Spectacular allegorical murals on each side of the coffered skylight refer to literature, art, science, and poetry.

Above the second floor is the terra cotta Ionic order entablature, which contains an architrave, a floriated, bracketed frieze set on top of egg-and-dart moldings, and a decorative cornice embellished with lions' heads.

[3] The massing of the building is rectangular, roughly 144 by 275 feet (44 by 84 m), oriented so that the short dimension faces South Park Row, to the north.

Directly above the main entrance is a terra cotta palladian window, with recessed circular niches and festooned garlands across the head.

On the west side, the large window at the stair landing has been infilled with glass block (presumably done as a retrofit at some point in an attempt to relieve the building's occupants of the late afternoon sun glare).

[3] The primary room on the second floor is the Plavcan Gallery, located in the center of the north side, connecting with the upper part of the Main Hall.

The basement contains the Children's Library spaces and numerous stack areas; most of the original finishes have been replaced with modern, sound-absorbing, light materials.