Which of the Mayoral Candidates Will Give Bostonians the Best Public Library System: Candidate Rep. Marty Walsh Responds

Mayoral Candidate Rep. Marty Walsh

One of the two candidates for mayor of Boston, Rep. Marty Walsh, has responded quickly and fully to the seven public-library questions posed by FOSEL two days ago. Below are the original questions, with the answers provided by Joyce Linehan, policy director for the Walsh campaign, in bold italics. As soon as we hear from At-large Councillor John Connolly, we will post his comments, as well. And your questions will receive the same attention, too.

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LIBRARY HOURS: the 25 branch libraries, which service the vast majority of  625,000 Bostonians, are closed most evenings, Sundays and, in summer, Saturdays as well. The Copley Library, however, within walking distance of the 20,000 residents of the Back Bay, is open four nights a week, Saturdays and, except in the summer,  Sundays.  In other words, most of Boston’s residents and their families whose taxes pay for the BPL, can’t use their local library when they are off work. As mayor, will you make sure all libraries in the system are open nights and weekends to reflect the specific need for local access?

WALSH: The Boston Public Library is a cornerstone of my vision for the future of Boston, in the sense that it represents access, information, and the potential for lifelong learning and community building.  The library represents the best of Boston’s history and its recognition of the value of education at all levels. I would support expanded hours to ensure that more people can use the library at their convenience. I also believe that this will allow the library to consider flex-time for its staff, which I believe will support a workforce that needs flexibility for child care and other needs. I would take into account public surveys and the library’s own statistics about use to ensure that staff and other resources are allocated to best use.

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LIBRARY GOVERNANCE: there are no required standards of professional library expertise or library advocacy to be appointed to the nine-member BPL board of trustees. There are no term limits. There is no requirement to show up at public meetings (and some trustees seldom do). There is no public vetting process for library trustees, nor a public confirmation process to make sure the public gets the best library advocates possible to meet the library’s needs. Board seats do not reflect specific library interests, either, as is the case elsewhere: for example, the interests of branch libraries differ from those of the Copley Library;  young adults have different needs than seniors; book acquisition specialists have different concerns than book or art conservators.

As mayor, would you set standards for library trustees and their performance, and consider appointing those who would be qualified advocates for specific library and neighborhood concerns?

WALSH: I would strongly support a revision of standards for the BPL Board of Trustees. Accountability and transparency are key in all areas of policy for my administration. Just as I intend to seek the most highly qualified Superintendent of Schools and Chief of Police, I feel that every city department should be guided and led by people who have experience in the field, are aware of best practices, and have a vision of how to improve and support the departments they are in charge of.

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LIBRARY CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS: Which local libraries get renovated, or where new ones are built, is governed by mysterious forces. There is no transparent long-term capital plan, nor  is a specific public process in place, by which libraries are upgraded equitably, or  new ones built where needed, or handicapped-accessibility ensured.  As mayor, will you institute a transparent and fair capital plan to upgrade all BPL libraries equitably where needed, or build new ones, as part of a public process?

WALSH: The foundation of a Walsh Administration will be ethics and transparency, including financial disclosure.  Just as many schools are in need of capital improvement, the library branches in our neighborhoods, which support after-school learning and programming, need to be maintained at the highest standards with access to up-to-date technology, and safe and healthy buildings. Long-term capital improvements in both areas are critical needs, and ones that we would address as part of a comprehensive review of city property.

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BUILDING NEW LIBRARIES: Downtown Crossing is increasing its residential footprint. It is also a transportation hub where many young adults from all over the city hang out with little to do. As such, they can become easy targets for unfair and unnecessary criminalization by law enforcement. Nearby Chinatown, moreover, lost its library decades ago. As mayor, would you consider building an architecturally exciting downtown library with an outstanding young-adult department and a strong Asian profile that also replaces the long-lost Chinatown branch?

WALSH: Yes. A revitalized downtown area is where we see the most potential for growth as people return to living in the city in the next decades. Providing the kinds of resources which support families and empty-nesters who live here would definitely include library services. In addition, Marty feels that each library branch has the possibility of reflecting the richness of its neighborhood and its cultural diversity. The Walsh Administration will support and support all Bostonians.

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THE BPL FOUNDATION: the BPL fundraising arm was created to repair the McKim building almost two decades ago, and will target its future campaign on the long-overdue Johnson Building renovation. It does not focus on branch libraries, however, or their local Friends groups’ capital-improvement issues. But branches could use the Foundation’s help. The East Boston library, for example, has14 iconic WPA paintings that will cost $150,000 to restore before they can be installed in the new East Boston library. Their tiny Friends group is left on its own to raise the funds for it. As mayor, would you direct the BPL Foundation to expand its mission and assist local Friends groups who want to preserve cultural and historic landmarks of importance to their neighborhood libraries?

WALSH: Yes. The Boston Public Library is comprised of many parts, and its neighborhood branches are a key component of library services. Just as I intend to bring municipal services to “little city halls” throughout Boston’s neighborhoods, library services are not confined to the main branch at Copley. The Library and the City should be proud that the first branch library in the country was opened in East Boston in 1870, and we are about to open a new branch in that neighborhood. Many of the branch buildings have architectural or historical significance, and should be restored. Others are in need of considerable repair and should be upgraded or replaced. The BPL Foundation should leverage support for the library to be part of this vision of the Library’s future, and I would direct them to do so.

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LIBRARY TRUST FUNDS: these are meant to enrich the public library beyond capital and operational allocations from the city’s General Fund, not to substitute for it. But in the case of the disputed Kirstein Business branch closing in 2009, two Kirstein trust funds that paid for the maintenance of that building and its collection, are now used to offset operational expenses at the Copley Library. How? Trustees approved moving the business collection out of the Kirstein’s own beautiful building and into the dank basement of the Copley Library.  The emptied Kirstein library building, located on prime real estate downtown, moreover, is used by the city for office space, at no obvious benefit to the BPL. As mayor, how will you ensure that library trust funds are used for library enrichment only, not to offset operational or General Fund expenses?

WALSH: Generous individuals who wish to support the library should feel confident that their legacy will be safely and respectfully administered by the library. While it is possible that original intentions can become no longer viable, all efforts should be exhausted prior to breaking a trust.  I feel that if Library Trustees have been carefully vetted and the process is public and transparent, there would be much less likelihood of such a process being a cause for misunderstanding and anger. Further, the Library should consider social entrepreneurship and increased fundraising efforts to offset the decrease in state and federal funding that many non-profit organizations are facing in the current fiscal climate. As Mayor, I intend to review all city property and resources to ensure the best allocation of resources throughout all the departments.

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STABILIZING LIBRARY FUNDING:Between 2008 and 2010 no one from the BPL or the city advocated for Boston’s library funding at the Legislature, so state funding declined. Trustees, moreover, who are appointed exclusively by the mayor, tend to not oppose mayoral proposals to cut the library budget, or fight for library budget increases, adding to the financial decline of the BPL. Would you support a dedicated tax for public libraries as part of the property tax, or come up with another fiscal instrument, to ensure a long-term strategy to  stabilize and expand the BPL budget to meet the exponential growth in demand for library services and community space? 

WALSH: Before considering additional taxes for the library, I would like to review the current budget of the library and ensure that it is operating in a fiscally responsible manner. Since ensuring a high quality education is key to my administration, I would not foresee considering cuts to library services. Just as I have pledged to provide universal pre-K education to all 4 year olds, I intend to make sure that libraries are open and available in all the neighborhoods to support this. While it is valuable to have lobbying services for the library, the people of Boston are the most powerful lobbyists themselves. When there was the threat of cuts to the library, they made their voices heard. I stood firm in the legislature to support the neighborhood branches, and I would do so even more firmly as Mayor. I would look forward to working with Library Administration and the Trustees to ensure a healthy and long-term plan for the expansion and success of the entire BPL system.

Which of the Mayoral Candidates Will Give Bostonians the Best Public Library System? Seven Public-Library Questions for the Mayoral Candidates: What Are Yours?

Boston is fortunate to have two contenders in the mayoral race who denounced  the branch library closings proposed by Mayor Menino in 2010. 

Mayoral Candidate John Connolly

John Connolly spoke out against the proposal to shutter up to a third of the BPL’s branches when he was at-large city councillor. And Marty Walsh, as state representative of the 13th District, was part of the Boston delegation that threatened to cut millions in state funding to the BPL should any branch libraries be closed. And none were closed. However, the BPL is still a weak system, battered by decades of neglect, opaque decision-making, under-funding, and a leadership structure that is largely dependent on the good graces of  the mayor of Boston. So here are  seven questions for John Connolly and Marty Walsh, the answers to which may help you decide who could be the BPL’s knight in shining armor and give Bostonians the stellar library system they deserve.

LIBRARY HOURS: the 25 branch libraries, which service the vast majority of  625,000 Bostonians, are closed most evenings, Sundays and, in summer, Saturdays as well. The Copley Library, however, within walking distance of the 20,000 residents of the Back Bay, is open four nights a week, Saturdays and, except in the summer,  Sundays.  In other words, most of Boston's residents and their families whose taxes pay for the BPL, can't use their local library when they are off work. As mayor, will you make sure all libraries in the system are open nights and weekends to reflect the specific need for local access?

Mayoral Candidate Marty Walsh

LIBRARY GOVERNANCE: BPL trustees can approve budgets, hire or fire BPL presidents, close libraries or keep them open. Yet, there are no required standards of professional library expertise or library advocacy  to be appointed to the nine-member BPL board of trustees. There are no term limits. There is no requirement to show up at public meetings (and some trustees seldom do). There is no public vetting process for library trustees, nor a public confirmation process to make sure the library gets the best advocates possible to meet the public's needs. Board seats do not reflect specific library interests, either, as is the case elsewhere: for example, the interests of branch libraries differ from those of the Copley Library;  young adults have different needs than seniors; book acquisition specialists have different concerns than book or art conservators. As mayor, would you set standards for library trustees and their performance, and consider appointing those who would be qualified advocates for specific library and neighborhood concerns?

LIBRARY CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS: Which local libraries get renovated, or where new ones are built, is governed by mysterious forces. There is no transparent long-term capital plan, nor  is a specific public process in place, by which libraries are upgraded equitably, or  new ones built where needed, or handicapped-accessibility ensured.  As mayor, will you institute a transparent and fair capital plan to upgrade all BPL libraries equitably where needed, or build new ones, as part of a public process?

BUILDING NEW LIBRARIES: Downtown Crossing is increasing its residential footprint. It is also a transportation hub where many young adults from all over the city hang out with little to do. As such, they can become easy targets for unfair and unneccesary criminalization by law enforcement. Nearby Chinatown, moreover, lost its library decades ago. As mayor, would you consider building an architecturally exciting downtown library with an outstanding young-adult department and a strong Asian profile that also replaces the long-lost Chinatown branch?

THE BPL FOUNDATION

: the BPL fundraising arm was created to repair the McKim building almost two decades ago, and will target its future campaign on the long-overdue Johnson Building renovation. It does not focus on branch libraries, however, or their local Friends groups' capital-improvement issues. But branches could use the Foundation's help. The East Boston Meridian library branch, for example, has 14 iconic WPA paintings that will cost $150,000 to restore before they can be installed in the new East Boston library. Their tiny Friends group is left on its own to raise the funds for it.

As mayor, would you direct the BPL Foundation to expand its mission and assist local Friends groups who want to preserve cultural and historic landmarks of importance to their neighborhood libraries?

LIBRARY TRUST FUNDS: these are meant to enrich the public library beyond capital and operational allocations from the city's General Fund, not to substitute for it. But in the case of the disputed Kirstein Business branch closing in 2009, two Kirstein trust funds that paid for the maintenance of that building and its collection, are now used to offset operational expenses at the Copley Library. How? Trustees approved moving the business collection out of the Kirstein's own beautiful building and into the dank basement of the Copley Library.  The emptied Kirstein library building, located on prime real estate downtown, moreover, is used by the city for office space, at no obvious benefit to the BPL. As mayor, how will you ensure that library trust funds are used for library enrichment only, not to offset operational or General Fund expenses?

STABILIZING LIBRARY FUNDING:Between 2008 and 2010 no one from the BPL or the city advocated for Boston's library funding at the Legislature, so state funding declined. Trustees, moreover, who are appointed exclusively by the mayor, tend to not oppose mayoral proposals to cut the library budget, or fight for library budget increases, which further destabilizes the financial picture at the BPL. Would you support a dedicated tax for public libraries as part of the property tax, or come up with another fiscal instrument, to ensure a long-term strategy to  stabilize and expand the BPL budget to meet the exponential growth in demand for library services and community space? 

BPL Trustees Vote to Accept More Than Half a Million in Gifts to Library System, Including a $6,700 Donation by FOSEL to Make the SE Branch Fully Handicapped Accessible

At their most recent public meeting at the Adams Street Library in Dorchester, the BPL trustees voted to accept $503, 078.96 worth of donations during the 2013 fiscal year from different sources, including the MA Library Commissioners' Board ($147,350), Harvard University ($5,900), library patrons and many library Friends groups. Among them was a gift of $6,700 raised by FOSEL to make the South End branch fully handicapped accessible. FOSEL's was the next-to-largest gift to the BPL in the fiscal year, exceeded only by a donation from the Citywide Friends of the BPL for more than $28,000 for a variety of goals, including museum passes and audio-visual equipment.

Head librarian Anne Smart and FOSEL board member Glyn Polson at newly refurbished library counter; library clerk Deborah Madrey is behind the counter.

The official gifts to the BPL are only part of the story of local contributions to neighborhood libraries, suggesting a fertile source for fundraising should the BPL Foundation suddenly wake up and decide to partner withbranch libraries on matters of concern to neighborhood patrons. For example, a previous FOSEL board member paid more than $7,000 to have the library's oak tables restored several years ago, something that was never entered in the BPL's Gifts Received book. FOSEL also installed and maintains plantings in the tree pits around the library to the tune of thousands of dollars. FOSEL had the rugs cleaned. We refurbished the very popular seating area for yet more thousands. We purchased a lectern, book displays and computer tables, among other items. (We have asked the BPL several times to replace the broken pavement in front of the library, thus far without results. We also requested the five oaks in Library Park be trimmed, as their dead limbs and branches present a danger to park users. So far, no results.)

Most recently, FOSEL paid for a complete refurbishing of the South End branch's library counter. The wooden surface not only looked old and worn but also caused splinters in the hands of the staff  when checking books in and out. The red vinyl upholstery facing the patrons was faded and torn, with the foam backing hanging out. Thanks to the excellent work  of local contractor Jack Crane and long-time South End upholsterer John Egan, the counters are gleaming and smooth, the upholstery beautifully installed, and  the staff is thrilled. FOSEL spent about $3,000 for the project, funds raised from you, our neighbors and supporters. A special thanks to long-time library volunteer Virginia Eskin, who brought the deteriorated counter to our attention and pushed us to get it done.

Finally: a Self-Checkout Machine Will Come to the South End Library Soon, to Be Combined with Patrons' Shelves for "Holds"

Self-checkout for Kids in the Minneapolis-Hennepin County Library System

Self-checkout machines will be coming to the BPL's branches at last, and to the South End branch specifically, within the next few months. "We'd hoped to have one installed by July," reported Christine Schonhart, BPL's Director of Branch Library Services, "but the bidding process stalled because the machine that was offered didn't work with our new Integrated Library System." Schonhart hopes a compatible self-checkout can be installed this fall, and to combine it with a 'self-hold' shelf where patrons can pick up the materials they ordered on-line. Among other advantages, a 'self-hold' area increases patrons' personal privacy about what materials they check out.  The news about the acquisition of self-service equipment is part of the BPL's recent Branch Facilities Review, which focuses on the extent to which the branches are equipped to provide library services.

Why it took so long for the BPL to get up to speed with self-service technology can be attributed, in part, to the cost of the machines and the persistent under-funding of the public library system in Boston. Many other cities endowed their libraries with self-checkouts years ago, freeing up staff to do more high-octane tasks. The arrival of Amy Ryan as president of the BPL in 2008 may have pushed the issue to the fore since her previous employer, the Minneapolis-Hennepin County Library system, had self-checkouts in all its locations, including pint-sized versions in the Children's Departments, where the littlest generation learned self-checkout as they learned to pull favorite books off the shelf.

Two BPL trustees, current chair Jeff Rudman, and former trustee  A. Raymond Tye --who passed away in 2010,-- generously paid for the first few BPL self-checkout machines from their personal funds a couple of  years ago. These  self-checkout machines are located in the Johnson building's entrance hall, sometimes hard to notice in the cavernous space that makes up that  part of the downtown library, a problem that will hopefully be remedied soon with BPL plans to renovate the Johnson Building. At the time, the trustees were told each machine would cost about $25,000 but the price tag ranges anywhere from $20,000 to more than one million dollars, according to industry information. This YouTube video link explains how to use them.

The BPL  self-checkouts in the Johnson Building, too, are combined with a self-hold area where library users can pick up the library treasure they ordered. Self-checkout systems that enable patrons to pick up their own holds during regular library hours are among the most popular self-service offerings, according to a 2010 article on self-service options inLibrary Journal. The article also mentioned that shifting tasks to users freed up staff to do other responsibilities, including a chronic backup from growing circulation.

Library Pop Quiz: Which of Five Activities Took Place at the South End Branch Last Tuesday, July 9?

Written and reported by Ruth Rothstein, FOSEL board member  

POP QUIZ!

Quick, take out a sheet of paper and number one through five. Which of these activities were taking place Tuesday night July 9 at the South End Library?

A Library Park crowd for Pat Loomis on July 9

1. A Jazz concert featuring a well-known local jazz band

2. A Shakespeare reading from an upcoming production of the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company

3. An Art Opening Reception of new paintings, old masters’ style

4. A meeting of local politicos strategizing for the upcoming city-wide elections that includes a once-in-two-decades mayoral race

5. All of the Above!

Did you get an A? Yes, all of these activities were taking place under one roof of the BPL’s South End branch Tuesday evening on Tremont Street, each one free and accessible to the public: the Pat Loomis jazz concert took place in the library’s park next door; Zen O’Connor’s art exhibit was on display on the first floor; Judith Klau’s talk about Two Gentlemen of Verona settled in the upstairs community room; and the politicos’ Ward 4 Democratic meeting featuring Rep. Byron Rushing and at-large City Council candidate Michelle Wu, among other luminaries, brainstormed in the Children’s Room.

“A plethora of riches,” said Helaine Simmons of East Springfield Street.

“Something for everyone,” Margie Cohen of West Brookline Street observed.

“Every corner, crack and cranny, there was something going on,“ cracked  library regular John Jones of West Newton Street.

Whether your cultural tastes skew towards music, theater, art or politics, that night of July 9 the South End library offered residents a taste of all of these: and you didn’t have to leave the neighborhood. Once again, our local library proves itself an invaluable resource for all. As this month continues, on Tuesday, July 16th artist Zen O'Conor will give a gallery talk illuminating his work. The next FOSEL-sponsored jazz concert with Zeke Martin and Oracle is scheduled for 6:30 the evening of July 23rd. Don’t miss out, be sure to include the SE Library in your summer plans.

Tuesday Night, July 9, at the SE Library Means: Jazz with Pat Loomis in Library Park; an Artist Talk by Painter Zen O'Conor Inside; and Henna Tatoos with Nimmi Sehgal, if This Is Still Not Good Enuf

Tuesday July 9 by 6:30 PM the South End branch should be hopping: Pat Loomis and his band will kick of FOSEL's first steps into the summer-concert scene at Library Park, weather permitting. Check this web site for last-minute cancelations should the  thunderstorm system roving over New England  decide to hit on defenseless library patrons..

Zen Conor at his easel

Indoors, also at 6:30 PM, Scottish artist Zen O’Conor will open his show of oil paintings with a talk about his work. O'Conor, who lives in the Piano Craft Guild artist building, was trained in classic French and Flemish oil painting techniques and will show his work at the library during July. In August, he'll return to Scotland to teach at the Gallery of Realist Art.

Nimmi Seghal's Henna Tatoos

Finally, should neither music nor art exhibits catch your fancy, how about a henna tatoo from Nimmi Seghal? Check this link for details. Ms. Seghal has delivered tatoos at the branch previously and, should you miss her on Tuesday July 9,  is scheduled to return to the South End Library on August 27 at 6:30 PM.

Both the jazz concert and the henna tatoo event have been sponsored by FOSEL, that means YOU, and many thanks for that. The art exhibit was organized by members of the Piano Factory, a group that supports local artists, with support of the staff of the South End Library. All events are free. For further questions, call the library staff at 617 536-8241.

LAST MINUTE ADDITION: South End resident and Shakespeare fan Judith Klau will talk about Two Gentlemen of Verona on Tuesday, July 9 at 6:30 PM in the upstairs conference room, which is wheelchair accessible.  This play will be performed at the Boston Common until July 26 in a production by the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company.

BPL Leadership Tells Landmarks Commissioners its Johnson Building's Protected Design Stands in the Way of Delivering 21st-Century Library Services

BPL Central Library's building, encased by a chastity belt of granite plinths, creating an unwelcoming, defensive street image

The BPL campaign to dramatically revamp Copley Library's evil twin, otherwise known as the Johnson building,  gathered significant steam last Tuesday when the Library's executives, trustees and hired architects pleaded with the Boston Landmarks Commission to not have the building's landmark designation stand in the way of critically needed changes. The cavernous 1972 addition to the beloved and mostly restored McKim Building of the Central Library in Copley Square has long been criticized for its unwelcoming, gloomy and hard-to-navigate space. The BPL recently requested public comments about the building; hundreds were received, mostly negative, some scathing, others thoughtful and expressing hope for a better library.

That hope may be rewarded or quashed by the 17-member Boston Landmarks Commission in whose hands rests the landmark status of the four areas of the Johnson building targeted for change. They include most of the 97 vertical plinths strapped around the site  like a granite chastity belt; the Boylston Street lobby, visually maimed by both Soviet-style security apparatus and walls that prevent easy interior access to the McKim building; Deferrari Hall, located in the center where a lonely BPL reference desk librarian holds sway; as well as the entire Central Library block --including its landscaping, now squeezed between the plinths and the building-- where the one-million-square-foot structure designed by acclaimed late-modernist architect Philip Johnson is located on Boylston Street at Exeter.

"The Johnson building never worked," BPL president Amy Ryan told the Landmark commissioners. "It doesn’t engage the

visitor, it is not connected to the streetscape, it needs to improve navigation and create a space that is inviting. It should make itself into a true destination for people from Boston, the state and all over the world. There aren’t enough restrooms, there’s a lack of connection between the buildings, the lobby isn’t good. For a city of the this stature, we can do better. This is the moment to make the Boston library the best in the world."

William Rawn Associates, the architects working with the BPL to breathe new life into the Central Library,  hopes to get approval for proposed changes that, while early in the design process, have already been received enthusiastically by the BPL which has held a handful of public meetings on the subject since late last year.  The renovations include taking down the granite plinths on Boylston and Exeter streets --leaving the ones on Blagden Street-- so as to visually reconnect the interior of the library  to the exterior life on the streets; replacing the Boylston-Street  mullioned single-pane windows of the so-called Boston Room with high-performing clear glass without mullions; and removing the lobby's interior walls to open up the space for, among other improvements, easy access to the McKim building and newly designed book-browsing and exhibit areas. Initial digital designs of the reconfigured street-level space showed a bustling area transformed by clear signage, warm-colored materials, numerous informational meeting points and even a wavey ceiling.

Both the chairman of the Library Board, attorney Jeff Rudman, and trustee Rep. Byron Rushing, who as a South End legislator represents the largest Victorian landmark district in the country, made the case to the Landmark commissioners that the Library's mission, "Free to All," is undermined by the current design of the Johnson building. "There are two landmarks before you,"  Rudman told the commissioners. "One is the Johnson building; the other is the tradition of a democratic education as envisioned by the founders of the library. The Johnson building in its current state does not fulfill the intent of the library’s founders. It’s not welcoming. It says, ‘stay back.'” Rudman, who several years ago spearheaded Mayor Thomas Menino's unfortunate's efforts to close up to a third of the BPL's branches, eloquently completed last Tuesday's testimony by pointing out that in today's era of growing economic inequality, the library can be the 'first responder.' “I am asking you to join with us to fight inequality. It can’t be done if you won’t come in. Preserving the tradition of self-education is more important than plinths,” he suggested to the commissioners.

Johnson Building Improvement Project's Graphic Design of Hundreds of Public-Comments

For their part, the Landmark commissioners listened respectfully but expressed concerns about design elements that mattered 'should not be thrown away.' "Buildings are landmarked for a reason," one commissioner pointed out, adding that the plinths, for example, matched design elements of the McKim building. But Boston Architectural College president, Ted Landsmark, testified in response that a number of Philip Johnson's iconic buildings were subsequently modified for 'utilitarian and esthetic reasons,' including the Elmer Holms Bobst library at New York University. Commissioners also focused on the future of libraries in general, to which BPL president Ryan responded  that both digitization and foot traffic had vastly increased in libraries everywhere. Replacing mullioned glass windows with glass walls that has no mullions brought some questions, and having functional and  programmatic unity for the different elements of the proposed uses of space  inside the library was another issue.

The Johnson Building Improvement Project has thus far benefited from full-throated political and budgetary supported by outgoing Mayor Menino. Also in play is the deep public-library expertise of the architectural firm of William Rawn  (Cambridge Public Library, Mattapan, East Boston, and even the New York Public Library in the 1980s) as well as an engaged and well-connected eight-member Community Advisory Committee of downtown residents established under the BPL's strategic plan.

An important and controversial aspect of the project involves unresolved details surrounding the commercialization of some of the street-level publicly owned space in the Johnson building on Exeter and Boylston Streets. Lower-level areas around the Rabb Lecture Hall are also seen as possibilities for functions that could generate income for the BPL. So far, the word has been that any commercialization has to be "mission compatible" with the library's. The Children's Library, currently located at street level target for commercialization, will be more than doubled in size and move to the light-flooded second floor, with its own elevator access. An up-to-date teen space would be moved to that level, as well.

The BPL's application for approval to landmarked spaces will take up to five months. Regular updates will be available on both the BPL and  the FOSEL web sites. Previous FOSEL coverage includes these links, one and two. The illustrated word posters were created by the BPL based on the many public comments received about the Johnson building. 

The Boston Public Library Has Purchased More Than 2,400 Books on Grieving and Anxiety to Help Adults and Children Cope With the Trauma and Loss After the Marathon Bombings

Books on Grieving for Children

At a budget hearing before the Boston City Council earlier this month, BPL president Amy Ryan told the councilors that the library purchased more than 2,000 books on coping with anxiety, grieving and loss after the Marathon bombings. In addition, even though the main library at Copley Square was forced to close for a week due to its close proximity to the bombing site, all the 25 branches were open the next day. "They were crowded," reported Ryan. "People were busy checking in with one another. Libraries are community spaces." According to Catherine Willis, Chief of Technical and Digital Services at the BPL, a total of 2,410 books were ordered on the subject of loss and anxiety. The cost for the books would have been more than $30,000 but the vendor gave the BPL a 'sizeable' discount to bring the final amount down to around $15,000. The books have begun to arrive at libraries throughout the system, including the South End Library.

South End Library's children's librarian Margaret Gardner collected several links for library patrons, including:

1. Tips for parents and teachers on how to deal with children's fear of war and terrorism from the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)

2. Talking to children about violence, also by NASP

3. Talking with kids about news, sponsored by PBS Parents

4. Times of Grief and Sadness, a list of 19 books for children from the BPL web site's Boston PL Kids Lists.

Gardner told FOSEL that kids and teens who have been at the South End branch since the bombings have expressed themselves through art, which she plans to continue to do. Two teens created  "the dove of peace" in the front window facing Tremont Street the first week after the bombing, and another teen artist made the two doves of peace by the circulation counter, with hand prints and words from younger children.

Below is the full list of the BPL's books that are, or will soon be arriving at a library near you, and the number of copies available.

ADULT:

Aikman, Becky. Saturday night widows : the adventures of six friends remaking their lives

Albano, Anne Marie. You and your anxious child : free your child from fears and worries and create a joyful family life

Amend, Allison. A nearly perfect copy : a novel

Askew, Rilla. Kind of kin

Backhaus, Jeff. Hikikomori and the rental sister : a novel

Bacon, Armen. Griefland : an intimate portrait of love, loss, and unlikely friendship

Bateman, Tracey Victoria. The widow of Saunders Creek : a novel

Baudrillard, Jean The Spirit of Terrorism : And Other Essays

Beattie, Melody. The grief club : the secret to getting through all kinds of change

Bedford, Lisa. Survival mom : how to prepare your family for everyday disasters and worst-case scenarios

Berger, Susan A. The five ways we grieve : finding your personal path to healing after the loss of a loved one

Bessette, Alicia. A pinch of love

Bien, Thomas. The Buddha's Way of Happiness : healing sorrow, transforming negative emotion & finding well-being in the present moment

Blaustein, Margaret. Treating traumatic stress in children and adolescents : how to foster resilience through attachment, self-regulation, and competency

Brach, Tara. True refuge : finding peace and freedom in your own awakened heart

Brantley, Jeffrey. Calming your anxious mind : how mindfulness & compassion can free you from anxiety, fear, & panic

Brown, Erica, 1966- Happier endings : overcoming the fear of death

Bstan-Êdzin-rgya-mtsho, Dalai Lama XIV, 1935- The wisdom of compassion : stories of remarkable encounters and timeless insights

Burns, Donna M. When kids are grieving : addressing grief and loss in school

Chansky, Tamar Ellsas. Freeing your child from anxiety : powerful, practical strategies to overcome your child's fears, phobias, and worries

Chödrön, Pema. Comfortable with uncertainty : 108 teachings on cultivating fearlessness and compassion

Chödrön, Pema. The places that scare you : a guide to fearlessness in difficult times

Chödrön, Pema. When things fall apart : heart advice for difficult times

Chopra, Deepak. God : a story of Revelation

Cloyed, Deborah. The summer we came to life

Coetzee, J. M., 1940- Slow man

Cohen, Judith A. Treating trauma and traumatic grief in children and adolescents / A Clinician's Guide

Cohen, Leah Hager. The grief of others

Cooper, Gwen, 1971- Love saves the day : a novel

Cope, Pam. Jantsen's gift : a true story of grief, rescue, and grace

Dahlie, Michael. The best of youth : a novel

De Becker, Gavin. The gift of fear : survival signals that protect us from violence

De Feo, Ronald. Solo pass

Deits, Bob, 1933- Life after loss : a practical guide to renewing your life after experiencing major loss

Deraniyagala, Sonali. Wave

Didion, Joan. The year of magical thinking

Dreher, Rod. The little way of Ruthie Leming : a Southern girl, a small town, and the secret of a good life

Dunn, Bill. Through a season of grief : devotions for your journey from mourning to joy

Ellmann, Lucy, 1956- Mimi : a novel

Emerson, David, 1969- Overcoming trauma through yoga : reclaiming your body

Ericsson, Stephanie, 1953- Companion through the darkness : inner dialogues on grief

Evans, Richard Paul. The road to grace

Frankl, Viktor E. (Viktor Emil), 1905-1997. Man's search for meaning

Frazier, Ian. The cursing mommy's book of days

Friedman, Russell. Moving beyond loss : real answers to real questions from real people

Gaiman, Neil. Fragile things : short fictions and wonders

Gewirtz, Matthew D. The gift of grief : finding peace, transformation, and renewed life after great sorrow

Gil, Eliana Working with children to heal interpersonal trauma : the power of play

Gilbert, Kellie Coates. Mother of Pearl

Goldman, Linda, 1946- Great answers to difficult questions about death : what children need to know

Gonzales, Laurence, 1947- Surviving survival : the art and science of resilience

Gordon, Terry A. No storm lasts forever : transforming suffering into insight

Greenspan, Miriam. Healing through the dark emotions : the wisdom of grief, fear, and despair

Greenwood, T. (Tammy) The hungry season

Guthrie, Nancy O love that will not let me go : facing death with courageous confidence in God

Hall, Louisa, 1982- The carriage house : a novel

Hance, Jackie. I'll see you again : a memoir

Henkin, Joshua. The world without you

Hickman, Martha Whitmore, 1925- Healing after loss : daily meditations for working through grief

Higgins, Lisa Verge. The proper care and maintenance of friendship

Hinton, J. Lynne. Welcome back to Pie Town

Hodges, Samuel J Grieving with hope : finding comfort as you journey through loss

Holland, Debra. The essential guide to grief and grieving

Hunter, John, 1954- author. World peace and other 4th-grade achievements

Isaacs, Florence. My deepest sympathies : meaningful sentiments for condolence notes, plus a guide to eulogies

Jacobson, Don When God makes lemonade : true stories that amaze and encourage

James, John W. The grief recovery handbook : the action program for moving beyond death, divorce, and other losses including health career, and faith

James, John W. When children grieve : for adults to help children deal with death, divorce, pet loss, moving, and other losses

Kabat-Zinn, Jon. Wherever you go, there you are : mindfulness meditation in everyday life

Kimball, Michael, 1967- Big Ray : a novel

King, Claire, 1980- The Night Rainbow

Kinkade, Thomas, 1958-2012. A wandering heart

Klein, Daniel M. Nothing serious : a novel

Kolf, June Cerza. When will I stop hurting? : dealing with a recent death

Kornfield, Jack The Art Of Forgiveness, Lovingkindess, And Peace

Krueger, William Kent. Ordinary grace : a novel

Kübler-Ross, Elisabeth. On death and dying : what the dying have to teach doctors, nurses, clergy, and their own families

Kübler-Ross, Elisabeth. On grief and grieving : finding the meaning of grief through the five stages of loss

Kultgen, Chad, 1976- The average American marriage : a novel

Kumar, Sameet M. Grieving mindfully : a compassionate and spiritual guide to coping with loss

Kushner, Harold S. The book of Job : when bad things happened to a good person

Kushner, Harold S. When bad things happen to good people

Lankford, Adam, 1979- The myth of martyrdom : what really drives suicide bombers, rampage shooters, and other self-destructive killers

Latiolais, Michelle. Widow : stories

Lavigne, Michael. The wanting

Lee, Ashton. The Cherry Cola Book Club

Lee, Deborah. The compassionate-mind guide to recovering from trauma and PTSD : using compassion-focused therapy to overcome flashbacks, shame, guilt, and fear

Lee, Linda Francis. Emily and Einstein / A Novel of Second Chances

Levine, Peter A. Trauma-proofing your kids : a parents' guide for instilling confidence, joy and resilience

Levine, Peter A. Waking the tiger : healing trauma : the innate capacity to transform overwhelming experiences

Lewis, C. S. (Clive Staples), 1898-1963. A grief observed

Malchiodi, Cathy A. The art therapy sourcebook

Marasco, Ron. About grief : insights, setbacks, grace notes, taboos

Martin, John D. I can't stop crying : it's so hard when someone you love dies

Martinez, J. Michael (James Michael) Terrorist attacks on American soil : from the Civil War era to the present

Matta, Christy. The stress response : how dialectical behavior therapy can free you from needless anxiety, worry, anger, & other symptoms of stress

Miller, Serena, 1950- Hidden mercies : a novel

Milliken, Maureen. The afterlife survey : a Rabbi, a CEO, a dog walker, and others on the universal question - what comes next?

Nhá̂t H?anh, Thích Anger : wisdom for cooling the flames

Nhá̂t H?anh, Thích. Fear : essential wisdom for getting through the storm

Nugent, Benjamin. Good kids : a novel

Odell, Jonathan, 1951- The healing : a novel

Orange, Cynthia. Shock waves : a practical guide to living with a loved one's PTSD

Paisley, Michelle Yoga for a Broken Heart : A Spiritual Guide to Healing from Break-Up, Loss, Death or Divorce

Peretti, Frank E. Illusion : a novel

Podrug, Junius. The disaster survival bible

Punnett, Ian, 1960- How to pray when you're pissed at God / Or Anyone Else for That Matter

Quick, Matthew, 1973- The silver linings playbook

Rando, Therese A. How to go on living when someone you love dies

Raney, Deborah. After all

Rapp, Emily. The still point of the turning world

Rathkey, Julia Wilcox. What children need when they grieve : the four essentials : routine, love, honesty, and security

Ratner, Austin. In the land of the living : a novel

Ritchie, Cinthia. Dolls behaving badly : a novel

Rogers, Michael Allen, 1949- What happens after I die?

Rothbaum, Barbara Olasov. Reclaiming your life from a traumatic experience : workbook

Rothschild, Babette. Trauma essentials : the go-to guide

Rupp, Joyce. My soul feels lean : poems of loss and restoration

Scheunemann, Frauke. Puppy love

Schonfeld, David J., 1959- The grieving student : a teacher's guide

Schrank, Ben. Love is a canoe

Schuster, Marc, 1973- The grievers

Simons, Paullina, 1963- Children of liberty

Smith, Haywood, 1949- Out of warranty

Smolinski, Jill. Objects of my affection

Sorensen, Julia. Overcoming loss : activities and stories to help transform children's grief and loss

Spencer, Elizabeth DuPont, 1966- The anxiety cure for kids : a guide for parents

Spencer, Katherine, 1955- The Way Home : Thomas Kinkade's Angel Island

Stahl, Bob. Calming the rush of panic : a mindfulness-based stress reduction guide to freeing yourself from panic attacks & living a vital life

Stavlund, Mike. A force of will : the reshaping of faith in a year of grief

Stearns, Ann Kaiser. Living through personal crisis

Stern, Robin. Project rebirth : survival and the strength of the human spirit from 9/11 survivors

Stewart, Carla. Broken wings : a novel

Stothard, Anna. The pink hotel

Sussman, Ellen, 1954- The Paradise Guest House : a novel

Tappouni, Therese Amrhein The Gifts of Grief : Finding Light in the Darkness of Loss

Thoene, Bodie, 1951- When Jesus wept

Tipping, Colin C Radical forgiveness : a revolutionary five-stage process to : heal relationships, let go of anger and blame, find peace in any situation

Tirch, Dennis D., 1968- The compassionate-mind guide to overcoming anxiety : using compassion-focused therapy to calm worry, panic, and fear

Trout, Nick. The patron saint of lost dogs

Welshons, John E. Awakening from grief : finding the way back to joy

West, Spencer, 1981- Standing tall : my journey

Westberg, Granger E Good Grief

Westfall, John. Getting past what you'll never get over : help for dealing with life's hurts

Whitson, Stephanie Grace. The message on the quilt

Wilde, Samantha. I'll take what she has : a novel

Wilder, Thornton, 1897-1975. The bridge of San Luis Rey

Williams, Mark. Mindfulness : an eight-week plan for finding peace in a frantic world

Williams, Mary Beth. The PTSD workbook / Simple, Effective Techniques for Overcoming Traumatic Stress Symptoms

Wiseman, John "Lofty" SAS Urban Survival Handbook : How to Protect Yourself Against Terrorism, Natural Disasters, Fires, Home Invasions, and Everyday Health and Safety Hazards

Wolf, Elaine. Danny's mom : a novel

Wolfelt, Alan D. The Mourner's Book of Faith : 30 Days of Enlightenment

Wolfelt, Alan D., Ph.D. The Mourner's Book of Courage : 30 Days of Encouragemen

Wolfelt, Alan. Healing your grieving heart : 100 practical ideas

Wolfelt, Alan. The wilderness of grief : finding your way

Wong, David, 1975 Jan. 10- This book is full of spiders : seriously, dude, don't touch it

Yancey, Philip Where Is God When It Hurts?

Yancey, Philip. Disappointment with God : three questions no one asks aloud

Yang, Jeffrey Time of grief : mourning poems

Chicken soup for the soul : grieving and recovery : 101 inspirational and comforting stories about surviving the loss of a loved one

Life after trauma : a workbook for healing

Poems of mourning

Alcorn, Randy C. Heaven for kids

CHILD/TEEN

Aliki Feelings

Annunziata, Jane Sometimes I'm scared

Applegate, Katherine. The one and only Ivan

Arnold, Elana K. Sacred

Bergren, Lisa Tawn. God gave us heaven

Blos, Joan W. A gathering of days : a novel

Bodeen, S. A. (Stephanie A.), 1965- The raft

Brody, Jessica. Unremembered

Brown, Laurene Krasny. When dinosaurs die : a guide to understanding deat

Bunting, Eve, 1928- Rudi's pond

Burpo, Todd. Heaven is for real for kids

Buscaglia, Leo F. The fall of Freddie the leaf : a story of life for all ages

Cassidy, Sara. Windfall

Coker, Rachel. Interrupted : a life beyond words

Cook, Julia Grief is Like a Snowflake

Cormier, Robert. After the first death

Crist, James J. What to do when you're scared & worried : a guide for kids

Crowe, Carole. Waiting for dolphins

Emberley, Ed. Glad monster, sad monster : a book about feelings

Eubanks, Sonja Death and dying

Fitzgerald, Helen. The grieving teen : a guide for teenagers and their friends

Fritts, Mary Bahr, 1946- If Nathan were here

Geithner, Carole. If only

Goldman, Linda, 1946- Children also grieve : talking about death and healing

Gootman, Marilyn E., 1944- When a friend dies : a book for teens about grieving & healing

Graff, Lisa (Lisa Colleen), 1981- Umbrella summer

Guanci, Anne Marie. David and the worry beast : helping children cope with anxiety

Hainsworth, Emily. Through to you

Hanson, Warren. The next place

Heegaard, Marge When Someone Very Special Dies : Children Can Learn to Cope With Grief

Heegaard, Marge When Something Terrible Happens : Children Learn to Cope With Grief

Holmes, Margaret M., 1944 A terrible thing happened

Huebner, Dawn. What to do when you worry too much : a kid's guide to overcoming anxiety

Kaplow, Julie B., 1974- Samantha Jane's missing smile : a story about coping with the loss of a parent

Klise, Kate. Little Rabbit and the Night Mare

LaFleur, Suzanne M. Love, Aubrey

Laybourne, Emmy. Monument 14

Lewis, Beverly, 1949- What is God like?

Lewis, Stewart. You have seven messages

Loewen, Nancy, 1964- Saying good-bye to Uncle Joe : what to expect when someone you love dies

Loth, Sebastian. Remembering Crystal

Lowry, Lois. A summer to die

Martin, Ann M., 1955- Welcome to Camden Falls

Mayfield, Sue. Living with bereavement

Meiners, Cheri J., 1957- When I feel afraid

Mellonie, Bryan. Lifetimes : the beautiful way to explain death to children

Mills, Joyce C., 1944- Gentle Willow : a story for children about dying

Myers, Edward, 1950- Teens, loss, and grief : the ultimate teen guide

O'Brien, Anne Sibley. A path of stars

Palmer, Pat, 1928- I wish I could hold your hand-- : a child's guide to grief and loss

Payne, Lauren Murphy, 1956- Just because I am : a child's book of affirmation

Penn, Audrey, 1947- The kissing hand

Penn, Audrey, 1947- Chester Raccoon and the acorn full of memories

Pennypacker, Sara, 1951- Stuart goes to school

Posesorski, Sherie. Shadow boxing

Rock, Lois, 1953- When good-bye is forever

Romain, Trevor. What on earth do you do when someone dies?

Romain, Trevor. Stress can really get on your nerves!

Rosen, Michael, 1946- Michael Rosen's sad book

Seuss, Dr. My many colored days

Shaw, Susan, 1951- One of the survivors

Spelman, Cornelia. When I miss you

Tangvald, Christine Harder, 1941- Someone I love died

Vail, Rachel. Sometimes I'm Bombaloo

Varley, Susan. Badger's parting gifts

Verdick, Elizabeth. How to take the grrrr out of anger

Vigna, Judith. Saying goodbye to Daddy

Violi, Jen. Putting makeup on dead people

Wagenbach, Debbie. The grouchies

Wild, Margaret, 1948- Harry & Hopper

Wilhelm, Hans, 1945- I'll always love you

Winsch, Jane Loretta. After the funeral

Wolfelt, Alan. Healing your grieving heart for teens : 100 practical ideas

Wolff, Ferida, 1946- Is a worry worrying you?

The Annual South End Library Book Sale to Be Held Saturday, May 18, from 10 AM to 1 PM at Library Park; Gently-used Book Drop Off Till Thursday Night at the Branch

SE library book sale

FOSEL volunteers have been sorting through the many books that were deposited at the South End branch for months: textbooks and encyclopedias will be chucked but children's books, cookbooks, collections of essays, short stories, novels, science and garden books will get the nod. They will be on display for perusal and sale at Library Park this coming Saturday, May 18 from 10 AM till 1 PM when rain clouds will disappear and a special-order bright and sunny day is supposed to be delivered. All proceeds will go directly to the library staff for programming use and supplies.

No early birds, please.

If you need a book bag for your purchases, FOSEL's  beautiful and sturdy library bags made will be available for sale at $10. Check those book shelves in your home for any books you loved but no longer need: someone else will likely love them, too.

Tonight's Reading at the South End Library by Doug Bauer ("What Happens Next?: Matters of Life and Death") Has Been Cancelled Due to the Boston Marathon Bombings

Doug Bauer poster

Due to the bombings at yesterday's Boston Marathon, FOSEL's board and author Doug Bauer have cancelled tonight's scheduled reading from What Happens Next?: Matters of Life and Death.The board members extend their condolences to the loved ones of the victims and their empathy and sympathy to the many injured survivors, their families and their friends.

We treasure the vitality of this city, as do all our supporters. We will do all we can to restore and repair it with the passion we have for safe public spaces, civic life, books and films that help us understand the lives we live, art that makes us see the world better, and music to console and revive us. We thank the South End library staff in helping us accomplish these goals.

The next scheduled authors in The South End Writes series are:

Tuesday, April 30, 6:30 p.m.

Barbara Shapiro

wrote The Art Forger  as a fictionalized suspense thriller based on the heartbreaking heist of 13 irreplacable paintings from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in 1990. The author of five other suspense novels, and the non-fiction The Big Squeeze, the South End resident  teaches creative writing at Northeastern University.

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Tuesday, May 14, 6:30 p.m.

Dennis Lehane,

the spectacularly successful author who grew up in Dorchester and is ALSO a BPL trustee, published his latest novel, Live by Night, in 2012. Set in Boston in the 1920s, the New York Times’ reviewer called the book a “sentence-by-sentence pleasure.” Previous novels include, among others, Gone Baby Gone,Shutter Islandand Mystic River, all made into fabulous movies.

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Tuesday, May 21, 6:30 p.m.

Alice Hoffman

The Dovekeepers, a historical novel describing the AD70 massacre at Masada from the point of view of four women at the fortress before it fell during the Jewish-Roman war, is the most recent of the nearly two dozen novels by Hoffman and just came out in paperback. To be introduced by Sue Miller.

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Tuesday, June 11, 6:30 p.m.

Alice Stone,

the local filmmaker whose mesmerizing documentary, Angelo Unwritten, has followed the life of a teenager adopted out of foster care when he was twelve, will return with an update of new material gathered since December 2011.

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Tuesday, June 18, 6:30 p.m.

Philip Gambone

will return to read from his current work-in-progress, retracing the steps of his father who, as a soldier, was sent to Europe during the Second World War.

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Visitors to BPL's Johnson Building Judge Library's Services and Physical Condition Harshly but Offer Many Suggestions for Planned Improvements

Get rid of mice

Two display panels describing the Johnson Building Improvement Project and asking for public comment seem to have hit a raw nerve last week. On Monday, paper-covered panels were filled with hundreds of observations and criticisms, handwritten and on post-it notes, mostly negative, but with many suggestions for improvements. On Wednesday,  they were replaced with fresh sheets of paper which, by the end of the day, had covered half of the available space again.

Years of budget cutbacks to the public library system; a weak and disorganized constellation of BPL lobbyists at the local, state and federal level; and a poisonous relationship between the previous library president and the current mayor have left the 1970s addition to the McKim Building in a state of disrepair. And an easy target for the frustrated public which left the following messages: "Fix glitches in the on-line catalogue." "What happened to the arm chairs?" "Turn down the heat in the Johnson Building: it's always too hot." "More books, fewer computers." "Fix and clean the bathrooms." "A friendlier staff: I'm surprised when someone is helpful." "Better toilet paper." "Friendlier security guards." "An area where I can use my laptop when it's plugged in."  "Add more local papers and archives to data base." "From the atrium, graphics to show where the call numbers are."  "Be more informed and welcoming to visitors." "Staff none too friendly." "AP tutors."  "Bring back newspapers." "Magazines that circulate please." "Bring back the reading room." "Scrap paper at catalogue tables." "Install bike racks at the entrance...lots of them." "Fix the sidewalk so it's not a tripping hazard." "Create an outdoor plaza with benches and planters." "Open the library to the street." "Get better books, not just bestsellers." "Bathrooms are disgusting." "More light." "A targeted quiet space." "A store to sell library books." "Pay fines on-line." "Hang a huge sparkling mobile in the central atrium." "Phone-charging stations." " More windows." "Take down the barriers." "Kiosk for entrepreneurs and local artists to promote, sell, give work and info." "Meeting space for small non-profits." "Boards like these should be up all the time." "Take down the barriers." "Resources for the homeless." "Bring back the periodicals room."  "Clean, clean clean." "Keep the restaurant open Saturdays." "Keep the restaurant open until after lectures at night." A second-floor bathroom." "Coffee shop" "More selection in teen room." "Teen room should be hip." "Teen room should be easy to find." "Teen room should have computers." "Humanize." Have people who can alphabetize books."   "Remove dirty carpet."  "Have employees who want to be here: others would love their jobs."  "Why do staff seem so unfriendly: are you treating them well?"  "Get on the ball stocking shelves with terrific new writers." "More color." "Get the maps of Boston off the ground." "Make cards, souvenirs, bags, history of library books available."  "Mice." "No multi-language signage but multi-language children's books: disgraceful." "More selection in teen room." "Teen room should be hip." "Teen room should be easy to find." "Teen room should have computers." "Humanize." Have people who can alphabetize books."

One of the two comment display panels

And then there was this one: "Boards like this should be up all the time."

The current effort to revamp the down-trodden Johnson Building into a modern, exciting, light-filled space that welcomes library users and visitors instead of aggravating them is led by an outside six-member local Community Advisory Committee, BPL staff headed by president Amy Ryan, and the architectural firm of Rawn Associates, designers of the Mattapan, East Boston and Cambridge Public Library, among other places. Part of the project includes the consideration of leasing some of the one-million-square-feet building to "library-mission-compatible commercial space." A consulting group, Byrne/McKinney, is working on that aspect.

The CAC meetings for the Johnson Improvement Project are open to the public. The next one will be held on Wednesday, May 8 at 8:30 AM in the Johnson Building's Lower Level Conference Room 5. Check the BPL web site under News and Events. Scroll down to Strategic Planning for further information and dates, OR go to the FOSEL web site under Community News, which carries several previous posts about this exciting but challenging project. 

FOSEL's Sixth Annual Easter Egg Hunt Drew a Large Crowd with Many Volunteers, a City Council Candidate and Kids Young and Old on the First Mild Day after a Long Cold Snap..

Reported by Ann Lloyd

Warm sunshine, a tall bunny, and a hundred or so eager egg hunters made the Sixth Annual Easter Egg Hunt, Sunday, March 31, in Library Park another big success. Many thanks to all the volunteers who made it happen: the steadfast bunny, otherwise known as Jean-Jacques Dubreuil, who had to be sweltering inside that furry suit during the many photo ops requested by the crowd; the FOSEL folks who laboriously stuffed more than 1200 plastic eggs with chocolates and poems;  Nathalie Dubreuil, who collated a new crop of poems; other library supporters like at-large city council candidate Suzanne Lee who hid countless eggs; and the many Friends who showed up at 9:30 AM to set up snack tables and blow up balloons. Thanks most of all to the South End neighbors for turning out and creating such a festive, friendly event.

Marcia Lloyd and Suzanne Lee with an egg huntress

People seemed to linger and chat long after eggs were snatched up and the delicious snacks --including the annual contribution of Liane Crawford's amazing cupcakes-- were eaten. The donation jar was generously filled and parents thanked the volunteers over and over. One dad said, “This is the most well-executed egg hunt we’ve been to.” Several parents expressed gratitude for the roped-off area for small children. The egg hunt is one of the most fun neighborhood things FOSEL does, and it seems to be more appreciated every year. Many thanks, too, to Area D4 for their assistance and to the wonderful staff of the South End Library for, among other things, their beautiful painting of the Easter bunny. Last but not least, big a big thank-you to Mary Owens for designing yet another poster for her beloved library.

Bunny Jean-Jacques Dubreuil greeting his delighted parents

Mike Lloyd took many pictures, some featured on this page. Others are now on display in the library’s window.

The Sixth Annual South End Library Easter Egg Hunt Will Start Sunday, March 31, at 11:00 a.m. (and End at 11:02 a.m. So Be On Time)

The Annual SE Library Easter Egg Hunt

Some 1,200 Easter eggs filled with chocolate eggs, knock-knock jokes and a new crop of children's poems will be laid out by the Easter Bunny early next Sunday, March 31st. The gates to Library Park will be closed until the countdown begins, 30 seconds before 11:00 a.m. Once they open, the guess is a few minutes are all that's needed to clear the field. That is, except for the tiny-tot area, where it may take a little longer. The Parks Department will clean beforehand (that's what a permit entitles us to) and an officer from Area D4 will help parents and children cross the street. There will be balloons, refreshments and South End Library tote bags for sale. Good weather has been ordered. Bring your own baskets or use ours: we have plenty. See you there....

Whither the Plinths: Success of Retail Addition and Library Upgrades to BPL's Johnson Building May Hinge on Landmarks' Approval to Remove Visual Barricades on Boylston and Exeter Streets

Exeter St plinths

There are many reasons why the Boylston Street entrance to the Copley Library --known as the Johnson building-- can't hold a candle to the grace and appeal of the McKim building to which it is --awkwardly-- connected, according to participants in the so-called Johnson Improvements project, now underway at the BPL. But the  focal point of their wrath has become the 93 plinths that encase the Johnson building on three sides. The seven-foot granite barriers were placed there in the 1970s after architect Philip Johnson, who had designed the addition without any windows fronting the streets, compromised with then-BPL trustees who insisted on having windows. "He put them in but then covered them up," explained Bill Rawn, who was hired by the BPL as the lead architect to help rejuvenate the Johnson building and create viable retail space to go with it. The plinths obstruct natural light, cut off the library from the street, and create a dead zone on what should be a prominent block on Boylston Street, say the eight members of the Community Advisory Committee (CAC). The success of the project,  which has for its goals revitalizing the library's Deferrari Hall, a new and expanded Children's Room on the second floor as well as revenue-producing retail space on the first floor and concourse level below, may well hinge on the removal of the vertical barriers.

There will be little opposition from the Library Board:  "I just want to make sure the plan is for the plinths to come down," said Rep. Byron Rushing, one of the eight trustees on the nine-member board, after an in-depth presentation last Tuesday by Rawn, the eminent architect of a number of local libraries, Mattapan, East Boston and the Cambridge downtown library among them. "If all we do here is remove the plinths," Rushing continued, "this project will be a success as far as I am concerned." "If necessary, I'll loan you my gavel for it," joked Library Board chair, Jeff Rudman.

What is no joke, however, is that the plinths, as well as the facade of the Johnson building and Deferrari Hall on the inside, have landmark status. Boston's Landmark Commission will have to approve the changes, without which creating attractive commercial space and long-overdue major upgrades to the Central Library are unlikely. But opening up the library to the street and reconnecting it to the community is an important goal for architect Rawn, as it is to the CAC members and BPL executives. Which means convincing the Boston Landmarks Commission to approve removing the plinths will be key.

Boylston Street plinths of the BPL

Monetizing some of the one million square feet that makes up the Central Library may seem incompatible with an institution that has the words  FREE TO ALL carved above its entrance. A baby step in the process of capturing revenue for the BPL occurred in 2009 when the City moved the Kirstein Business Library, then located in its own building behind the Old City Hall downtown, to the lower level of the Central Library on Boylston Street. Revenue from the Kirstein trusts that paid for operations at the previous location has since been used by the Central Library to offset  its operating costs, after court approval in 2010.

Merging commercial enterprise with the library's mission to capture income poses thornier issues, however, including whether the revenue generated by public library space will be applied directly to the BPL or to the City's coffers for general use. The hours needed for successful retail operations, especially innovation/high-tech spaces that are open 24/7 --proposed for the lower-level concourse where Rabb Hall is located-- don't match limited library hours either. A spokeswoman for the librarian's union stated, moreover, that for increased hours of operations at the BPL to mesh with the hours demanded by successful retail space "should not be negotiated on the backs of library staff" and that preference should be given to retailers who provide good wages and benefits. Finally, maintaining  security for both the library's collection and retail establishments while promoting easy access and a welcoming environment at the same time, will require additional sophisticated, and expensive, solutions. CAC member Gary Saunders wondered whether it would make sense for any retail space at the Johnson building to have a completely separate entrance from the library. But first....the plinths...Stay tuned.

The CAC meetings are open to the public. The next one will be held April 10, although the date still has to be confirmed. Check the BPL web site under News and Events. Scroll down to Strategic Planning for further information and dates.

Nemo the Nor'easter Forces the Closing of the Entire Boston Public Library System --Including the South End Library-- Friday, February 8, Saturday, February 9 and Sunday, February 10.

Nemo the Nor'easter

On a day filled with headlines like "Potential Historic Blizzard Looms" and "Historic Crippling Blizzard Ahead" the Boston Public Library wisely decided to shut down all its branches Friday and Saturday February 8 and 9. And yes, that includes the South End library. In addition, the Central Library at Copley Square, the only facility in the library system open on Sundays,  will be closed on Sunday, February 10, as well.

If you can't make it through the snowy weekend without that book or DVD you meant to pick up, hop on a train, bus or bike and  get to the Copley Library now: it's open tonight till nine o'clock. Otherwise, dust off the sled and the trash-can lids, flatten out the cardboard box that new 80-inch television screen came in, and go sledding in Titus Sparrow Park. It will be the hot spot in the South End.

New Art Journaling (for the Young) and Writing Workshops (for the Young at Heart) to Start Thursdays at the South End Branch

art journaling

Two new art and writing workshop will be offered at the South End branch on Thursday afternoons, starting next week for one and a week later for the other. The first, "Art Journaling for Fifth-graders and Up" has been organized by children's librarian Margaret Gardner and will be held under the guidance of graphic designer Mary Owens, a long-time library supporter who also designs the snappy posters for The South End Writes series. The first  art-journaling workshop will be held next Thursday from 4:00 -5:00 PM, followed by additional ones each last Thursday of the month. In case you wondered what this might be about, here's a link to an art-journaling web site for kids, teens and beginners. Participants will create their own keepsake art journals in which to draw, write and make collages. The first session will be devoted to making the journals from materials provided for free at the library.

Ernest Hemmingway

"Writing in the World: a  Creative Writing Workshop for Adults" will beginThursday, February 7 at 3:00 PM and run weekly through April 11.  Led by writer and teacher, Debka Colson, the workshop is aimed at beginning writers age 55 and up to experiment with short fiction and poetry. Students will develop their skills through writing prompts, discussing examples by major writers, peer review and a public reading/reception at the end of the course. Fun exercises will help writing students reflect on life in their communities, and their roles in it, from a fresh perspective.   The class is limited to 10 participants who must commit to attending all sessions. Registration is required: call Anne Smart at 617 536-8241.

The writing workshop was funded by the MetLife Foundation in partnership with the Boston Public Library, Lifetime Arts Inc., and the American Library Association's Public Programming Office. In addition, The Friends of the South End Library are paying for materials and refreshments. 

Local Advisors for BPL's Project to Add Stores to Copley Library Express Concern about Mixing Library Mission with Commerce but Agree on One Thing: Johnson Building Needs a Major Overhaul

johnson building

A group of local advisors from the Back Bay met at the BPL for the second time on January 10 to look into a proposal by the Menino administration to add retail commercial space to what is by all accounts a dead zone on Boylston Street: the 1972 addition to the Central Library's McKim building, otherwise known as the Johnson building. Its cavernous street-level entry features Soviet-style security gates, a drab circulation counter and a lonely reference desk way down in the center, but "nothing that welcomes or embraces me," complained Meg Mainzer-Cohen of the Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay. The conference room where the meeting was held came itself under fire from Karen Cord Taylor of the Independent Newspaper Group who looked at the colorless rug, unattractive wood paneling and neon lighting and declared it all "ugly."

Yet fixing the building's shortcomings by adding commercial space to attract shoppers to the library did not appear to be the logical solution to the Community Advisory Committee's (CAC) members, either. "There's no doubt about the demand. I could rent the space tomorrow," said Chris Gordon, a BPL development advisor. "But is it compatible with the BPL? Does it have to be integrated or separate? Is the mission of the BPL revenue or library services?"  "Store owners don't want to feel they're passed by on the way to somewhere else, like a library," added Peter Sherin, also of the Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay. "I have an aversion to franchises," commented Cord Taylor. "Any retail here should be iconic for Boston. Another "Curious George" store puts me off."

Support for creating a conference center that would bring in revenue seemed equally lukewarm. "There's no daylight downstairs," Gordon pointed out. Cord Taylor said that a conference center is someplace you'd want to go to, not because you have to. She reiterated there's little architectural or visual interest in the Johnson building, as opposed to the adjacent McKim Building, which is filled with natural light and architectural detail. "Or like the JFK Library," piped up several other advisors, extolling the breathtaking water views from that library. How to make the BPL competitive with already available conference space in Boston was not an easy task, the consensus was, and unlikely to generate a lot of money.

A market analysis report by a consultant group, Byrne-McKinney, was not yet available for the committee's discussion, but library-mission-centered proposals seemed to generate most excitement among its members: a light-filled Children's Room; a prominently displayed exhibit about the history of libraries; a place for chess instruction or even  a 'Little League of Chess centered in the library.'  Architect Bill Rawn, who in the 1980s worked on a masterplan to revamp the New York Public Library and more recently designed both the successful Mattapan branch as well as the Cambridge Public Library, said his take on libraries is that they are egalitarian institutions that should be accessible to everyone and offer opportunities to all. "Parts of the Johnson building work very well, but others don't match the excitement of the McKim building,"said Rawn, whose firm heads the Johnson Improvements project. Referring to the library's Boylston Street location as a "weak retail block," Rawn suggested that "we have to think about this project as one that extends into the sidewalk."

BPL trustee, Rep. Byron Rushing, who attended the meeting as an observer, said plainly that the Johnson building was a 'mistake' that we are now 'stuck with.' "Had we had a Community Advisory Committee when planning the Johnson building, it would never have been built," he asserted. "Before there was a Johnson building, we never talked about a McKim building. It was always the Central Library or Copley Library." Rushing expressed a strong desire to change the name of the Johnson building. "The trustees are very open to this project," he said. "We don't want to hear that something is 'too cutting-edge' or even 'too expensive.' "

The next meeting for the Johnson Improvements project will be Wednesday, March 13, 8:30 am, Central Library's Commonwealth Salon. The public is invited.

South End Photographer/Social Worker Jennifer Coplon Will Talk About Her "Ugandan Elders" Exhibit December 12 at the South End Library

Ugandan Elders Exhibit

On Wednesday, December 12, the strikingly beautiful portraits of Ugandan elders now on exhibit at the South End Library will be further illuminated by Jennifer Coplon, a longtime South End resident and clinical social worker who took the pictures when she traveled to the African country last year. Coplon  uses photography to capture "the resilience, resourcefulness, and courage of elders who are often considered "down and out." The exhibit,  Ugandan Elders: JaJa Mamas and Papas, is part of a larger study in which Coplon is interviewing and photographing elders who have often been marginalized or discounted. Her next focus will be residents at Olmsted Green, the newest housing offered by Hearth, Inc. for formerly homeless elders.

The talk will begin at 6 p.m.

New South End Library Photo Exhibit of Ugandan Elders Highlights Dignity of Homeless/Landless Africans Despite Decades of Civil War and AIDS

A Ugandan Elder, by photographer Jennifer Coplon

Ugandan Elders: JaJa Mamas and Papas, a photo exhibit that will open officially on Tuesday, November 20 at the South End Library,is the brainchild of Jennifer Coplon. A longtime South End resident and community-based clinical social worker, Coplon spent the last few years training to be a photographer as well, at MassArt, the MFA and the New England School for Photography. Last summer, a social-work trip to Uganda brought her face to face with the homeless/landless poor of Uganda. She encountered people who had suffered multiple losses from AIDS, malaria and civil-war trauma, elders for whom there was little likelihood of improvement in their economic circumstances.  Coplon was struck by their dignity, an observation that happened to interface with another passion of hers, creating positive images of the elderly homeless.  Coplon, whose work includes photographing and interviewing formerly homeless elders here placed in permanent housing through Hearth Inc., says that by developing a portraiture  focused on human dignity she hopes to counter the marginalization and discounting of our own elders: "When you look at this man here," she said, pointing to a portrait  of a Ugandan in a brilliant deep-blue garment,"you'd never guess he's dirt-poor."

There's recent precedent for the fusion of photography and homeless-centered social work on display in a library setting. Earlier this year, the San Francisco Public Library mounted the photo exhibit, Acknowledged, which featured portraits of the many homeless serviced by local agencies affiliated with their library system (San Francisco is quite advanced in this area: it is the first public library to have hired a social worker on its staff to deal with homeless patrons). Photographer Joe Ramos, who volunteered for the homeless, was handed a camera in 2006 and asked to tell the agencies' clients' story in portraits. His photographs and accompanying texts shone a light on the frayed social safety net, too close for many Americans, with examples like Ethel, a direct descendant of Abraham Lincoln, and Graham, a middle-class college graduate from Indiana who spiraled into depression, job loss and homelessness after a car accident he caused killed another person.

Jennifer Coplon's exhibit opens Tuesday, November 20, at 6:30 PM, at the South End Library. It is free to all.

Handicapped-access Door Pads Have Been Installed at the South End Library, Easing Access for All

Better handicapped-accessibility at the South End library

Thanks to donations by library supporters and a PruPAC grant collected by FOSEL, opening the doors at the South End branch is now as easy as a tapping on a door pad. No more acrobatics by parents trying to hustle strollers, shopping bags and other youngsters through the entryway all at the same time. No more children tugging at the heavy door to be let in when a stiff wind blowing in from Tremont Street tries to keep them out. Whether you're in a wheelchair, leaning on a cane, or simply carrying too many books and DVDs under your arms to also open the library's door, your access into the branch has been greatly improved.

Head librarian, Anne Smart, told FOSEL she's making it her job to instruct everyone how to use the pads. There are three: one on the outside of the building, at the corner of Tremont, as illustrated in the picture where library user Francis Pugliese is pointing to it. The second pad is one the inside between the two glass doors, on the left when entering and the right when leaving. The third is on the inside, across from the staff counter. The South End Library is now one of only a few in the BPL's constellation of branches that is fully handicapped accessible. An elevator to its second floor was installed more than a decade ago, and its bathrooms are fully equipped for wheelchairs and strollers. The campaign for automatic doors was sponsored by FOSEL and its president, Glyn Polson. Thanks to the board, the generous contributors in the South End, and the grantors at Pru-PAC.