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Line 1: − The New York Public Library has about six million volumes, making it the 27th largest library in the United States.<ref>American Library Association Fact Sheet 22, [http://www.ala.org/ala/alalibrary/libraryfactsheet/alalibraryfactsheet22.htm The Nation's Largest Libraries]</ref> Its massive structure on Fifth Avenue is one of the landmarks of Manhattan. But contrary to public perception, the New York Public Library was not the gift by [[Andrew Carnegie]] or anyone else. It is mostly the result of taxpayer funding. − [[Image:Ny_public_library.jpg]] − − The wealthiest man in American in the early 1800s was John Jacob Astor (1763–1848), who made his fortune from fur trade. He donated a library in New York City which opened in 1849, and a book collector named James Lenox (1800–1880) added to it. In 1886, Samuel J. Tilden (1814–1886) donated about $2.4 million to establish the first true library of New York City. This consolidated and added to the Astor and Lenox gifts. − − Andrew Carnegie donated $5.2 million for branch libraries, but only on the condition that the City of New York fund their operations and maintenance. − − ==References and notes== − <references/>
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