Meeting to discuss renovation of Boston Public Library's Roslindale branch

Under the leadership of Mayor Martin J. Walsh, the Boston Public Library will host the first community advisory committee meeting to discuss the design for the estimated $6.4 million renovation of the Roslindale Branch on Tuesday, October 17, at 6 p.m. at the branch’s location at 4246 Washington Street. The renovation is a capital project collaboration between the Boston Public Library and the City of Boston’s Public Facilities Department. Leers Weinzapfel Associates is the architecture firm selected for the project and will reconfigure the layout of the interior of the building utilizing the existing planning study as a starting point, completed with the community in 2013, which the firm also lead. All are invited.

“The first design meeting offers community members a key opportunity to provide input on how they envision the Roslindale Branch best serving its patrons for the future, and we welcome all ideas and feedback as we take this significant step together to reimagine and update the library’s space and services,” said David Leonard, President of the Boston Public Library.

“The Public Facilities Department looks forward to working with the BPL and the Roslindale community to transform this building into a 21^st Ccentury library that supports and enhances the BPL’s impressive array of programming for years to come,” said Tricia Lyons, the Director of the Public Facilities Department.  “This exciting project illustrates Mayor Walsh’s commitment to the Roslindale community and to our libraries throughout the City.”

Library service first began in the Roslindale community in 1898, and the current branch was designed in 1961 by Isidor Richmond and Carny Goldberg, and today offers a variety of services and programming for people of all ages, including book discussions, homework help, ESL conversation groups, story times, and more. The library holds a large collection of teen and ESL materials, in addition to a strong collection of plays, poetry, literary criticism, and popular health materials.

Reaffirming Mayor Walsh’s commitment to bringing quality library services to neighborhoods throughout the City, nearly $14 million in library projects are planned across the city in FY18 and an additional $102 million in funding for library projects is slated for FY19-FY22. Most major renovations or new construction projects undergo a programming, design, and construction phase, which always include significant community engagement to gain input, feedback, and insight from users. More information on the Roslindale Branch renovation and additional projects can be viewed via www.bpl.org/branchcapitalprojects.

Boston Public Library has a Central Library, twenty-four branches, map center, business library, and a website filled with digital content and services. Established in 1848, the Boston Public Library has pioneered 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. Each year, the Boston Public Library hosts thousands of programs and serves millions of people. All of its programs and exhibitions are free and open to the public. At the Boston Public Library, books are just the beginning. To learn more, visit bpl.org.