Posted on December 17th, 2012 by Christine Schonhart in Library Services, Major Projects
Tags: East Boston
Winter is upon us and the team at the site for the new East Boston branch library – located at the end of Bremen Street Park, near Prescott Street – is working hard to get the roof up before our first snowfall. Check out these great pictures to see the progress. The branch is scheduled to open in the fall of 2013. Download the project fact sheet (PDF) to learn more.
Posted on December 14th, 2012 by Gina Perille in Johnson Building Study, Library Services, Major Projects
Tags: Back Bay, Copley Square
The Boylston Street entrance and lobby area of the Central Library in Copley Square could be reconfigured to be more transparent, welcoming, and efficient, and potentially include:
Posted on December 12th, 2012 by Gina Perille in Johnson Building Study, Library Services, Major Projects
Tags: Back Bay, Children and Teens, Copley Square
The same Compass Principle guiding the children’s library also guides the Boston Public Library to offer a slate of services that provide academic support and intellectual growth for teens. The goal is to create a best-in-class library for teens to advance these efforts.
The teen room could remain where it currently is on the mezzanine level of the Johnson Building. The space could be redesigned to allow for collaborative work, enhanced and expanded technology, a refreshed collection, and updated furnishings. In addition, the current Mezzanine Conference Room could be renovated to become the teen programming room. A review of current teen programs would inform the needs of this space which could include new furniture, carpeting, paint, and a media creation booth.
A successful teen area would include:
Posted on December 7th, 2012 by Christine Schonhart in Library Services, Major Projects
Tags: Jamaica Plain
The first of three Community Advisory Committee meetings to discuss upcoming renovations to the Jamaica Plain Branch was held on November 28 at the Curtis Hall Community Center. This project began in September of 2005 and included six meetings held between September 2005 and November 2006. Information on that study can be found here: Jamaica Plain Study (Site Study PDF at the bottom of the page).
Since that study was completed, the Library has completed a strategic plan, the BPL Compass, which was adopted by the Trustees in November of 2011. Among the outcomes from that plan was the need to complete a system-wide facilities review. Jamaica Plain was a pilot location for that review. Those results, along with the previous study and the current community process, will inform pre-design options and cost estimates that will later be used for a full renovation.
We want to make sure the JP Branch is a welcoming and special place for the community. One of the topics discussed at the meeting was: “What would you like to see as the specialty at the Jamaica Plain branch, or in other words, what should we focus on in design of space to be sure this branch is successful?” Is it a makerspace for all generations to gather and create art, a teen tech/creation space, an early literacy zone to help infants and toddlers learn important pre-reading concepts?
You can share your thoughts or ideas on the above question or any other aspect of the project in the following ways:
Members of the community advisory committee include: Don Haber, Gretchen Grozier, Laura Green, Andrea Howley, Beverly Arsem, Nancy Doherty, Jennifer Fulton, Carl Scovel, Peg Maloney, and Pam Marrone.
The next meetings will be held on Thursday, January 10, and Thursday, February 7. All meetings are free and open to the public.
Posted on December 7th, 2012 by David Leonard in Major Projects, Technology
Tags: Access and Innovation, Sustainable Organization, Systemwide, User-Centered Institution
Here’s what’s happening over the next week and beyond: On Sunday, December 9, the library will stop using the Horizon Integrated Library System (ILS) for most functions – indeed several functions have already been suspended. Staff begin using a limited version of the Polaris ILS on Monday, December 10, for 3 days while the final touches are made to the data mappings along with some record clean-up and de-duplication – after all, the database contains over 15 million records (when you count catalog entries, items, circulations statues, and patron records). This is not a quick process. Please see announcements on the BPL homepage or circulation FAQ page for service changes and impacts.
The new system will fully go live on the morning of Thursday, December 13. While staff have undergone training, we will be asking the public for patience as we become accustomed to the new system. Once we are used to new ways of doing things, we expect that our new ILS will be more stable, faster, and easier to use and thus help us do our jobs in servicing the public more efficiently. Polaris will also offer additional features and functions in the next release, planned for 6 months out, that will further enhance some BPL services. One new feature available on day one is the ability for library users to receive notification via phone, email, and text message, as well as faster circulation processing and more detailed data available in our catalog.
