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Library Welcome to the Library of the General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen! As a subscriber you will join thousands of other New Yorkers who have benefited from the Library since 1820. Established in 1820 as the Apprentices' Library, by 1861 the library had extended privileges to women and at the turn of the 19th century had become the largest free circulating library in New York City. The Library has more than 100,000 volumes of fiction, non-fiction, trade, and technical-related research materials. The collections represent the importance placed on a broad education and illustrate urban work history. As the second oldest continuously operating library in New York City, the wealth of older books makes the library an excellent research facility. The library has recently begun to automate its catalog, but continues to use the card catalogue and classification system created by the librarian in 1901. It is one of the few remaining subscription libraries in NYC and host to the New York Center for Independent Publishing (NYCIP), and an annual lecture series. The main reading room soars to a height of three stories topped by a magnificent skylight. The faux marble pillars, ironwork, and wooden shelving lend the reading room an ambience that makes it a rare and special place.