Boston Libraries, Free to All
When I think about the experiences that shaped me into the person who I am today, I think about the neighborhood places that had the biggest and most lasting impacts on my life: the baseball field, the street where we played hockey and wiffle ball. And while I will be the first to admit I often struggled as a student, I also consider my library to be one of the most important places of my childhood.
My library was the Upham’s Corner branch of the Boston Public Library on Columbia Road. I’d mostly spend time there doing reports or projects after school. Sometimes I would flip through the latest editions of encyclopedias — our version of Wikipedia back then — and would learn something new. While I didn’t do the best in school, when I went to my library my curiosity took hold.
Often, the library made me feel like I had a space I could call my own. Every time I walked through the door, the staff was always very friendly. I felt like I could go there whenever I wanted. That sense of welcoming has stuck with me since I was little. And, of course, I remember the sense of peace and quiet enforced by our librarians — something I appreciate now more than I did when I was a kid. Over the years, my appreciation for our City’s libraries has only grown.
Now, as Mayor, I get to visit all our library branches across the City. I understand now more than ever how they knit communities together. And it’s fascinating to see how things have changed but also stayed the same since I was a kid. It made me realize that, yes, our library branches have grown, changed, and expanded over the years. But what hasn’t changed, is the role that libraries play in our communities. They are civic centers that belong to the community and its people. Our libraries are for everyone.
And I say everyone, I mean everyone. Our libraries also serve as welcome centers for people new to our City. For immigrants, it’s often one of the first places they go to looking for help on how to build a life in our City. Last year, the City launched Immigrant Information Corners in all our 24 branches. They have free access to information and resources that help them get on the path to citizenship. Our libraries help people start new lives in our country.
At our newly renovated Central Library in Copley Square, visitors are greeted with a sign that says “FREE TO ALL.” I visit the Central Library at least once a month for my monthly guest appearance on “Ask the Mayor with Jim and Margery.” No matter how many times I walk through the renovated Johnson Building to the WGBH satellite studio, I am always in awe of what this library has become. It’s what a true 21st century library looks like — it has the newest technology and resources for everyone to use.
The new Central Library sets a vision for what we want our entire library system to look like. But this kind of innovation and investment must go beyond Copley Square. It needs to touch every single library branch in every neighborhood. And our libraries should meet the needs and reflect the qualities of the neighborhood they’re in.
That’s what we’re committed to doing. We recently celebrated the re-opening of the JP Library Branch, which was our city’s busiest branch after the Central Library. Also this year, we’ll break ground on new branch library projects, launch design or programming studies for others, and do interior and exterior upgrades. We have more than $14 million in renovations planned for FY18 in branches all across the City. And we have an additional $102 million planned for future projects starting in FY19 through FY22. That includes an investment in my library, Upham’s Corner. We’re going to make sure all our libraries are brought into the 21st century.
That is what our communities and residents deserve.
There is something for everyone at our libraries. We’re going to make sure it stays that way. I encourage everyone in our City to go to their local branch and spend time there. I want to thank our library staff for creating a welcoming atmosphere for all. And I’m excited to see our libraries continue to grow and thrive as public spaces for years to come.
