Library
 New York

GINY Library © Daniel Albanese

In our library you'll find the only collection of its kind in the US, offering German-language books and media that inform about current trends and contemporary themes from Germany.

 

LIBRARY OPENING HOURS
WEEKDAY LIBRARY SERVICE
WITH SELF-CHECK MACHINE		 LIBRARY SERVICE
WITH STAFF
Monday 10:00am-6:00pm  
Tuesday 10:00am-6:00pm 1:00-5:00pm
Wednesday 10:00am-6:00pm 1:00-5:00pm
Thursday 10:00am-6:00pm 1:00-5:00pm
Friday 10:00am-2:00pm or by appointment

Please note that during self-service hours, only the self-check machine is available. This means that current patrons with an active library card may independently borrow, return or renew materials via the self-check machine.

New library memberships, holds on library materials, and other library services are only possible when library staff are present. Memberships can be renewed upon request via email. Should you need assistance outside library service hours, please contact us via email to library-newyork@goethe.de.

What we offer

Lending Service

Our library is open to the public and the use of books and media are free of charge. Membership is required for borrowing privileges. Library members may register for a personalized account in order to renew borrowed media via the Online Catalog.

eLibrary

The eLibrary is the free, virtual library of the Goethe-Institut. Once you've registered, this service allows you to borrow digital media -- such as ebooks, audio and video files, and electronic newspapers and magazines -- for a predetermined period of time, by downloading them either directly onto your device or via app.

Registration for Library Membership

To apply for a new library membership, please enter your name, date of birth, telephone number and email address. If you already signed up for a meinGoethe account (for a class or for the eLibrary), please be sure to use that same email address. You will receive an automated email, asking you to verify your email address. To complete the membership process, please bring proof of identification to our library within the next 14 days. A staff member will then activate your membership and provide you with a library card. Should you not make it to the library within 14 days, your temporary membership will be automatically deleted. If you are outside of NYC, please contact us library-newyork@goethe.de.

A library membership is only necessary if you plan on borrowing physical media from our library in New York. To use our eLibrary to borrow digital media, you can simply sign up for access online.

Information Service

We're here to answer your questions relating to German language and culture.

Library Catalog

Curious what awaits you in our Library? Research our collection here.

Translation Prizes

Gutekunst FoG

Gutekunst Prize of the Friends of Goethe New York

In 2010, the Goethe-Institut New York received a generous donation in memory of Frederick and Grace Gutekunst. A prize was created to identify outstanding young translators of German literature into English and assist them in establishing contact with the translation and publishing communities.

Helen & Kurt Wolff Translator's Prize

Helen & Kurt Wolff Translator's Prize

The annual Helen and Kurt Wolff Translator's Prize is awarded each summer to honor an outstanding literary translation from German into English published in the USA the previous year. The translator of the winning translation receives $10,000.

Translation Grant Program

The Goethe-Institut’s translation grant program supports non-German publishers in publishing German-language literature, with the aim of making works accessible to non-German speaking readers.