The Kips Bay Branch of The New York Public Library opened in 1972, replacing two former libraries: St. Gabriel's and Nathan Straus. The branch is named after a 17th-century farmer, Jacobus Kip, whose farm extended from Second Avenue and 35th Street to the bay that came to bear his name. Throughout the NYPL system, the Library provides free and open access to its physical and electronic collections and information, as well as to its services for people of all ages, from toddlers to teens and adults. Research and circulating collections combined total more than 51 million items, among them materials for the visually impaired. In addition, each year the Library presents thousands of exhibitions and public programs, including classes in technology, literacy, researching, and English for Speakers of Other Languages.