Books And Beds: Build Housing On NYC Libraries, Council Speaker Says

NEW YORK CITY — The next chapter of housing in the Big Apple could come with a page-turning amenity: a New York City library.

Building housing developments on libraries is an idea that should be explored as the city faces a dire affordability and housing crisis, said City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams during her "State of the City" address Wednesday.

She said she'd support efforts to develop potential housing on branches within the city's three library systems.

"Building on previous efforts to expand their reach presents an opportunity to modernize our library branches for New Yorkers and create new community spaces like early childhood education centers," she said.

"By building homes connected to the pillars of our communities, we can create self-sufficient ecosystems that enable all of us to thrive – together."

Adams didn't provide more details in the address on her library proposal.

Representatives for New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library and Queens Public Library didn't return Patch's requests for comment as of publication Wednesday.

A lease at the library isn't a new idea in New York City.

In fact, a 174-unit affordable housing building is being built on New York Public Library land in Inwood.

And century-old libraries built from money donated from Andrew Carnegie typically had apartments for custodians and their families to live in, Atlas Obscura reported. By 2016, just 13 of those library apartments remained.