The Riverdale Branch of The New York Public Library was built in 1967 at the request of community residents to replace their small local library. The branch is a red brick, L-shaped building with vaulted wood ceilings; its exterior is enhanced by a garden and wrought iron fence, and is located in a residential neighborhood of single family houses with several apartment buildings scattered throughout the area.
The one-floor, air-conditioned branch is fully accessible to people who use wheelchairs, and houses a 60-seat meeting room available for branch programs. It has book collections for adults, young adults, and children, as well as videos, DVDs, CDs, recorded books for borrowing, and a small collection of material in languages other than English, with an emphasis on Russian books.
