Founded in 1754, the New York Society Library, on East 79th Street in Manhattan, calls itself the oldest cultural institution in New York City.

“If you can find one that’s older, let us know,” said Carolyn Waters, its head librarian.

Yet the place remains little known, even to many New Yorkers.

“It’s surprising to me how under the radar we’ve been,” said Ms. Waters, 54, who at times can seem like a den mother for the many writers who toil away in the library’s elegant reading and study rooms.

Historically, these have included the likes of Herman Melville and Washington Irving.

“We’ve always been a haven for writers,” Ms. Waters said. “You trip over them here. They’re everywhere.”