It wasn’t the grand opening of the new Poets House quarters in Battery Park City. But from the look of joy and tears in the eyes of Lee Briccetti, the executive director, it could have been.

Arriving for work in the mid-morning of a hot August day, Briccetti was met with the sight of warm color filling the empty rows of white metal shelves on the second floor.

“Books,” she cried, scanning the volumes like sorely missed friends. “It’s what we’re all about.”

For the past three years, 40,000 of the Poets House collection of 50,000 books have been in storage, awaiting this day when movers would transport them to the institution’s 11,000- square-foot quarters at 10 River Terrace.

Established as a reading room in a Soho loft in 1986, Poets House outgrew the space as its collection (intended to include every book of poetry published in the U.S.) and programming ambitions expanded.

“I fell in love with Poets House by walking into this library,” recalled Carlin Wragg, the community relations manager, who was on hand to help oversee the collection’s return. “At the time it was books to the ceiling, and just the scale of it was incredible.”

In 2007, the Battery Park City Authority awarded Poets House its own rent-free home that not only would provide space for its special collection to grow, but will also contain a children’s room, performance and exhibition spaces, multimedia archive, and a reading room with a vista of the Hudson River.

All of that will open officially on Sept. 25 and 26 with a two-day celebration.

Below is a schedule of the events, all of which are free.

Friday, Sept. 25, 11 a.m–5 p.m. and Saturday, Sept. 26, 12–3 p.m.: A Housewarming Party Public viewing of Poets House’s new location. Free bagels and coffee will be served from 11 a.m. to noon on Friday. At 10 River Terrace.

Saturday, Sept. 26, 11 a.m.: Kurt Lamkin Poet and musician performs songs that incorporate stories, call-and-response and elements of poetry for children and adults. At 10 River Terrace.

Saturday, Sept. 26, 3 p.m.: Natalie Merchant Singer/songwriter performs poetry-inspired songs, plus readings by over one dozen acclaimed poets. At Rockefeller Park, River Terrace near Warren St.