Renovation of the Central Library in Copley Square Progressing

As renovations continue at Boston Public Library’s Copley Square location, library users and other interested members of the public are invited to a roundtable meeting for an update on the project and a look ahead to future improvements planned. The renovation roundtable will take place on Tuesday, October 21, at 6 p.m. in the Guastavino Room at the Central Library in Copley Square, located at 700 Boylston Street. 

On display will be the three-dimensional model of the renovated library created by architects from William Rawn Associates Architects, Inc. Library staff members will be on hand to provide an overview of the project and answer questions. The first phase of the renovation, which includes a new children’s library, teen area, nonfiction collections, reference services, and community reading area is on track to be completed in March 2015. The second phase of the renovation, scheduled for completion in the summer of 2016, includes improvements to the first floor, mezzanine, lower level, and exterior of the Johnson building, which opened in 1972 and faces Boylston Street.

Continuing updates on the Central Library renovation are published on the library’s website and information is displayed within the library on digital screens. Notable upcoming milestones in the renovation project include the relocation of children’s and teens’ services from the Johnson building over to the McKim building, which faces Dartmouth Street, and the closing of the Boylston Street entrance. Prior to that, an accessible ramp will be added to the Dartmouth Street entrance.

Those not able to attend the roundtable are encouraged to visit http://bit.ly/bplrenovation. In addition, interested residents can mail a letter via U.S. Post to Boston Public Library, 700 Boylston Street, Boston MA 02116, or send questions and ideas to compass@bpl.org. “Compass” is the name of the library’s strategic plan.

CAPTION: Architects’ rendering of the Central Library in Copley Square as seen from Boylston and Exeter Streets.

About BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY 
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 www.bpl.org.