The Catalog Room was restored starting in 1983. Ten million catalog cards, many of which were tattered, were replaced with photocopies that had been created over six years at a cost of $3.3 million. The room was subsequently renamed for Bill Blass, the fashion designer, who gave $10 million to the New York Public Library in 1994.
After its renovation in 2016, The room now boasts a ceiling mural inspired by the three in the Rose Main Reading Room, opening the interior to a trompe l`oeil Parnassian sky.
