From Facebook I found this..maybe it will be helpful to someone here.

"Hello all - This is the Genealogy Division at the New York Public Library - if anyone has any questions about doing genealogical research in NYC, or New York history, feel welcome to send us your questions. I'm sure many of you have ancestors who spent at least a bit of time in New York, and we're happy to help you figure out all the resources you can use here and online. Since the NY Genealogical & Biographical Society has transferred their collection to us, we are now the biggest public genealogical collection in the area, and our reference services are free of charge! We'd love to hear from you. Our reference e-mail is: histref @ nypl.org
Thanks!
And come see our website:
www.nypl.org/research/...genea.html "

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That was the first place I went, when I started my researh (after going to woodlawn cemetery in the bronx). I went to the NYC public library, 4 saturdays in a row. I didnt leave to eat, smoke..or even go to the bathroom..we were probably there 6 hours at a time.

They have a huge room of readers...and at that time (16 years ago), you stood on line to get your film. I cant recall how I got the film numbers. I do remember, they gave you slips of paper to write the numbers on, while you were standing on the line.

If you found something..you then stood on another line, to use their printer/copiers. There was a charge for that...I believe per copy.

That library is huge..and even back then..they looked in your bags on the way in. The first time...we got lost inside. I found the genealogy dept..but, it wasnt the place with the viewers...that must have been a city block away from where we were.

I went there for the ship passenger manifests. Today, thats online...but back then, you either had to have the national archives search for you (for a fee, which I did a number of times) or go to NYC, yourself. I also recall looking at the death/birth/marriage records for nyc. That also is online now. (It was only an index..were you found the cert numbers.

I found my censuses (some of them) at the FHL, when I began going there. Of course, thats online and when ancestry put those out..I was able to find, what I could never find in the limited time at the fhl..and a lot of it..I did page by page, online..which you would never have that kind of time to do that outside the home.

Its nice, that they are providing the service of telling you what they hold. I had no idea, when I went. I just knew they had the manifests.