Conversation so far:
Can you tell me some notable recent happenings at the New York Public Library?
In 2010, as part of the consolidation program, the New York Public Library moved various back-office operations to a new Library Services Center building in Long Island City.
Are there any other interesting aspects about the New York Public Library article besides the New York Public Library moving various back-office operations to a new Library Services Center building in Long Island City in 2010?
Until 2009, the research and branch libraries of the New York Public Library operated almost entirely as separate systems, but that year various operations were merged.

Question: Why were they merged?
Self-contained rewrite: Why were the research and branch libraries of the New York Public Library merged?