The Week in Library Land: October 20 to October 26
We had an active week, with some new libraries and good conversations. Eight libraries in all.
The week started with a real highlight. We had the opportunity to meet with David Leonard, president of the Boston Public Library and Director of Library Services, Michael Colford, at the Boston Public Library. It was really interesting to hear how Leonard approaches his position. It was interesting that he and Michael think of all of the Boston branches constituting a single library. It’s not the first time we’ve heard people describing multi-branch systems this way. I suppose at some level it makes sense, but on another, it doesn’t to us.
Our visit with David Leonard and Michael Colford at the BPL.
The nice thing about having branches is their ability to serve the needs of the specific communities in their catchment area. That might mean a larger section of resources in different languages or more children’s programming or adult literacy classes. While the “Library” may be the root of all of these services, it is the branches that deliver the fruit.
We also talked about how funding for the Boston system works. We’re familiar with the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners and the process by which the state funds library construction, expansions, and renovations, but things work a little differently in Boston. While they do receive some state funds, the city is also a major source (as large municipalities often are). It was really exciting to hear plans and updates for some of the branches - particularly Uphams Corner, Dudley Square, and the Faneuil branch.
We also discussed an interesting library mystery. It’s something everyone hopes can soon be solved; but until it is, mums the word!
We also talked about the Map Room Tea Lounge - and how it came to be. It’s an example of really creative and collaborative thinking by both the library and its catering/concessions partner, The Catered Affair. There’ll be more on that soon, I think.
All-in-all, it was a really good meeting. We enjoyed the opportunity to meet and hopefully it’s something we’ll be able to do again in the future.
On Tuesday, we have a standing SharpOrange meeting with our client CIMCON. They’re an interesting smart city tech company based in Burlington. Meeting with them provides a nice opportunity to visit a few favorite libraries regularly and on this particular day, I found myself at the Lincoln Public Library. I hit the history room and was so happy to be enveloped by the cool quiet of the space. I managed to get a ton of writing done. I wish I could explain what makes Lincoln such a favorite but it’s one of those things. Library Land Score: 4.55.
That same day, Adam was planning a visit to the Mattapan Branch of the Boston Public Library but it was closed. Instead, he went to the Hyde Park Branch. It’s an interesting place, with an older and a newer section. The new section is really new but it doesn’t have the feel or function of many 21st century expansions. One thing of note, this was the first of multiple libraries in which Adam encountered a crying baby. Library Land Score: 3.55.
After a great roast beef sandwich at Green Gardens in Hyde Park, Adam moved on to the West Roxbury branch. It’s a nice space with a large gallery area on the first floor and a comfortable work area upstairs. It’s the least urban of the Boston Public Library branches. Library Land Score: 3.64.
In late August, I met with a gentleman at the Morse Institute in Natick about the parking situation at the library. As mentioned in past posts, it really isn’t good. There’s no simple solution, but an Article was being introduced at Town Meeting that proposed funding a feasibility study for potential approaches. I agreed to attend the meeting and offer my two cents.
This was the first Town Meeting I’d attended since moving to Natick in 1998. If nothing else, it was a great opportunity to see the most basic unit of local governance in action. After some housekeeping topics were covered, the Article came up for consideration. Saul Beaumont, whom I met at the library, presented his case. It’s compelling. Every other town in the area has free parking for patrons.
That isn’t the case in Natick. (Well, yes, there are free spaces, but they are limited to 15 or 30 minutes.) Beaumont’s suggestion is that the town consider adding spaces around the library by potentially closing a street beside the library or putting spaces on the front lawn of the library. To me and many others in attendance, that second suggestion was like a needle being scratched across an album.
The Morse Institute has a lovely green space in front of the building. There are trees for shade and benches for sitting and relaxing. The idea that it be paved for a handful of parking spaces really didn’t sit well with me or others in the meeting. That said, the point of this Article wasn’t to approve one plan or another but simply to study the parking problem and potential solutions.
The Article engendered quite a bit of debate with Town Meeting members rising to voice their concerns or support. I was able to offer my say, which was simply that Natick needed parking and that other towns and cities had somehow managed to solve this problem and that we should too. In the end, the entire question was referred back to the town’s Select Committee and a parking working group for further consideration. A bit of an anticlimax.
The Taft family tree.
On Wednesday, it was on to Mendon. We’ve wanted to visit the Taft Public Library for a while, but haven’t been able to due to its hours of operation. Pulling up, the library is a colorful building that was once a church. Inside, the space is open, bright, airy, and very comfortable. The staff was super informative and spent time talking about the library, its services, programs, and collection. Since moving, they've been able to expand the number of programs they offer dramatically and both attendance and circulation have also risen.
The library has a sweet little local history room. It's an important resource given the history of Mendon, which spawned nine other area towns, including Milford, Bellingham, Hopedale, Uxbridge, Upton, Blackstone, Northbridge and Millville.
And look at that, this is library 250! Library Land Score: 4.36.
The Wollaston Branch.
On Thursday, we had plans to attend a conference in Boston, so we decided to visit a couple of libraries south of the city. The first was the Wollaston Branch of the Thomas Crane Public Library in Quincy. This is a small neighborhood library. It was opened in 1923. The library is essentially one large room with the children's section and YA on one side and the adult collection on the other. The library also includes a small collection of Chinese language materials. The staff was courteous and knowledgeable, rattling off dates and details about the library without missing a beat. The space itself is somewhat run down, but it generally appears well-kept. The woodwork is quite nice. The HVAC system is loud. There are also only a limited number of power outlets, which is typical of a building of this era. Library Land Score: 3.45.
Next up was the Pratt Branch of the Weymouth Public Library. Interesting architecture, it’s reminiscent of a church, but it was built as a library and is meant to bring to mind an open book. The staff were friendly and provided a nice intro to the library.
With the main library under construction, the branches have had their hours expanded. It’s not just the hours that have increased, visits, too, have gone up. The increased usage is a good thing, but it does seem to stretch the branch’s resources. Plugs, for example, were tricky to find - but the library has put out power strips to improve the situation.
One thing that seemed odd about the situation is the fact that once the new main branch opens, the Pratt will return to its original, more limited hours. It's a modest place but was suitable for getting work done. Library Land Score: 3.91.
On Friday, we had a new business meeting in Brookline Village so I decided to visit the Public Library of Brookline (why they have phrased it this way is a mystery). It’s a really strong library and one we use when we're in the area, but we’re not in Brookline Village all that often.
During this visit, we used one of the big old front reading rooms. Watching the number and variety of people flowing in and out of the room (and the library in general) was a real testament to the special place the library has in the community. Library Land Score: 4.27.
The last stop for the week was a quick visit to the Morse Institute in Natick. I was in Natick Center to run some errands and almost didn’t even stop in at the library. What a mistake that would have been! They’ve done a bit of reorganizing - which has resulted in a reference/information desk on the first floor. This is a really good change as reference services were previously only available on the second floor. Library Land Score: 4.45.
That’s in for the week. More - as always - to come!