New York Public Library for the Performing Arts Receives $60 Million Anonymous Gift

The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts has received a $60 million donation, the largest in its history, following its 60th anniversary in 2025. The anonymous gift, from a donor not based in New York, will fund the digitization, preservation, and cataloging of the library's 15 million-item archive. The donor visited the collection in June, motivated by her mother's appreciation for the library, and after a conversation with executive director Roberta Pereira about increasing remote access, she returned to ask, 'What would it take?' Pereira noted she was not actively soliciting a donation. The library has already digitized materials such as production photos from the Martha Swope and White Studio archives, and the new funding will expand these efforts and improve searchability of rare recordings and manuscripts. In a news release, the library stated the donor recognized the urgent need for cultural preservation and global accessibility. Last year, the library received a Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theater.