With a collection size of over 53 million books, the New York Public Library is the fourth largest public library in the world. Out at the entrance of the library sit two stone lions named Patience and Fortitude, also dubbed the “Library Lions”, who greet its millions of visitors every year. They were known as Lady Astor and Lord Lenox after its founders but were renamed by Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia to help steer New Yorkers through the Great Depression. Well-loved by the public, the lions became a mascot of the library and its names have stuck ever since. The library was described by renowned historian David McCullough as one of the most important libraries in the United States of America, and has been featured in pop culture several times such as in the movies Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), Ghostbusters (1984) and Spider-Man 3 (2007). So put on your reading glasses and step into the home of the world’s best stories!