2:00 to 3:30

Tuesday, April 17, 2012
RETIREES TO GO BACKSTAGE AT THE METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE
Come join us for an exciting opportunity to go behind-the-scenes at the Met Opera House on Tuesday, April 17, at 3 p.m.  Led by a tour guide of the Met Opera Guild, we will view all work stations behind the Opera, a special treat for all who have enjoyed its great productions. The 60-minute tour begins at 3 p.m.  Retirees must meet at 2:45 pm at the south end Lobby, 70 Lincoln Plaza.
The Met gives all tourists special directions, primarily that the tour contains standing and walking with some stairs. Once the tour starts there are no chairs for resting nor restrooms backstage until the very end of the tour. They specify that when the tour begins latecomers cannot join the tour, nor can anyone leave before the conclusion of the tour. Backpacks, shopping bags or any bulky objects can not be dealt with and must not be brought into the Met at all. They suggest carrying a wallet or small purse. And no cameras as photos are not permitted.
They do however have an elevator so if anyone needs to use a wheelchair they ask that we let them know in advance and they will make arrangements for that. If any of these stipulations presents a problem for you, you may not want to take this tour. But if you have questions before registering please let us know now.  The tour is limited to 25-30 people.

Thursday, January 19, 2012
EZRA JACK KEATS EXHIBIT
We have been able to schedule a 45 minute tour of the Ezra Jack Keats Exhibit at the Jewish Museum on Thursday, Jan 19th at 2:00pm.  Joan Jankell will be our docent. It is for no more than 20 people, so it is important for you to let me know right away by phone or email by  Friday the 13th, at the latest.  Only retirees, no guests please. The cost will be $15 per person for entrance and tour. Refreshments may be purchased on your own at the cafeteria after the tour. The association has already paid our admission, so please bring exact change or a check made out the NYPL Retirees Association, that day.  Do not pay on your way in.. We will meet in the lobby at 1:40pm unless otherwise directed. The Jewish Museum is located at 1109 Fifth Avenue at the corner of 92nd St. in Manhattan.

Friday, January 13, 2012
ANNUAL HOLIDAY LUNCH
Celebrate the New Year 2012, with friends and fellow members of The NYPL Retirees Association. This year we meet for lunch on Friday, January 13th at 1:00 pm until 4:00 pm for a delicious meal at Benoit French Restaurant, located at 60 West 55 Street, between 5th and 6th Ave. The cost is $45 per person, tax and tip is included. For lunch we will have a choice between 2 appetizers,  2 entrees (likely a fish or beef dish) and 2 desserts. All drinks must be ordered and paid for individually. A cash bar is available for all beverages as well as cocktails or wine. We will be in dining rooms on the 2nd floor which are accessible by elevator. All retirees are welcome and you may bring a guest. Seating begins after 12:30 pm

Thursday, December 8, 2011
PRE-HOLIDAY VISIT TO MUSEUM OF CHINESE IN AMERICA
Join us for a trip to Chinatown on Thursday, December 8, to visit the Museum of Chinese in America, at 215 Centre Street (between Howard & Grand Streets).
Founded in 1980, the Museum is dedicated to preserving and presenting the history, heritage, culture and diverse experiences of people of Chinese descent in the United States.  The Museum offers educational programs, collects oral histories, and many other projects promoting Chinese-American culture.  Its present building was designed by Maya Lin, who also designed the Vietnam Memorial in Washington.
The Museum has offered two one-hour "Gallery Highlights" tours, 15 persons per group, both beginning at 11:30 a.m.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011     
Staten Island Archives
 A special program for members of our Retirees Association and interested family and friends will take place at 1:30 P.M. on Wednesday, November 2nd.  It will be held at the Archives of the Staten Island Museum in Bldg. H at Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Gardens.  This is a less than 10 minute bus ride from the St. George Ferry terminal.
Archivist and well-known historical lecturer Patricia Salmon will spend about 1 1/2 hours presenting the collections and mission of the Archives and the history of the Staten Island Museum.  She will include historical images and postcards of Staten Island libraries in her Power Point presentation.
Our cost will be a very reasonable $3 per person, paid at the door, to visit this fascinating and extensive repository of Staten Island History materials, open by appointment only,  and to enjoy Ms. Salmon's " just for us" presentation.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Fall Meeting with Special Guest Bob Sink

Please join the Retirees Association for our first fall membership meeting on Wednesday, October 19th at Mid Manhattan Library at 2:00 pm. We are pleased to have as our special guest, Bob Sink who will talk about NYPL Branch Librarians, 1901 - 1950: specifically his research into the 155 librarians who headed a neighborhood branch during the first 50 years of the Circulation Department.  They were a remarkable group.
Bob has been compiling basic demographic and professional information on the librarians—gender, race, marital status, religion, education, library training, occupational status of the parents, professional memberships, and their work histories before and after NYPL—and tracking how those factors changed over the first five decades of the twentieth century.
Bob is also looking at the amount of autonomy the Branch Librarians exercised and how that began to decline in the 1920s.  He is also tracing their notable number of publications, both journal articles and books.  Finally he will talk about his research into the process of racially integrating the branch staff in the 1920s and 1930s.
Bob Sink started working in NYPL’s Manuscript Division in 1981 and created the NYPL Archives in 1985.  He left the Library in 2001 to become the Chief of Archive & Library Services at the Center for Jewish History.  Bob retired in 2010 and finally has the time to complete his research on the NYPL Branch Librarians. You can follow Bob’s research findings on his blog at:
http://nypl-librarians.blogspot.com

Tuesday, July 5 & Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Join the Retirees for Summer Baseball Games
The first game will be on Tuesday, July 5, 2011, at 7:00 p.m. with the Staten Island Yankees hosting the Brooklyn Cyclones at the Richmond County Bank Ballpark on Staten Island.  The Batters Box has 20 cushioned, high back seats at field level behind home plate.  The $25.00 ticket price includes a baseball cap and all the hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, popcorn, soda, and water you want.  The gates open at 6:00 for the 7p.m. game, and you must go to the will call box office to pick up the ticket under your name.  You must have a photo ID to show at the box office.
The second game will be on Wednesday, August 3, 2011, at 12:00 noon - for those who like daytime baseball - at the MCU Park (née Keyspan Park) in Coney Island, Brooklyn.  The seats are field box seats in the shadiest area behind home plate and are $16.00 each, unless we get 20 or more people.  ($3.00 will be refunded if we do.)  The price includes a Cyclones baseball cap.  The gates open at 11:00 a.m. for the 12 noon game, and you must go to the will call box office to pick up the ticket under your name.  You must have a photo ID to show at the box office.

June 27, 28, or 30, 2011
Celebrating 100 Years
Join the Retirees Association for a tour of the exhibition "Celebrating 100 Years", as NYPL celebrates a landmark event, the opening of the main building at  42nd Street and 5th Ave, now known as the Stephen A Schwarzman Building. The landmark building, which was opened in1911, was dedicated to preserving the libraries varied collections and making them accessible to the public. With the libraries continued expansion of holdings those goals are still present today.
The magnificent exhibition contains not only rare books but numerous and fascinating  treasures, all from the Library's extensive collections: a Gutenberg Bible, Virginia Woolf's walking stick, one of Malcolm X's journals, all items of historical significance, plus common items of the time, from dance cards, to a game board to a dime novel, to name only a few of the many things we will view..

Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Morgan Library Tour
Join the Retirees Association on Tuesday, June 14th, at 12:45 pm, for a 1:00 tour of The Morgan Library and Museum, 225 Madison Avenue (at 36th Street and Madison Ave), for their exceptional  "HIGHLIGHTS" tour, led by one of the Morgan's educator staff. This special experience will provide us with an exciting overview of The Morgan's history; it's architecture, historic buildings, collections and exhibitions.  The tour lasts 45-60 minutes. After the tour, you may want to visit the Morgan's Gift Shop which specializes in items related to its collections of Medieval and Renaissance materials.

Monday, March 28, 2011
Sleep, Exercise, and TimeBanksNYC
The NYPL Retirees Association is pleased to present two programs offered by the New York City Department for the Aging to be held on Monday, March 28.  Our first speaker, Harriet Stollman, will talk about "Getting a Good Night's Sleep" and will discuss the importance of exercise and its relationship to sleep.  Ms Stollman will also demonstrate several types of exercise and ask for participation, as well as talk about their Health Promotion Unit and its available resources.
To get a copy of the free Stay Well Exercise Manual mailed to you, go to the following site:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dfta/downloads/pdf/stay_well_order%20form.pdf
The second part of the program will be led by Karen Martin and Melody Ross of TimeBanksNYC.  TBNYC is a free resource that allows individuals and organizations to network and serve one another.  For example, neighbors help neighbors; one person can offer to paint a living room, drive someone to run errands, teach someone Spanish, etc. Through TBNYC we all become assets to our communities. TBNYC is a city-wide program, part of Age Friendly NYC, and is administered by the NYC Department for the Aging in partnership with the Aging in New York Fund, Inc.
To become a member go to this site. You may have to copy the link to a new window in your internet browser:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/timebanks/html/home/home.shtml

Thursday, February 17, 2011
Three Faiths Exhibit Tour
Join the Retirees Association on Thursday, February 17th, for a tour of The NYPL special exhibit, "Three Faiths: Judaism,  Christianity,  Islam."  Meet at 10:00 a.m., using the 42nd Street entrance of the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building at Fifth Avenue.  Attendees are requested to wait in the coat room area before the docent arrives  to begin the tour. The Association was fortunate to be able to reserve this time for the "Three Faiths" as the exhibit is so popular that all other tours were completely booked for the months of January and February.
The exhibit covers common elements of the three faiths and is drawn entirely from the permanent collections of The New York Public Library that portrays major aspects of each of the three Abrahamic faiths. It explores the scriptures produced and inspired by the three faiths founding figures and the ways in which the texts have been used for centuries in the daily lives of ordinary people.  The themes are illustrated through focused vignettes ranging from artifacts of Jewish mysticism to vernacular translations of the Christian Bible to depictions of the Hajj.

Thursday, January 20th, 2011
Holiday Lunch
Celebrate the New Year 2011, with fellow members of The NYPL Retirees Association. This year we meet for lunch on Thursday, January 20th at 1:00pm for a delicious meal at Kennedy's Steak and Seafood Restaurant, located at 327 West 57th Street, between 8th and 9th Ave. & two blocks below Columbus Circle. The lunch includes one cocktail or soft drink, soup or seasonal green salad, a choice of entree: Roast Sirloin of Beef, Filet of Sole stuffed with crab meat, or Chicken Hibernia. All meals are served with fresh vegetable and potato. A vegetarian meal is also available but must be requested in advance. Dessert is included and is served with coffee, regular or decaffeinated, or tea.  A cash bar is available for additional drinks. All retirees are welcome and you may bring a guest. The cost is $42 per person. Seating begins at 12:30pm. Restaurant is wheelchair accessible. Casual attire.

Monday, December 20, 2010
Stuart Leibowitz, President, DC37 Retirees Association speaks on The Economy, Politics, and Us.
Our special guest is Stuart Leibowitz, President of the DC37 Retirees Association. He will discuss protecting our benefits and how we can help be a vital force in keeping our benefits strong.
For those of you who are non union members and are wondering whether you ought to attend our meeting with Stuart Leibowitz on Monday December 20th the answer is  yes, definitely.  Think about all the articles on retirees regarding pensions, social security and health benefits in the news today. By attending you will get a lot of important information from Mr. Leibowitz. He won't limit his talk to remarks only about the union but will speak about important issues that we NYPL retirees will all be interested in hearing. He will talk about Obama's Deficit Commission and other relevant topics. And all retirees have the same benefits from the Library. So come to listen and bring your questions.  Mr Leibowitz is a knowledgeable and an excellent speaker. I think you will enjoy hearing him.
Mr Leibowitz, elected President of DC37 Retirees Association, in 2001, is a fierce advocate for retirees' benefits simply saying "Our mission is to protect the benefits of retirees and their children and grandchildren." He was instrumental in helping win pension Cola and the reimbursement of retirees' Medicare Part B payments and he continues to fight for retirees benefits.

Friday, November 19, 2010
Third Library Services Center Tour
NYPL Technical Services' staff have generously arranged a third tour for us at their new Library Services Center in Long Island City located at 31-11 Thomson Ave. Long Island City, NY 11101.The date for the third tour is Friday, November 19th.  The tour will begin at 11 a.m. and lasts approximately two hours. Again attendance is strictly limited to twenty people, so please make your reservation as soon as possible.

Tuesdays, October 19, & 26, 2010
Library Services Center in Long Island City
NYPL Technical Services' staff are ready for visitors at their new Library Services Center in Long Island City.  We have arranged for two tour days, Tuesdays October 19th and October 26th.  The tours will begin at 11 a.m. to give us enough time for a leisurely journey to Queens.  Attendance is strictly limited to twenty people for each tour, so please make your reservation as soon as possible.

Wednesday,  June 23, 2010, 3:00 p.m.
Mapping New York’s Shoreline: A Second Chance
Alice C. Hudson, Retired Chief of The Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map Division and Retiree Association member, has offered to take the retirees on a second tour of the special exhibition "Mapping New York's Shoreline 1609 -2009, celebrating 400 years since Henry Hudson sailed into NY Harbor and up the Hudson River", at the Schwarzman Building at 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue. This wonderful hour long tour will take place at 3:00 pm on Wednesday, June 23rd, at the Gottesman Exhibition Hall on the 2nd floor where we will meet Alice.  Space is limited to those people who were not able to attend the first tour in March

June 19, 2010 at 6:00 p.m.
Join the Retirees at a Night Baseball Game
The opening home game between the Brooklyn Cyclones and the Staten Island Yankees will take place at 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 19, 2010, at Keyspan Park in Coney Island, Brooklyn.  We invite you to join us at the game, which will be followed by fireworks.  Tickets are $13.00 for field box seats, and you may pick them up at the "will call" window at the Park on the day of the game.  Seats are limited, but you are welcome to reserve more than one.

Friday, May 7, 2010
Remembering Larry Murphy
Please join the NYPL Retirees Association as we remember our colleague and friend, Larry Murphy, on Friday, May 7, at 1:30 p.m., at the Mid-Manhattan Library.  Larry was a founding member of the NYPL Retirees Association and served as Editor of the Association's Newsletter in the early years.  We look forward to seeing you as we remember our friend and colleague, Lawrence Parke Murphy, and his contribution to The New York Public Library.  See the Larry Murphy page on our website.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Regina Andrews, First African American Librarian at NYPL
Please Join the Retirees Association for a Special Presentation.
Regina Andrews was the first African American librarian at The New York Public Library. She worked there from 1923 - 1967, heading her own branch at NYPL. She was also an important figure in the Harlem Renaissance.
This fascinating talk about an exceptional woman who many of you knew or have heard about, will be conducted by Dr. Ethelene Whitmire,  Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin - Madison's School of Library and Information Studies. Dr. Whitmire is currently in the process of writing a biography and making a documentary about Regina Andrews.
Dr Whitmire states, "Using extensive primary and secondary sources, this scholarly book project examines the life of Regina Andrews (1901-1993), who began her career in 1923 at the 135th Street branch (now known as the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture) and ended it with her retirement from the Washington Heights branch in 1967."
Dr Whitmire received her BA and MLS from Rutgers University and her PhD from the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. She was formerly a Librarian-in-Residence at Yale University and an Assistant Professor at UCLA's Department of Information Studies.   Information about this project can be found on her web site and blog at: https://mywebspace.wisc.edu/ewhitmire/web/andrews/and http://harlemrenaissancelibrarian.blogspot.com/.

Monday, March 22, 2010 at 1:30,
Mapping New York’s Shoreline 1609-2009
Alice C. Hudson, Retired Chief of The Lionel Pincus & Princess Firyal Map Division in The Humanities and Social Sciences Library, has kindly offered to take the retirees on a special tour of the exhibition "Mapping New York's Shoreline 1609 - 2009, celebrating 400 Years since Henry Hudson sailed into NY Harbor and up the Hudson River" at the Schwarzman Building at 42nd St. and Fifth Ave. The hour long tour will take place on Monday, March 22nd at 1:30 p.m.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010 at 2:00,  Demystifying Computers
A presentation by Abby Stokes, author of "Is This Thing On?": A Computer Handbook for Late Bloomers, Technophobes, and the Kicking & Screaming
• Why would I want to use a computer? What can it do for me?,
• How can I keep my identity—and my bank accounts—safe online?
• Google? Blogs? Facebook? What, How, and Why???
• Find out the answers to these questions. . .and many more.
Abby Stokes has generously offered to present her special program for NYPL Retirees and their guests at Mid-Manhattan Library, sixth floor, conference rooms B & C on Tuesday, February 9th at 2:00 pm. Light refreshments will be served before the program at 1:30 pm.  This is indeed a special program whether you just want an idea of what computers can do for you, whether you are considering buying one, or if you just have some computer questions to ask her. Abby will answer them. She will also be bringing copies of her helpful book "Is This Thing On" for sale at the discounted price of $15 for attendees.

Monday January 11th, 2010
Our Annual Holiday Lunch
Come celebrate the New Year and the 16th anniversary of The NYPL Retirees’ Association.  We will be meeting for lunch on Monday, January 11th, from 1- 3 p.m. for a delicious Italian meal at Forlini’s Restaurant, newly re-located to 93 Baxter Street (below Canal) between Center and Mulberry Streets.  For $35.00 per person, the lunch will include a green salad; a choice of entrée, among which are veal or chicken (francese or marsala), broiled filet of sole, or eggplant parmigiana; and a side dish.  Pitchers of wine, beer, and soda will be served during the meal. For dessert, a special cake will be served with coffee, tea, or espresso.  A cash bar and additional items will also be available.

Thursday, December 10, 2009
Asia Society Tour
Meet NYPL Retirees on Thursday, December 10, 10:45 a.m., at the Asia Society, 725 Park Ave (between 70th & 71st Sts).  The one-hour guided tour begins at 11:00 a.m. and will cover two exhibitions:  "Hanging Fire: Contemporary Art from Pakistan;" and "Devotion in South India: Chola Bronzes." The Asia Society is America's leading institution dedicated to educating Americans about Asia and fostering understanding between Americans and the peoples of Asia.

Thursday, October 29, 2009
The High Line Park & Chelsea Market
Join retirees on Thursday, October 29th, for a trip to the new High Line Park.  Meet at 11 a.m., 16th Street & 10th Avenue Elevator Entrance to enjoy excellent views from up high.  There are walking paths from Gansevoort St to 20th St (completed portion), as well as park benches for relaxation.
Lunch will follow at 1:30 p.m. at the T Salon in the Chelsea Market, 15th St & 9th Ave, a short walk away.  Retirees may want to visit the food, bakery and craft shops in the Market after lunch.

Thursday, September 24, 2009
Our Membership Meeting
At 1:30 PM  light refreshments will be served. At 2:00 PM the meeting begins at Mid-Manhattan Library, 6th floor, conference rooms B and C.  Topic: Toward an age-friendly New York City: a findings report presented by Cyril Brosnan, New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM) www.nyam.org  NYAM has researched and published a report that has been part of an international effort to ensure that great cities of the world will support their aging residents as well as utilize the tremendous resources that older people and seniors have to offer. Our knowledgeable speaker, Cyril Brosnan, will discuss major findings in the report as well as other issues we, his audience, think should be addressed in this effort.
We were referred to two reports and a press release, but the links are no longer working:
Toward an Age-Friendly New York City: A Findings Report  (76 pages)
Mayor’s Office Press Release
Mayor Bloomberg, Speaker Quinn and the New York Academy of Medicine Unveil Blueprint to Enhance City’s Livability for Older New Yorkers (7 pages)
Office of the Mayor
Age-Friendly NYC: Enhancing Our City’s Livability for Older New Yorkers (131 pages)

Friday, June 19,  2009
New York Aquarium in Coney Island
We will have an educational program at the New York Aquarium in Coney Island at 3:00 p.m.  You may enter the Aquarium any time after 10:00 a.m. to see all of the exhibits; a self-guide tour is estimated to take one to two hours; there is a café and gift shop.  We will meet at 2:45 to go to the classroom where the hour and a half educational program will be given.
For those who will attend the baseball game, the Aquarium closes at five, which gives us enough time to walk the few blocks to Nathan’s to have a casual dinner or snack, and get to Keyspan Park to meet the others at 6:30 p.m.

Friday, June 19, 2009, Game of Night Baseball
On Friday, June 19th, we will see the Cyclones (Mets) play the Staten Island Yankees at 7:00 p.m. in Keyspan Park, Coney Island.
We have field box seats behind home plate.

CANCELLED:
Thursday, April 30, 2009, General Membership Meeting
Our special guest speaker, Dr. Lawrence J. Kaplan, Professor Emeritus of Economics, was injured in a fall.  We hope to reschedule his lecture.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Tour the Grolier Club Exhibition Vivat Rex!
Join the Retirees Association for a special tour and exhibition held at the Grolier Club entitled “ Vivat Rex! An Exhibition Commemorating the 500th Anniversary of the Accession of Henry VIII.” The 30 minute tour, a guided talk by Arthur L. Schwarz, curator of the exhibition, will take place on Tuesday, April 14th at 2:30 p.m. on the first floor of the club. After the tour you may spend as much time as you like viewing the exhibition until 5:00 p.m. when the club closes.
This unprecedented exhibition includes contemporary books, original manuscripts, and unique material owned by Henry VIII and his family. These objects come from the collection of the curator and generous loans from the collections at the Folger Shakespeare Library, the Houghton Library at Harvard, the Morgan Library and Museum, the General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church, and the Rare Books Division of the New York Public Library.
The stimulating display will help you to discover the real Henry: masterful monarch or ruthless tyrant, defender of the faith or destroyer of monasteries, lover of women or libertine?
The Grolier Club is located at 47 East 60th Street in Manhattan on the north side of the street between Madison and Park Avenues.

Friday, March 20, 2009
Onassis Cultural Center Tour
The Retirees Association will visit The Onassis Cultural Center in March 2009 Join us for a special tour on Friday, March 20th at 2:30 p.m. of the exhibit "Worshiping Women: Ritual and Reality in Classical Athens" at the Onassis Cultural Center, located in the Olympic Tower at 645 Fifth Avenue. Entrances are on 51st Street & 52nd Street between Madison Ave. and Fifth Ave. The 45 minute tour of over 155 rare and fascinating archeological objects "re-examines the preconceptions of the exclusion of women in public life in Ancient Athens."

Monday, February 23, 2009
Map Division Tour
Please join the NYPL Retirees Association for a special tour of the The Lionel Pincus & Princess Firyal Map Division, with Alice C. Hudson, Chief Librarian on Monday, February 23rd, at 1:30 p.m. We will first meet at 1:00 p.m. at The Humanities and Social Sciences Library at 5th Avenue & 42nd Street. Please use the 42nd Street entrance, and as a group we will go to the Map Division Room 117 for the 1 1/2 hour tour.

Thursday, January 22, 2009
Annual Holiday Dinner
Celebrate the New Year and join the Retirees Association on Thursday, January 22nd, 2009 at 5:45 pm for our annual Holiday Dinner to be held at One Fish Two Fish Restaurant located at 1399 Madison Ave. (northeast corner of 97th St.) A tempting menu will be offered of select fish, chicken, or vegetarian entrees all served with warm garlic bread, unlimited green salad, and coffee and dessert. Also included with each meal are two beverages of either beer, wine, champagne, as well as soda, juice, iced tea, or lemonade. The total cost per person, per meal is $33 which includes tax and tip. There is a cash and carry bar available for extra drinks.

Monday, January 5, 2009
RESCHEDULED: Meet with David Ferriero and David Offensend
All NYPL Retirees are invited to attend a rescheduled meeting with David Ferriero, Andrew W. Mellon Director of the NYPL Libraries, and David Offensend, NYPL's Chief Operating Officer, for a program on "The New One NYPL Organization" in the Trustees Room at HSSL at 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue, now on Monday, January 5, at 10:00 a.m. This will be our second talk with Mr. Ferriero and Mr. Offensend and will give us the opportunity to hear more about the changes taking place within the Library.

Monday, November 24, 2008
CANCELLED: Meet with David Ferriero and David Offensend

Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Tour of the Museum of the City of New York
Join the retirees on Wednesday, October 15th at 2:30 pm for a guided tour of the special exhibit, The Catholics in New York 1808-1946, a social and political history. After the tour we will view on our own, a second timely exhibit, Campaigning for President, New York's role in American Politics from the inauguration of George Washington to the present day.
For those interested in lunch before our tour, we will meet at the restaurant One Fish Two Fish, located at 1399 Madison Avenue on the corner of 97th St. at 11:45.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008
History of Public Programs at Performing Arts
On Wednesday, June 25, Alan Pally, Manager of Public Programs at the Performing Arts Library, will present a talk for NYPL retirees, and guests on the history of public programs at LPA. Numerous audio and video clips from LPA's programs over the years will be featured, including audio clips of James Levine and Pete Seeger; video of Alan Bennett, Christine Ebersole, Bobby Short, Peter Martins; as well as excerpts from this season's Katharine Hepburn series featuring Zoe Caldwell and Sam Waterston.
The one-hour program will take place in LPA's Bruno Walter Auditorium and begin at 11 a.m. on June 25. Coffee will be served at 10:30 a.m.

Monday, May 1, 2008
Central Park Zoo Tour
Explore the flora and fauna of the Polar Regions, Temperate Zone and Tropics on the afternoon of Thursday, May 1st, at 1:30 pm, when the Retirees Association tours the Central Park Zoo. The deadline for registration is Friday, April 25th, and the tour is limited to 35 attendees. The Central Park Zoo is a part of the Society along with the Bronx Zoo, the New York Aquarium, the Queens Zoo and the Prospect Park Zoo.
After entering the zoo behind the Arsenal at 64th Street and 5th Avenue, and arranging admission, go directly to the Sea Lion pool, where Mary Anne Corrier, volunteer zoo guide and fellow retiree, will meet us for the 2:00 p.m. feeding. Following the feeding, the walking tour (which makes use of portable amplification) will take approximately an hour as we visit polar bears and penguins, monkeys, anteaters, red pandas and birds, birds, birds. Park benches along the route are available for those needing to sit. The animals, as well as the gardens and flowering trees, will provide ample picture-taking opportunities. All retirees and guests are welcome.

Monday, March 26, 2008
The Good News About Aging
Meet with the Retirees Association on Wednesday, March 26 at 2:00 pm. at Mid-Manhattan Library, in Conference rooms B and C on the 6th floor, for a relevant talk entitled, Next Chapter: The Good News about Aging. Brigid Cahalan, Principal Outreach Librarian at Mid-Manhattan Library, will share some of the pleasantly surprising information learned at the Lifelong Access Libraries Leadership Institute, sponsored by Libraries for the Future. Topics will include: new research on the aging brain-ways it can improve with age and how to ensure that this happens; civic engagement and its relation to well-being in later life; and work and volunteer opportunities for those 50 and older in the NYC area.

Monday, March 10, 2008
Eldridge Street Synagogue Tour
Join the Retirees on Monday, March 10, at 2:30 p.m. for a one hour tour of the Eldridge Street Synagogue Museum on the Lower East side, located at 12 Eldridge Street. The Synagogue was built in 1887 and was the center of Jewish Immigrant Life. After recent renovations, the museum is now open for tours that explore the architectural and historical significance of this National Historical Landmark. .
For those wanting lunch before the tour, meet at Katz's Delicatessen at 205 East Houston Street, near Ludlow Street, at 12:00 p.m. All retirees and guests are welcome to both events.

Thursday, January 17, 2008
Annual Holiday Dinner
Celebrate the New Year with the NYPL Retirees Association on Thursday, January 17, 2008 at 6:00 p.m. for a delicious family style meal of East European delicacies at The Ukrainian East Village Restaurant, located at 140 Second Avenue, between St. Marks Place (East 8th Street) and East 9th Street. The $30.00 per person prix fixe meal includes appetizers, an assortment of main courses, dessert, and tea or coffee, with tax and tip included. Other beverages can be purchased separately.

Saturday, December 15, 2007
Shaw's play: The Devil's Disciple.
The NYPL Retirees Association has received 20 tickets at $30.00 each for the Saturday Dec 15, 3 p.m performance of "The Devil's Disciple." Tickets are usually $60.00 each, but we have been offered a special senior group rate.
Shaw's crackling comedy, set in the middle of America's War of Independence, is the story of a young revolutionary brought up in a harshly puritan home who finds himself starved for a true religion. His passionate belief in the right to human happiness lands him smack in the middle of a masquerade which could result in life threatening consequences. Shaw's superb wit and wisdom send us reeling toward a revelation in this play which could have been written today.
The Irish Repertory Theatre is located at 132 West 22nd St (bet 6th & 7th Aves).

Friday, December 7, 2007
Meeting with David Ferriero and David Offensend
All NYPL Retirees are invited to attend a meeting with David Ferriero, Andrew W. Mellon Director of The New York Public Libraries, and David Offensend, NYPL's Chief Operating Officer, for a program on "The New One NYPL Organization" in the Trustees Room at HSSL on Friday, December 7, at 2:00 p.m. This talk will be an opportunity to learn about the changes taking place within the Library.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007
American Museum of Natural History
Join the Retirees Association on Tuesday, November 13th at 1:30 pm for a special walk-through tour of The American Museum of Natural History at 79th St. and Central Park West with guide and fellow retiree, Carol Davies - Gross. Tour also includes a viewing of the Space Show, "Creation of the Moon", in the Planetarium. For the museum tour and film, meet at The Rose Center for Earth and Space entrance at 81st St. between Columbus Ave. and CPW.
For those wanting lunch before the tour meet at 11:30 am at Isabella's Restaurant at 359 Columbus Avenue on the SE corner of 77th St. Luncheon prices vary.

Thursday, November 1, 2007
Long Term Care Town Hall Meeting
On Thursday, November 1, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., NYPL retirees are invited to attend a Long Term Care meeting, hosted by State Senator Liz Krueger, at the Sutton Place Synagogue located at 225 East 51st Street between Second and Third Avenues. A panel of experts, including Amy Bernstein of the NYC Department of the Aging and Joan Antoniello of the Alliance of Insurance and Financial Professionals will discuss many aspects of long term care insurance, such as need and cost, options for maintaining independence, estate planning, etc. The panel will be followed by a question and discussion period. The meeting is free and open to the public. The Synagogue is wheel chair accessible.

Thursday, July 12, 2007
Tour CUNY Graduate Center
Join the Retirees Association on Thursday, July 12, at 10:00 a.m. for a special two-hour tour of the CUNY Graduate Center, focusing on the Mina Reese Eighteenth-Century Reading Room, which promotes scholarship of the rare materials there with lectures, exhibitions, and research. Retirees, staff, and friends are welcome. Meet at the CUNY Graduate Center, located at 365 Fifth Avenue at 34th Street, at 9:45 a.m., at the 1st floor reception desk.

Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Elder Law Lecture Rescheduled
Join The NYPL Retirees Association on Tuesday, June 12th, at 2:00 pm for a re-scheduled talk on Elder Law: "Are You Ready Legally?" Meeting is open to all older adults and staff members and is co-sponsored with OWL, The Older Woman's League, Greater New York Chapter. Guest Speaker will be Lisa M.DeKenipp from Freedman, Fish, and Grimaldi Law Firm. Meeting will be held at Mid-Manhattan Library, 455 Fifth Avenue at 40th Street on the 6th floor, conference rooms A & B. Staff and friends are welcome.

Friday, April 20, 2007
Visit the East Village Ukrainian Museum
Join the Retirees Association on Friday, April 20, at 11:45 a.m. for a delicious family-style meal of East European delicacies at The Ukrainian East Village Restaurant, located at 140 Second Avenue between St. Mark's Place and 9th Street. The $26.00 prix fixe meal includes appetizers, assortment of main courses, desserts, and a beverage, with tax and tip included. Following lunch, a tour of The Ukrainian Museum, located at 222 East 6th Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues, will begin at 3:00 p.m. Exhibits include Early 20th Century Ukrainian Modern Art & Pysankas (traditionally designed Easter Eggs). The admission fee is $7.00. A gift shop and Ukrainian stores nearby offer a variety of crafts and foods.

Monday, March 26, 2007
Elder Law Lecture CANCELLED

Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Annual Holiday Dinner
Celebrate the new year with the NYPL Retirees Association! The association will hold its Annual Holiday Dinner on Wednesday, January 17, at 6:00 p.m. at The Silver Swan, a German-American restaurant located at 41 East 20th Street, between Broadway and Park Avenue South. A tempting menu will be offered, including traditional German fare of Hungarian goulash or Weiner Schnitzel along with several continental entrees of poached salmon, free range turkey, or roast pork. An appetizer of soup or salad and dessert with tea or coffee is included for a total of $35.00 per person, which includes tax and tip. Other beverages can be purchased separately. Family and friends are also welcome.

Thursday, December 14, 2006
Tour of Map Division of NYPL and Ehon Exhibition
Join the NYPL Retirees Association for a tour of the recently renovated Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map Division and the exhibition Treasured Maps, conducted by Division Chief Alice Hudson, on Thursday, December 14, from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. After lunch in the area, the group will return to the Humanities and Social Sciences Library at 2:30 p.m. for an afternoon tour of the exhibit Ehon: The Artist and Book in Japan, on view in Gottesman Exhibition Hall. Ehon focuses on the subjects, structural elements, types, formats, binding, and genres of Japanese "picture books" over the last 1,200 years.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006
The Langston Hughes Library & Louis Armstrong House
Join The NYPL Retirees Association on Wednesday, November 15, for a tour of The Langston Hughes Library with Dr. Andrew Jackson, the Library's Director. Meet at the Library entrance on 100th Street and Northern Boulevard at 10:45 a.m. for an 11:00 a.m. tour. Following the tour and a lunch break, the group will travel by bus to the Louis Armstrong House at 34Ð56 107th Street for a 3:00 p.m. tour, which includes a short film and a visit to the gift shop.

Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Fall Meeting: Director of Benefits speaks on Medicare, and more
On Tuesday, October 17th, at 1:30 p.m., Jennifer Levesque, Director of Benefits, will speak to The NYPL Retirees about Medicare Part D, health plan coordination, and the Medicare D subsidy. Retirees near 65 years of age and older, are encouraged to attend.

Tuesday, April 4, 2006
Bronx Library Center & Belmont
Join the NYPL Retirees Association on Tuesday, April 4th at 10:00 am for an exciting tour of the newly opened Bronx Library Center, 310 East Kingsbridge Road (at Briggs Ave.) After a morning tour, a 12:30 p.m. lunch will be at Emilia's Classic Italian American Restaurant at 2331 Arthur Avenue before going to The Belmont Branch for a 2:00 p.m. talk and video about the neighborhood.

Friday, January 13, 2006
Annual Holiday Dinner
Celebrate the New Year and join The NYPL Retirees Association on Friday, January 13th, 2006 at 6:30 p.m. for our Annual Holiday Dinner to again be held at The Silver Swan, a German-American restaurant located at 41 East 20th Street, between Broadway and Park Avenue,(212) 254-3611. A tempting menu will be offered, which includes traditional German fare of Hungarian Goulash or Wiener Schnitzel along with several continental entrees of Poached Salmon, Free Range Turkey, or Roast Pork. An appetizer of soup or salad, and desert with tea or coffee is included for a total of $30 per person, which includes tax and tip. Other beverages can be purchased separately.

Wednesday, December 7, 2005
The Rubin Museum of Art
Join the NYPL Retirees Association on Wednesday. December 7th, 2005 for a special guided tour of The Rubin Museum of Art, which features the art of the Himalayas and surrounding regions. Meet at 11:15am promptly for an hour long tour beginning at 11:30. There will be time after the tour to view more of the museum on our own. Cost is $8.50 per person which includes senior entrance fee and tour guide fee, payable at the door. Lunch plans will be announced later. The museum is located at 150 West 17th Street, east of 7th Avenue.

Tuesday, November 22, 2005
The Langston Hughes Community Library and Cultural Center in Corona Queens, CANCELLED

Tuesday, October 18, 2005, Fall Meeting
The NYPL Retirees Association will host our fall get acquainted meeting on Tuesday, October 18, 2005 at Mid-Manhattan Library, 455 Fifth Avenue, ( 40th Street). Our special guest speakers will be Susan Kent, Director & Chief Executive of The Branch Libraries and David Ferriero, Andrew W. Mellon Director & Chief Executive of The Research Libraries.

Saturday, September 10, 2005
Hudson Cruise to Rockefeller Estate with Retirees Association
NYPL Retirees, staff members, family, and friends are invited on a New York Waterways day cruise and tour of Kykuit, the Rockefeller estate in the historic Hudson Valley, on Saturday, September 10. The boat departs from Pier 78 at West 38th Street and 12th Avenue. Please arrive promptly at 10 a.m. for a 10:30 a.m. departure. The boat returns to the same pier at 6 p.m. that evening. The first stop will be at noon in Tarrytown, New York. The group will be met by buses for a tour of the historic Philipsburg Manor, a working Dutch-colonial farm, before returning to the boat and proceeding up the Hudson to Kykuit.

Wednesday, April 6, 2005
Retirees visit Schomburg
Please join the NYPL Retirees Association on Wednesday, April 6, for a visit to the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture for a tour of their current exhibit In Motion: The African-American Migration Experience. In Motion is an interactive project which includes a website, the exhibition, and a book, all of which explore and celebrate the African-American migrations shaping this country and the African Diaspora. The spectacular exhibition showcases a wealth of materials: books, essays, manuscripts, illustrations, music and maps.
After the tour, the group will move on to lunch at Spoonbread Restaurant, located on Lenox Avenue between 137th and 138th Streets.

Wednesday, February 23, 2005
Retirees visit Dahesh Museum
Please join The NYPL Retirees Association for an interesting one hour private tour of the Dahesh Museum of Art at 580 Madison Ave. between 56th &57th Sts. (212)-759-0606, on Wednesday, February 23rd, 2005 at 10:45 am. The tour starts at 11:00 am. The exhibit is entitled, "First Seen: Photographs of the Worlds' Peoples 1840 to 1880." All Staff members, retired or not, as well as spouses and friends are welcome to join us. After the tour, we plan on lunching at the museum's Cafe Opaline, before going on the The Onassis Cultural Center at the Olympic Tower, 645 Fifth Ave.& 51st St. for a current exhibit on Alexander the Great or to the American Folk Art Museum at 45 West 53rd St.

Friday, January 14, 2005
Retirees' Annual Holiday Dinner
Celebrate the New Year and join the NYPL Retirees Association on Friday, January 14, at 6 p.m. for our Annual Holiday Dinner to be held at The Silver Swan, A German-American restaurant located at 41 East 20th Street, between Broadway and Park Avenue (phone: 212.254.3611). Their large, tempting menu includes traditional German fare such as Hungarian Goulash and Wiener Schnitzel , along with several continental entrees including poached salmon and roast turkey. The $25 price includes an appetizer of salad or soup, a dessert, and tea or coffee. Other beverages, as well as tax and tip, are not included. Guests are welcome.

Friday, December 10, 2004
Retirees visit New York Historical Society
Join the NYPL Retirees Association on Friday, December 10, 2004 for a fascinating docent tour of the New-York Historical Society. We will see the Alexander Hamilton exhibit, along with their other current exhibits, and the Society's special art treasures, including stained glass windows, rare books and manuscripts. All retirees and friends are welcome, and if you have not joint The NYPL Retirees yet, this is your chance to get together with us for a wonderful tour. A charge, $7.00, covers the admission fee and tour. We meet at the New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West (at 77th St.) at 10:15 for a 10:30 tour which lasts an hour and a half. We plan on having lunch at a nearby restaurant. For those who are interested, a list of other neighborhood museums will be available for an afternoon visit or you may just want to wander along the West Side Avenues.

Friday, June 18, 2004
Retirees visit Morningside Heights
Join the NYPL RETIREES on Friday, June 18, 2004 at 10 a.m. for a tour of the Morningside Heights Library, 2900 Broadway at 113th Street (use entrance on 113th Street.) We will break for lunch at a neighborhood restaurant and continue on a tour of The Cathedral of Saint John the Divine at 1047 Amsterdam Avenue at 112th Street (entrance at 113th Street.) The tour begins at 2 p.m. and ends at 3 p.m. There will be a six dollar charge at the door.

Friday, May 7, 2004
Retiree Springtime Celebration
NYPL Retirees will celebrate springtime in Central Park on Friday, May 7. Participants will gather at 10 a.m. for a tour of the exhibition at the Dana Discovery Center, located in Central Park at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 110th Street. Retirees will regroup at 11:45 a.m. at the Vanderbilt Gate at 105th Street and Fifth Avenue for a noon tour of The Conservatory Gardens that will last about an hour.
There is no charge, but individual contributions are appreciated. Participants are welcome to bring picnic lunches as public benches are available. There are also restroom facilities. For those who are interested, a list of museums and restaurants on upper Fifth Avenue will be offered.

Monday, March 22, 2004
Libraries and the US Patriots Act
The New York Public Library Retirees Association invites retirees to attend the rescheduled program on the U.S. Patriots Act and its effect on libraries, particularly The New York Public Library. Speakers are Udi Ofer, Director of the Bill of Rights Campaign of the New York Civil Liberties Union, and Robert Bellinger, the Library's Staten Island Coordinator. The event will be held on Monday, March 22, at 2 p.m., in the Conference Room on the sixth floor of the Mid-Manhattan Library.
After the program, there will be a reception for new retirees and new members of the Retirees Association. All new retirees are invited. New retirees please RSVP to Juanita Doares at (212) 663-2932.

Monday, January 12, 2004
Retirees Holiday Dinner
The New York Public Library Retirees Association invites all retirees to a sumptuous Middle Eastern feast at the Salam Cafe and Restaurant at 104 West 13th Street, just west of Sixth Avenue. The date and time are Monday, January 12th at 6 p.m. The price is $25 (includes gratuity) for appetizer, main course (chicken, lamb, fish, or vegetarian), desert, and coffee or tea. A cash bar is available.

Wednesday, December 10, 2003
Newly Renovated library (Webster) and mansion (Gracie Mansion)
Join New York Public Library Retirees for a visit to the newly renovated Webster Branch (on the west side of York Avenue between East 77th and 78th Streets) on Wednesday, December 10, at 10 a.m. We will lunch together and then tour Gracie Mansion at 2 p.m. The fee for visiting Gracie Mansion is $4.

Thursday, November 13, 2003
For Retirees: Libraries and the US Patriots Act
On Thursday, November 13, at 2:00 p.m., in Conference Room C, on the Sixth Floor of the Mid Manhattan Library, New York Public Library retirees will have the opportunity to learn about the US Patriots Act and about its effect on libraries, particularly the New York Public Library, from Udi Ofer, Legal Counsel of the New York Civil Liberties Union, and from Robert Bellinger, Staten Island Coordinator of the New York Public Library.
After the program, there will be a reception for new retirees and new members of the Retirees Association. All new retirees are invited to attend.

Thursday, July 24, 2003
For Retirees: Another Day in the Park
Hoping for better weather this time, the New York Public Library Retirees have scheduled another tour across Central Park for Thursday, July 24 at 10:30. We will meet on the east side of Central Park West at 72nd Street, facing the Dakota. The tour is on level ground, is about an hour and a half in length, and costs $5.
The tour ends on the east side of Central Park below the Metropolitan Museum. We can lunch on the East Side, possibly at the newly renovated Museum Cafeteria. Afterwards we can visit Central Park related exhibits at the Metropolitan Museum and the Museum of the City of New York.

Friday, June 13, 2003
For Retirees: A Day in the Park CANCELLED

Wednesday, May 28, 2003
Visit to West Side Libraries.
The New York Public Library Retirees Association invites all retirees to visit two West Side libraries on Wednesday, May 28. We will visit the newly renovated and expanded Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts in the morning, break for lunch, then visit the American Bible Society in the afternoon. The librarian of the American Bible Society's library will tell us how this collection began and show us rare items, including manuscripts, Hebrew Bibles, and New Testaments.

Thursday, April 3, 2003
10th Anniversary Celebration
This year the NYPL Retirees Association is celebrating its 10th anniversary. The Association is open to any retiree of the New York Public Library and to any staff member 55 years or older. A celebratory event will be held on Thursday, April 3 from 2-5 in the Mid Manhattan Library, Conference Room C on the 6th floor.
We invite our members, friends and colleagues to join us in celebrating ten years of advocacy, memories and fun.

Wednesday, February 19, 2003
Retirees Holiday Dinner
The New York Public Library Retirees Association invites all retirees to a sumptuous Middle Eastern feast at the Salam Cafe and Restaurant at 104 West 13th Street, just west of Sixth Avenue. The date and time are February 19th at 6 p.m. The price is $25 (includes gratuity) for appetizer, main course (chicken, lamb, fish, or vegetarian), desert, and coffee or tea. A cash bar is available.

Wednesday, December 11, 2002
"Have a cup of tea!"
Mr. Yamado of the Urasenke Tea Ceremony Society will be our guide for a lecture/demonstration at the Urasenke Chanoyu Center, 153 East 69th Street, between Lexington and Third Avenues, on Wednesday, December 11, at 11 a.m. Make your reservations early for space is limited. Send your check for $15 by November 25, payable to The New York Public Library Retirees Association mailed to Agnes Babich, treasurer, 35-46 79th #3, Jackson Hts, NY 11372. Following the tea there will be an optional visit to the nearby Asia Society.

Friday, June 21, 2002
Brooklyn Botanic Garden Trip
On Friday, June 21, we will meet at the Eastern Parkway entrance by 11:00 for a special seasonal, 11:30 to 1:00, tour of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. The cost of the tour is $7. The roses especially will be in magnificent blossom. The garden is open until 6:00. An inexpensive lunch is available at the Terrace Cafe. The Brooklyn Museum (next door to the Garden) is open until 5:00.

Wednesday, April 24, 2002
Lower Manhattan Trip
On Wednesday, April 24, New York Public Library Retirees Association members will visit Lower Manhattan. First stop will be a tour of the South Street Seaport Museum at 10:00 ($5), followed by lunch in Chinatown (about $15), and then a visit to the newly renovated Chatham Square Library, generously hosted by Branch Librarian Ronald Chan.

Friday, January 11, 2002
Holiday Dinner
On Friday, January 11, at 6:00, New York Public Library Retirees Association members will visit sunny Spain by way of the Costa del Sol Restaurant at 369 West 50th Street and Ninth Avenue. For $23 members will share two appetizers, salad, four main courses, dessert, and coffee, tax and gratuity included.

Monday, December 10, 2001
General Meeting
We are fortunate to have Mary K. Conwell, the newly appointed Senior Vice President and Director of the Branch Libraries, as the speaker at our membership meeting, Monday, December 10, at 3:00 p.m., in Conference Room C, on the 6th floor of Mid Manhattan Library. Ms. Conwell will share her thoughts about the future of the Branch Libraries. In the spring we plan to visit new and recently renovated branches, particularly in Lower Manhattan.

Saturday, September 22, 2001, 12:00
Noguchi Museum
On Saturday, September 22, at 12:30, the New York Public Library Retirees Association will visit the Isami Noguchi Garden Museum for a guided tour followed by lunch at a restaurant in Astoria, Queens. For more information on the Museum check www.noguchi.org.