ON the beaten path...

This past Saturday, I peacefully wandered in and whispered to myself, "Where have you been all my life?"

And the answer was "Right here", apparently.

The brochure made me curious...

If you've ever been to/near Bryant Park, you've been very close.  At 42nd Street and 5th Avenue, a place all New Yorkers scurry past... but rarely enter (at least, not the ones I know)... stands the New York Public Library.

Primarily a research library, this place is an intimidating structure. Architecturally, and procedurally, you may feel out of place if you aren't there for a specific reason.

Exhibits on subjects less familiar to the layperson, research librarians ready to answer sophisticated questions (if only you could think of one), quiet meeting rooms where important things are certainly being discussed, and ceilings that will make you gasp with delight... so, why are we here?

I stopped to ask a man at the info desk who the likely visitor is, apologized for my "silly" questions, and he instantly made me feel at ease, explaining why this is such an important library, from A-Z.

That would take quite some time to re-explain, but the biggest takeaway of that encounter was... you can visit the website, do a detailed search for what you seek (you have to get really specific, or be exploring such a niche that you hone in on what you are seeking precisely, or it will not yield anything useful), wait about 48 hours for the book train to retrieve it from under Bryant Park (yes, seriously), come to the library, get the publication, sit at one of the big, fancy tables in one of  the glorious reading rooms, use the publication while in the library, and then forever be enriched by whatever that is for you.

Why am I telling you this, my dear garment district lovers?

Because, if you love to research things to DEATH when beginning a new venture, and you happen upon something like this...

Link

 or this... 

Link

You know you need to know more...