--- description: A group of Instagram photographers got an early look title: Go Inside the Renovated New York Public Library Reading Room image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1808f4541febb6fd/6988a8adcf40a88ac6c450ad/instagram-new-york-public-library-rose-room.jpeg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [LightBox](/tag/time-section-lightbox/) ## LightBox Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Go Inside the Renovated New York Public Library Reading Room by [Olivier Laurent](/author/olivier-laurent/) ## Olivier Laurent Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oct 5, 2016 10:00 AM CUT  The renovated New York Public Library Rose Reading Room The renovated New York Public Library Rose Reading RoomRyan Fitzgibbon by [Olivier Laurent](/author/olivier-laurent/) ## Olivier Laurent Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oct 5, 2016 10:00 AM CUT It all started with a piece of plaster. On May 30, 2014, a piece of ceiling fell inside the New York Public Library Rose Reading Room. The stunning landmark space was [forced](http://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2014/05/30/plaster-falls-in-library-reading-room-closing-it-for-two-weeks/ "undefined") to close for “about two weeks.” That turned into two years. Now, the Rose Room is finally ready for its reopening. And the results are stunning. “I’ve been to the library for events or just to explore the space prior to the closure of the Rose Main Reading Room, but it’s clear that the heart and the history of the New York Public Library stems from this two-city-block-wide study hall,” says Ryan Fitzgibbon, the founder of _Hello Mr._ magazine. Fitzgibbon was one of 18 Instagram users to get an early look at the new space. The group was given a private tour and learned about the 52,000 books on display in the room, as well as the 3.5 million others stocked in a storage room under nearby Bryant Park. (The two are connected by a “book train.”) The 18 Instagram photographers and authors, including influencer Patrick Janelle, were able to take in the Rose Room without the interference of hundreds of tourists and library users. “The New York Public Library is my favorite architectural site in Manhattan, so to experience it in uninterrupted silence was a rare and cherished opportunity,” Fitzgibbon tells TIME. “The space looks remarkable.” Here’s a selection of the best photographs. Check out the [#NYPLreadingroom](https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/nyplreadingroom/ "undefined") hashtag for more photos. _Follow_ **_TIME LightBox_** _on_ [_Facebook_](https://www.facebook.com/timelightbox "undefined")_,_ [_Twitter_](https://twitter.com/timepictures "undefined") _and_ [_Instagram_](https://instagram.com/timelightbox/ "undefined")_._ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4518303/renovated-new-york-public-library-reading-room/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4518303/renovated-new-york-public-library-reading-room/"},"headline":"Go Inside the Renovated New York Public Library Reading Room","datePublished":"2016-10-05T10:00:53.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T09:01:07.564Z","description":"A group of Instagram photographers got an early look at the Rose Room","url":"https://time.com/4518303/renovated-new-york-public-library-reading-room/","keywords":["LightBox","New York","photography","Instagram"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1808f4541febb6fd/6988a8adcf40a88ac6c450ad/instagram-new-york-public-library-rose-room.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Olivier Laurent","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/olivier-laurent/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1808f4541febb6fd/6988a8adcf40a88ac6c450ad/instagram-new-york-public-library-rose-room.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Processed with VSCO with m5 preset","caption":"The renovated New York Public Library Rose Reading Room","creditText":"Ryan Fitzgibbon","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-lightbox/","name":"LightBox"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4518303/renovated-new-york-public-library-reading-room/","name":"Go Inside the Renovated New York Public Library Reading Room"}}]}] ```