The building was declared a National Historic Landmark, a National Register of Historic Places site, and a New York City designated landmark in the 1960s. As of 2015, the branch contains an estimated 2.5 million volumes in its stacks. The main entrance steps are at Fifth Avenue at its intersection with East 41st Street.
The structure contains four stories open to the public.
The branch, one of four research libraries in the library system, contains nine separate divisions. Schwarzman Building, commonly known as the Main Branch, 42nd Street Library or the New York Public Library, is the flagship building in the New York Public Library system in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Interior: Rose Main Reading Room and Public Catalog Room
