Fales Library, library
Fales Library is a rare book library and academic collection at New York University in Manhattan, located on the third floor of the Bobst Library building. It holds nearly 200,000 books, manuscripts, and archives from the 1700s to today, including first editions, letters, and handwritten notes from well-known authors.
The collection was donated to New York University by DeCoursey Fales starting in 1957 and focuses on English and American prose from the 1700s to the present. It grew from about 10,000 volumes to over 50,000 books and 15,000 manuscripts, showing the evolution of the novel across centuries.
The library shows how literature and food shaped cultural life in New York. You can see how different writers and artists created their work and how their ideas influenced the city's creative circles.
The library requires a research appointment and is located in Greenwich Village near Washington Square Park, making it accessible from different public transit options. The space is quiet and research-focused, so it helps to be respectful and prepare for a structured visit with specific research goals in mind.
The collection goes beyond classics and includes rare British gothic novels from the 18th and 19th centuries that later influenced modern detective and science fiction genres. Such holdings reveal how early storytelling shaped the fiction we read today.
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