User:Ginamshelton/sandbox/Pratt Institute Libraries

Pratt Institute Libraries is the academic library system of Pratt Institute. The main library is located on the main campus in Brooklyn, NY, with a branch library in Manhattan. The collection focus includes the arts, architecture, design, information science and allied fields. Holdings include 200,000 printed volumes, over 600 periodicals, rare books, and the institute’s archives. It has the distinction of being the “first free public library in Brooklyn” and has a landmark designation for the building in Brooklyn.

History
The library at Pratt Institute opened in 1888 in the Main Building on Pratt’s campus in the Clinton Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn. The library moved into a new building located on Ryerson Street in May 1896. Originally called the Pratt Institute Free Library it was open to anyone who lived or worked in Brooklyn. By 1940, the Brooklyn Public Library supported the needs of the community and the Pratt Libraries closed to the public.

Architecture
The Libraries’ current Brooklyn building was designed by William B. Tubby, with interiors by Tiffany Decorating and Glass Company. The three-story, brick building was designed in a Renaissance Revival style. A feature of the interior is a marble staircase and pillars. The floors of the book-stacks are made of glass and the book stacks are a design by Library Bureau, which include oak shelves and copper-plated, iron supports. Early renovations included the addition of a Children’s Porch in 1912 to provide direct access to the Children’s Room. The North Porch was added in the 1930’s by architect John Mead Howells. Renovations in the early 1980’s by architects Cavaglieri and Gran included the removal of the Children’s Porch, the creation of an outdoor mall, underground stacks, study areas, and classroom, and the addition of a climate-control system. In 1981 the library building in Brooklyn was officially designated a New York City Landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission.