Take a Reading Break

Sick of watching TV show after movie after live stream? Switch up your content consumption and try reading and learning. There are several places around Lincoln Square and the City with virtual content that will keep you entertained at home.

If you’re interested in a cultural reading experience, nearly forty years (118 issues) of the American Folk Art Museum’s magazine (formerly The Clarion) have been fully digitized and are available online here. There are also more digital Folk Art resources for reading that you can search on the site, including a new article series by Valérie Rousseau, AFAM's Senior Curator, highlighting outstanding artists in the museum's collection (most recently pieces about Melvin Way and Judith Scott). Also, the New York Public Library’s Digital Collections of archived materials includes manuscript scans as well as digital designs and old photography. You can act as your own research historian with free access to this archive. Plus, MAD Museum has some interesting digital content for reading, including an article on curating counter-couture and 11 Recommended Reads Inspired by The Green Book if you’d like to dig into a book.

Speaking of reading books, with your library card you can access a ton of NYPL’s Remote Library Services, which includes e-books, audiobooks, and other e-materials like magazines and newspapers. Click here to see what’s available to you. You can also take part in any of NYPL’s online book clubs, learning experiences, and other hangouts, made for a wide-range of interests offering a chance to engage with others in the community. And, if you’re missing that experience with a real book in your hand, why not check out our local bookstore Shakespeare & Co’s list of current best-sellers, and order a book for curbside or in-store pick-up to get it fast.

Take some time to unwind from streaming overload and take a book break with your iPad or laptop or pick up a new read. You can even turn it into a social experience with virtual book clubs. There is still so much to explore right from home!

Photo credit: NYPL