Boston Public Library continues its series of roundtable discussions to update library users and interested residents on the Johnson Building Improvement Project.

The next roundtable will feature an overview of library services during the first phase of construction. The meeting will take place on Wednesday, September 25, at 6:00 p.m. in the Mezzanine Conference Room at the Central Library in Copley Square, located at 700 Boylston Street.

Additional roundtables will be held:

• Monday, October 21, at 6:00 p.m. as an online community chat via www.bpl.org/compass.
• Thursday, November 14, at 6:00 p.m. in the Boston Room at the Central Library in Copley Square.

Download and share the PDF flyer about the meetings.

The first roundtable was held on August 15. Read the August roundtable recap and the original July announcement of all four roundtables in the series.

If you are not able to join the September roundtable, you are always welcome to leave a comment on this blog or send an email to compass@bpl.org with your ideas.

As part of the Johnson Renovation project, I took a rare trip up to the roof of the McKim and Johnson Buildings that make up the Central Library in Copley Square. Part of the renovation includes examining the connection between the two buildings, to improve the sight lines and to address long needed accessibility issues.  Part of that construction would include the possible construction of a new public elevator, and a restructuring of staff access between the basement and roof of the buildings.  Last week we took a look at the elevator shafts and the elevator controls, including a look at the roof to see if there exists the possibility of extending existing elevators to higher floors.

While visiting the roof, I was able to enjoy a different perspective of Copley Square, one that we don’t get to enjoy that often.  I quickly snapped a few photo with my phone, of the streetscape, and the lovely griffins adorning the roof of the McKim Building.  I hope you enjoy this unique perspective, taken from the section of the Johnson Building that connects to the McKim Building.

View of Boylston St. from the BPL Roof

Ornate Griffins keep guard of the McKim Room with the John Hancock Tower in the background

The roof of the Johnson Building with a view of the Prudential Tower in the background

The first in a series of public roundtables on the Johnson Building Improvement Project was held on August 15 (pictured at right). Members of the public joined Boston Public Library staff to review recommendations from the master plan. David Leonard, Director of Administration and Technology, led the discussion and walked the group through each area of the four floors (concourse, first floor, mezzanine, second floor) slated for improvements. The group was also shown a series of interior and exterior computer renderings that depict what the library might look like after the renovation. David discussed the project timeline with the first major milestone being the closure of the second floor of the Johnson Building planned for this coming October in preparation for the first phase of construction.

Discussion followed with questions related to the optimal location for the children’s library, the prominence of public art, plans for quiet spaces, technology, spaces for tutoring sessions, and the size of the collection. Attendees also discussed the best use for the enterprise area on the first floor, which has been planned as a possible café or retail space.

Thank you to all who attended the August 15 meeting. The next roundtable is scheduled for Wednesday, September 25, at 6 p.m. Topics will include library services during the first phase of construction.

Boston Public Library is pleased to share this final copy of the Conceptual Master Plan for the Johnson Building Improvement Project, prepared by William Rawn Associates Architects, Inc.  We have also been posting extracts on program and service areas over the last couple of weeks. As of August 2013, we are now proceeding into formal design which will validate and refine these concepts — and validate that they make sense together — all with end goal of improving library services for today and tomorrow. The fiscal year July 2013 – June 2014 will see completion of design for phase one, design and budget development for subsequent phases, and the beginning of construction for phase 1.

The first in the next series of roundtables is planned for Thursday, August 15^th and will review the master plan and goals for the coming fiscal year. Please join us then or comment here to continue your participation in this process. Please click on the link below to access a PDF of the Conceptual Master Plan document. It is an 8.2 MB document.

Johnson Building Improvement Project Conceptual Master Plan Summary