The New York Public Library (NYPL), an immaculate Beaux Arts structure with a monumental collection, is one of the best in the world. It even earned its place in Hollywood when the 2004 apocalyptic film, The Day After Tomorrow, showed a few survivors sit huddled by a fireside, fed by books from NYPL.

Its most prized possessions include Thomas Jefferson’s autographed copy of the Declaration of Independence, Manet’s illustrations for Poe’s The Raven, and the Gutenberg Bible. Founded in 1895, it has 92 branches across New York, and in the last few decades, has managed a foothold in the virtual world too.