After reviewing the RFPs and interviewing respondents, Wondercabinet Interpretive Design, Inc. was selected to lead this process. During the months of January and February, BPL youth services staff were surveyed to help determine current practices in BPL programming, space availability and options, best practices from other libraries and to gather feedback on what works best and what needs work. In the coming weeks, the public will be invited to participate in a survey to help determine their favorite programs, ideas for new programs, and feedback on what they think works best and what needs work.

In the meantime, do you have a favorite children’s or teen program at the Library or elsewhere? What are your favorite places for youth programming and what makes them special? Please share in the comments.

We invite your comments in response to these questions, too. You are welcome to reply to this blog, send an email to compass@bpl.org, or a letter to Boston Public Library, 700 Boylston Street, Boston MA 02116. This link to the Central Library map may be helpful in identifying specific spaces mentioned in the questions here. For previously-published information on the Johnson Building Improvement Project, visit our blog archives.

The next meeting of the Community Advisory Committee for this project is scheduled for Wednesday, March 13, at 8:30 a.m. in the Johnson Building Mezzanine Conference Room.

CAC Meeting: January 10 Discussion Questions

Entry

1. What are the first things you would like to see when you enter the library?
2. How can we transform the lobby arrival experience?

First Floor

1. What could the first floor include for a blend of uses to be a successful attraction to various age groups?
2. If the question is about re-energizing the Johnson building, what are your observations about the first floor? What’s working? Where is there potential for revitalization?

Children’s

1. Where do you see possible locations for the Children’s Library?
2. How do we balance imperatives for security and natural light?

Conference Center

1. What could you envision for components of a conference center and who do you think would use it?
2. How does the absence of natural light in the basement limit its potential?
3. What limitations does the 340 seat count of Rabb put on the conference center concept?

Commercial Uses

1. What types of commercial uses would be most compatible with the library’s vision?
2. What kind of activities would bring the most energy to the ground floor? Commercial? Non-commercial?

Exterior Changes

1. How extensively should exterior changes be pursued?
2. How should we maximize the level of energy on the street/sidewalk?

Deferrari (the open atrium area in the Johnson Building)

1. What might be ways to energize Deferrari Hall? On 1st floor? On 2nd floor?

At this stage, three preliminary ideas were shared as the architects, library, and community continue to work out the details of which spaces should go where, what are the best adjacencies, what’s most cost effective and operationally efficient, and what can be incorporated into the space that will highlight the best of Jamaica Plain.

The final meeting in this planning stage will be held at the branch at 12 Sedgwick Street on Thursday, February 7, at 6 p.m. In the meantime, if you have ideas, comments, questions or suggestions, please feel free to contact the Library at ask@bpl.org or by writing to Christine Schonhart c/o Boston Public Library, 700 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116.

Since the 1940s, the library has used a number of buildings to serve as storage facilities, but now we are entering the final phase of a long term project to consolidate our offsite storage space in the City of Boston Archival Center, located at 201 Rivermoor Street in West Roxbury. When completed, much of the library’s special research collection will be stored in a secure climate controlled state-of-the-art facility that will enhance the efficient storage and retrieval of books, journals, newspapers, maps, films, and archival materials. The facility is based on a high-density shelving plan and is designed around the “Harvard model” in which materials are shelved according to size. Barcodes are assigned to match each item with a specific location on a shelf. Requested materials will be retrieved by staff and delivered to the Central Library or, for some titles, to a branch location. Occasionally, if a large collection is requested, users will be welcomed to the spacious reading room which is shared with the City of Boston Archives.

For those interested in local history, the facility will be most convenient as they pursue their research into the history and culture of Boston.

Adjacent spaces could include meeting facilities equipped with teleconferencing capabilities linking BPL to the world, function space for smaller meetings and social functions, and support and catering space to facilitate events. The conference center would be adjacent to the existing Kirstein Business Library, creating opportunities for shared events and resources.

A commercial partner would be sought to market and manage the conference center for the Boston Public Library. Time would be preserved for BPL events and its programming needs as part of that partnership.

Tenants would be sought that would add to the library experience, potentially linked to the concept of knowledge. For example, one approach is for the commercial space to become the place for companies to showcase their latest innovations and technologies that may not be available yet for purchase. Companies may be willing to pay highly competitive rents for BPL space. Some space could be allocated for more traditional retail, but for products that are knowledge-based such as software, books, and maps.

If dining is considered, even on a limited or modest basis, the goal would be to make it part of the library experience. In addition to normal food services, the dining experience could include a speaker’s series or weekly round table discussions on topical subjects for book clubs or idea groups made up of micro-communities coming together to discuss subjects about which they are passionate.

The commercial space would facilitate improved architectural qualities of the building by creating transparency and activity toward the sidewalk, as well as new potential revenue source.

• New acquisitions across all collection types
• New popular books
• New popular DVDs
• Newspapers and popular magazines
• Comfortable seating
• Small tables (perhaps café style)
• Several catalog computers
• Community information area
• BPL programs information area
• Colorful and fun artwork.

What do you think of this concept? The BPL is at the very early stages of thinking about this and we welcome your ideas. In early conversations, this part of the project was referred to as a “living room” space, but we’re opening the conversation up to welcome suggestions on what it contains and how it will be used before we name it .