PATIENCE AND FORTITUDE is a riveting investigation of the beloved New York Public Library caught in the crosshairs of real estate, power, and the people’s interests—by the reporter who broke the story.
In a series of cover stories for The Nation magazine, journalist Scott Sherman uncovered the ways in which Wall Street logic almost took down one of New York City’s most beloved and iconic institutions: the New York Public Library. Rich with revealing interviews with key figures, Patience and Fortitude is at once a hugely readable history of the library’s secret plans, and a stirring account of a rare triumph against the forces of money and power.
“[A] real-life thriller… This cautionary tale is of interest to library professionals…bibliophiles, and citizens who want to preserve the civic and cultural life of their community.”—Library Journal, starred review
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Going to ALA? Meet Scott Sherman on Saturday, June 27 3:00-4:00 p.m. at the Moscone Convention Center Room, 121 (N) during his panel discussion. See details below.
Matthew Battles, author of Library: An Unquiet History and Palimpsest: A History of the Written Word (W.W. Norton), Scott Sherman, author of Patience and Fortitude: Power, Real Estate, and the Fight to Save a Public Library (Melville House), and Sasha Abramsky, author of The House of Twenty Thousand Books (New York Review of Books) will discuss the following questions while considering the history and future of libraries. What is the best way to preserve and cultivate these important cultural institutions for decades to come? How does digital collection development complement or supersede physical books in public and private collections? The conversation will be opened to the audience for questions at the end of the session, and advance copies of each author’s book will be available.