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Join us for Boston Public Library President David Leonard's 5th annual State of the Library address.
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Revolutionary Art

Exploring the connection between art and social change, “Revolutionary Art” continues the three-year cycle of programs leading to the 250th.

Hygge at the Boston Public Library

BPL's Hygge Kits invite you to get cozy this winter! Hygge is a Danish word for a calm, comfortable time with people you love.

Revolution! 250 Years of Art & Activism in Boston

Sep 22, 2025
Honoring the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, this BPL exhibition reflects on freedom, justice, and activism.

Art Exhibition: The City Animal Shelter of Boston

Nov 19th - Dec 27th | All day
We are proud to host an exhibit of work by artist Renée DeKona featuring the team at the City of Boston Animal Care and Control shelter.

Donate to the BPL Spice Bank

Bring unopened spices and dried herbs to your branch! Each branch will donate to families and individuals across Eastern MA.

Popular at the BPL

Stream & Download at the Boston Public Library

Find eBooks, audiobooks, movies, music, magazines, newspapers, and more!

Boston Public Library Quick Links Webpage

The BPL offers many services and resources. Browse or search this page to see how we can help you. Bookmark it so you have it in future!

Borrow a Museum Pass

You can reserve museum passes with your BPL card. Whether you're planning a visit to the MFA or Zoo New England, reserve free passes here!

Job & Career Success!

We've compiled all of our resources for finding a job, developing career skills, education and certification programs, and more.

Get a Boston Public Library Card Today

Your library card is your passport to technology, literacy, fluency, community, and so much more.

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Explore the Possibilities

LinkedIn Learning

Take business, tech, and creative courses online, taught by recognized industry experts.

O’Reilly Learning

Topics include cloud computing, data engineering, data science, machine learning, AI, programming languages, design, business, and more.

LawDepot

LawDepot allows you to create your own personalized legal documents specific to your state/province and personal situation.

AtoZdatabases

AtoZdatabases is a leading job search, reference & mailing list database including 30 million business profiles & 240 million residents.
Allan Rohan Crite Collection

Allan Rohan Crite Collection

Crane Museum of Papermaking

Crane Museum of Papermaking

Dartmouth St. and Boylston St. sides, construction of the McKim Building

BPL McKim Building Construction Photos

Two leaves from the Beauvais Missal

Medieval and Early Renaissance Manuscripts

In memory of Mrs. Phebe Parker

American Revolution Gravestone Rubbings

WHDH Collection

WHDH Local News from the 1960s

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Worldwide Romance: 15 Romances by International Authors

Take a romantic trip around the globe with one of these romance novels by international authors!

MICE 2025!

The Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo (MICE) is the New England area’s premiere event dedicated to independent comics & graphic novels.

Family Dramas to Avoid *Your* Family Drama

Just in time for the holiday season—sit back and enjoy these family dramas while forgetting your own!

Blog Posts

Desk Jobs & Daydreams: Workplace Fiction Book Recs

In searching for books to serve as “mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors” as a job-seeking patron, check out these titles.

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Read the BPL Blog

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Join a Book Group

Freegal Music

Freegal Music is a free music streaming and download app. It offers access to millions of songs from a wide variety of artists and genres.

Libby by OverDrive

eBooks, audiobooks, & magazines available for download to your computer or mobile device. To read on your tablet or phone use the Libby app.

PressReader

Full-color reproductions of thousands of U.S. & international newspapers & magazines from the last three months available via web or app.

biblio+

With biblio+, library card holders have unlimited access to an ad-free catalog of movies, TV shows, and documentaries on many devices.

BPL World Language Collections

For Kids

Find content for kids of all ages. The Boston Public Library has many resources, events, and much much more.

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DISCOVER KIDS

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Join a Story Time!

Check out our upcoming Story Times for your little ones on the events calendar!

Online Resources for Kids

Discover our online resources for kids. We have encyclopedic resources, resources for reading and for language learning. Learn more here.

Miss Celeste's Story Time Reads November 2025

Check out one of these books read by Miss Celeste during story time in November 2025!

For Teens

Find content for teens of all ages. The Public Library has many resources, events and much much more.

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DISCOVER TEENS

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Browse Boston Public Library's New Zine Collection

Come check out our new collection of more than 945 zines (300+ unique titles)! A zine is a small, independently-produced publication.

Comics Plus: Teen Library

Enjoy unlimited access to thousands of digital comics, graphic novels, and manga — without holds, wait lists, or monthly limits.

Massachusetts Driver’s License Practice Tests

Access car, motorcycle, and CDL practice tests and handbooks, presented in partnership with driving-tests.org.

Business & Career Success

BPL offers many resources and events for job seekers, entrepreneurs, nonprofits, investors, makers, and more.

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Business Library Resources

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Job & Career Success

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Adult Education

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Kirstein Business Library & Innovation Center Alcoves

Patrons and groups of up to 6 can book a KBLIC Alcove for work or other tasks which may not be accomplished in other areas of the library.

Business Online Resources

Explore our many business online resources including databases, newspapers, periodical indexes, and directories.

Community Learning

The Community Learning Center can help with citizenship, immigration, English classes, adult education, technology, job success, and more.

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Unraveling the News: Knitting & Crochet Conversation Circle

Bring your latest knitting, crochet, or craft project and join us to chat about current events and the news!

Community History

We help Boston history become more inclusive by offering support for anyone who wants to document, share, and save their stories.

Research

Research Services staff can assist you with finding collections for your use, whether for the casual learner, for formal education support, or for scholarly research.

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Research Services

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A-Z Online Resources

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Research Guides

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Researching at the Boston Public Library

This guide can help you get started researching at the Boston Public Library.

Genealogy at the Boston Public Library

We have many resources including databases. guides, events, and newspapers to help you research the history of your family.

Special Collections

The Special Collections Department facilitates discovery and fosters public engagement with rare, distinctive, and culturally significant materials held by Boston Public Library.

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Together We See More (Looking at Art)

Nov 15th - Jan 11th | All day
Join your community to question, connect, and talk a few artworks through—together.

Revolution! 250 Years of Art & Activism in Boston

Honoring the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, this BPL exhibition reflects on freedom, justice, and activism.

Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center

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Visit Our Map Center

Researching Your House

Resources for researching questions such as how old your house is, who the architect was, how to find plans of your house, and more.

Boston's Annexed Towns and Some Neighborhood Resources

Boston is a city of neighborhoods, an amalgamation of towns that were annexed in the 19th and early 20th century.

Getting Started with Oral History

Find tips and tools to help you plan and implement an oral history project in this research guide.

Departments at the BPL

Kids

Kids

Get homework help assistance in multiple languages at over half of our locations and online, join the Future Readers Club, and more!

Teens

Teens

We have events, online resources, spaces across our BPL locations, and more specifically for teens.

Community Learning Center

Community Learning Center

The Community Learning Center can help with citizenship, immigration, English classes, adult education, technology, job success, and more.

Kirstein Business Library & Innovation Center (KBLIC)

Kirstein Business Library & Innovation Center (KBLIC)

KBLIC invites media creators, innovators, job seekers, entrepreneurs, nonprofits, investors, coders, and makers to its space.

Reader Services

Reader Services

Our Reader Services team is knowledgeable about new books, trends in publishing, and helping readers find what they should read.

Research Services

Research Services

Research Services staff can assist you with finding collections for your use, for formal education support, scholarly research, and more.

Leventhal Map & Education Center

Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center

The Map Center uses maps, geography, and history to explore the connections between places and people in Boston, New England, and beyond.

Special Collections

Special Collections

The Special Collections Department fosters public engagement with rare, distinctive, and culturally significant materials held by BPL.

Special Events

Guests are gathered behind the pillars in seats in the courtyard, while a group of people, including the bride and groom, stand in the courtyard, facing the guests

Special Events

The Special Events staff looks forward to helping you plan your event. Contact us for more info, date availability, or to arrange a visit.

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