No city has been written about more than New York. The city’s history and character have been examined from every angle, and still the subject attracts fresh interpretations. Whether the question is economics or culture, politics or sport, crime or transportation, New York offers unique and almost always intriguing answers. Wall Street has long symbolized America’s economic power, just as Broadway represents show business and Madison Avenue advertising. No other sports venues can rival Madison Square Garden or Yankee Stadium. And no other city produced a Robert Moses.
Any researcher tackling a New York City topic faces an embarrassment of riches, and the Lloyd Sealy Library provides a solid stepping off point. Our collection has several standard reference works as well as volumes on specific historical, sociological, or political topics, not to mention criminal justice. This page contains a just a small sample of reference and other materials that can be found in our collection.
Beyond CUNY, researchers have access to several of the finest libraries and archives to be found anywhere. All the collections listed here are generally open to the public, though several require a fee. Finally, there are many resources available for researchers investigating the contemporary metropolis. New York City maintains its own web site, and while much of the information is more public relations than rich content, several city agencies publish very good data online.
Several current publications have web sites that address issues of the moment. Gotham Gazette, a publication of Citizens Union, collects recent newspaper articles and provides original essays and commentary. The Manhattan Institute publishes City Journal and offers a conservative perspective on urban affairs. The city’s daily newspapers are available online, and members of the John Jay community have access to recent articles in the Daily News, Newsday, and the Times through Nexis-Uni. In addition the entire New York Times is available from 1851 through 2003 through the library’s home page. Students may sign up for a free subscription to the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal through the library as well.
For anyone interested in just heading to the shelves to find books on NYC, the call number you need to look for is F128; look also in Onesearch to find volumes in other CUNY libraries.
The University Settlement Society of New York City. Papers.
22 reels microfilm
Madison, WI: State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 1972.
This filmed archive shows the role of the University Settlement Society in the movement to improve the quality of tenement life through social and recreational programs plus legislative reforms. It documents the Society's organization, development and activities from 1886 to 1945, as well as its participation in the international settlement house movement. The most extensive series in the collection contains the "headworkers" subject files and correspondence with public officials and notables. Their concerns vary from control of prostitution to abuse of child labor, from funding the Society's public bath attendants to keeping abreast of the Russian Revolution. Substantial biographical material on residents, staff and volunteers can be found through the collection. Special Collections, HV 4196.N6 U54. Published guide.
William H. Bell, (New York City Police Officer, 1850-1851). Diary
Microfilmed from the original in The New York Historical Society. 1 reel
The diary of this New York City police officer and Inspector of second-hand dealers and junk shops chronicles his activities which centered on inspecting junk shops and dealers in second-hand goods. He has an intimate knowledge of the city's slum districts, and of crime and poverty. The text is a straight-forward stream-of-consciousness reporting of his activities and impressions. An accompanied article by Sean Wilentz from the History Workshop Journal discusses the diary.
Hispanic New York by
Below are links to current and historical New York Newspapers:
Nexis Uni features more than 15,000 news, business and legal sources formerly found through the LexisNexisAcademic platform - including federal and state laws and cases, constitutions, municipal codes and law review articles. The interface is designed to offer quick discovery across all content types. Personalization features such as Alerts and saved searches and a collaborative workspace with shared folders and annotated documents are also included.
New York Public Library 42nd Street
Each of the following institutions is customarily open to the public, though some charge admission, and others require an appointment.
If you are interested (or have been assigned to find) who your representative is in both the state and federal government, click on one of the links below to find out.
Broadway NYC 1972 (Found Here)
New York, Year by Year by 
AIA Guide to New York by 
The Encyclopedia of New York City by 
The Epic of New York City by 
NYC Worlds Fair 1964 Unisphere
Below are links to sites related to New York City affairs:
Below are a listing of some local New York neighborhood newspapers.
