BOSTON, MA – June 26, 2025 – The Boston Public Library (BPL) today announced the launch of a comprehensive, five-year planning process for the renovation of the Central Library’s historic McKim building. The process, funded by a transformational $5.5 million gift made by an anonymous donor through the Boston Public Library Fund (BPLF), will bring renovation plans to a design-ready phase, laying the foundation for a reimagined Central Library complex that will serve the needs of patrons from Boston and beyond.
“To have a philanthropic partner join us at the planning stage is a powerful show of support, which underscores the magnitude of this once-in-a-generation effort,” said David Leonard, President of the Boston Public Library. “Alongside a capital investment from the Mayor of Boston, this foundational commitment enables the Boston Public Library to enlist the crucial support of many others. Together, we’ll begin to chart a clear path forward—one that balances an updated vision for the patron experience with the thoughtfulness needed to reactivate these historic spaces.”
At the cornerstone-laying ceremony of McKim building in 1888, Oliver Wendell Holmes famously proclaimed, “This palace is the people’s own!” Today, this National Historic Landmark welcomes more than one million visitors each year — yet much of its potential remains untapped. Due to its accessibility challenges and areas of disrepair, nearly 40 percent of the building is currently closed to the public. What were once inspiring halls and grand reading rooms have deteriorated over time, underscoring the urgent need for restoration and renewal.
To ensure a successful restoration of the McKim building, the gift will enable the library’s multi-phase planning process to focus on three key areas:
- Strategic Services Planning: BPL will explore how McKim’s majestic spaces can best serve current and future library users. Through space studies, accessibility planning, and user experience design, the BPL will reimagine how collections, services, and programs are shared between McKim and the adjacent Boylston Street building, ensuring the final plan meets the evolving needs of patrons.
- Design and Preservation Work: Building on the BPL’s 2021 McKim Master Plan, architects, preservationists, and engineers will conduct supplemental reviews and assessments of the building’s structural systems, environmental needs, and preservation priorities. Their findings will guide the project’s logistics, design strategy, and long-term stewardship of the revitalized building.
- Project Management & Staffing: To oversee a project of this scale and complexity, the BPL will expand its internal team and engage external experienced project management professionals. Together, they will also navigate thousands of historic architectural records to prepare for renovation and long-term building management.
BPL leadership and staff are already envisioning what the McKim building could become: a beautifully restored landmark that honors its historic grandeur while once again fulfilling its promise as a fully activated, vibrant hub of learning, creativity, and connection. Funding for the full renovation project is expected to come from a variety of sources, including public, private, and philanthropic donors, through an ambitious capital campaign led by the Boston Public Library Fund.
“What does a 21st Century library look like in a 19th Century building? That’s the question guiding this entire effort,” said Michael Colford, BPL’s Director of Library Services. “We’re listening closely to our patrons to understand what they need: welcoming and inclusive spaces, vital services, and greater access to the BPL’s extraordinary collections. This grant gives us the opportunity to study how people use the library and to ensure that the new McKim reflects and supports the communities we serve.”
For Beth Prindle, the BPL’s Director of Research & Special Collections, the planning process offers an exciting opportunity to unlock McKim’s potential. “What makes McKim unique isn’t just the significance of the architecture and art; it’s the principle that this space belongs to everyone,” she said. “Now, we’ll begin the work to ensure this beloved landmark is a welcoming destination to all – returning the ‘People’s Palace’ to the people!”
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ABOUT THE BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY
Established in 1848, the Boston Public Library is a pioneer of public library service in America. It was the first large, free municipal library in the United States; the first public library to lend books; the first to have a branch library; and the first to have a children’s room.
The Boston Public Library of today is a robust system that includes the Central Library in Copley Square, 25 neighborhood branches, the Norman B. Leventhal Map and Education Center, the Kirstein Business Library and Innovation Center, and an archival center, offering public access to world-class special collections of rare books, manuscripts, photographs, and prints, along with rich digital content and online services.
The Boston Public Library serves nearly 4 million visitors per year and millions more online. All of its programs and exhibitions are free to all and open to the public. The Boston Public Library is a department of the City of Boston, under the leadership of Mayor Michelle Wu. To learn more, visit bpl.org.
ABOUT THE BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY FUND
The mission of the Fund is to provide financial support to the Boston Public Library, ensuring that it remains viable, engaging, accessible, and free to all. The Fund fulfills this mission by working in partnership with the Library, donors, and other funders in supporting BPL programs and special initiatives. Support from the Fund supplements, but does not supplant, other BPL resources, including City of Boston funding.