Press Release: New York Public Library and Macmillan to Launch a Publishing Partnership

NEW YORK — December 13, 2016 — The New York Public Library and Macmillan Publishers have announced a new agreement to create and publish a wide variety of print and ebooks for adults and for children drawing from and inspired by the Library’s world-renowned collections of rare books, manuscripts, photographs, maps, artifacts, and more. The bulk of these collections  — spanning centuries and representing iconic writers, scholars, performance artists, government and civic leaders, artists, and more — are housed in the Library’s historic Stephen A. Schwarzman Building on Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem, the Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, and the Science, Industry and Business Library.

Among the first adult titles will be: a book by acclaimed and beloved author and illustrator Maira Kalman celebrating libraries; a book on New York restaurant life, featuring menus from the library’s extensive collection of 45,000 eatery menus; and Book Face, a book bringing together the best posts from the #bookface Instagram sensation. St. Martin’s Press Executive Editor Michael Flamini is overseeing the adult program.

Among the first children’s titles will be: Coloring in the Lions, a coloring book featuring vintage art from the NYPL archive; a yet-to-be-titled picture book starring the stoic lions who stand in front of the Library’s main building, Patience and Fortitude; and a middle grade novel based on a real family who once lived in the library. Publisher Jean Feiwel and Henry Holt Books for Young Readers Editorial Director Christian Trimmer are overseeing the children’s book program.

The deal was negotiated by NYPL Chief External Relations Officer Carrie Welch and Macmillan EVP Will Schwalbe.

“For over 100 years, The New York Public Library has collected, preserved, and made accessible to the public millions of significant and enlightening books, manuscripts, photographs, artifacts and more from history — items that have informed and inspired countless new works and ideas,” said NYPL President Tony Marx. “This partnership with Macmillan is a new, wonderful way to share our collections and celebrate the role of libraries with the public. We thank our partners at Macmillan, and look forward to filling our shelves with these new titles.”

John Sargent, the CEO of Macmillan, said, “What a great pleasure it is to be the publishing partner of the NYPL. Their building and the incredible collections it holds has been an inspiration for generations of Americans. It is an honor both personally and professionally to work with them to disseminate this great wealth of content.”

About The New York Public Library
The New York Public Library is a free provider of education and information for the people of New York and beyond. With 92 locations — including research and branch libraries — throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, the Library offers free materials, computer access, classes, exhibitions, programming and more to everyone from toddlers to scholars, and has seen record numbers of attendance and circulation in recent years. The New York Public Library serves approximately 18 million patrons who come through its doors annually and millions more around the globe who use its resources at nypl.org. To offer this wide array of free programming, The New York Public Library relies on both public and private funding. Learn more about how to support the Library at nypl.org/support.

About Macmillan
Macmillan Publishers is a global trade book publishing company with prominent imprints around the world. Macmillan publishes a broad range of award-winning books for children and adults in all categories and formats.

US publishers include Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Flatiron Books, Henry Holt & Company, Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, Picador, St. Martin’s Press and Tor Books. In the UK, Australia, India and South Africa, Macmillan publishes under the Pan Macmillan name. The German company, Holtzbrinck Deutsche Buchverlage, includes among its imprints, S. Fischer, Kiepenheuer and Witsch, Rowohlt and Droemer Knaur.

Macmillan Publishers is a division of the Holtzbrinck Publishing Group, a large family-owned media company headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. www.macmillan.com