On Wednesday, Mayor Marty Walsh submitted his first ever budget proposal to the Boston City Council. Coming in at a $2.7 billion valuation, the proposal is comprised of a slew of public service initiatives aimed at bettering the city and its residents in many respects. One of those is keeping the storied Boston Public Library open for more days.
Currently the central branch of the BPL, located in Copley Square, is open for just four hours on the Sunday, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. except during the summer months. It is, however, open on Saturdays year-round. The various neighborhood branches, though, open their doors on Saturdays as well but only during the summer season.
Mayor Walsh’s budget proposal calls for the central branch to open on Sundays and for the neighborhood branches to do so on Saturdays for the entire year.
It’s important to realize that this isn’t just a whimsical way for the BPL to cater to stragglers looking to fill their lazy Sundays by touring the grounds or skimming a book. Hard data was examined to account for the viability of extended hours and days, and it’s promising to say the least.
BostInno spoke with Michael Colford, Director of Library Services, to find out what kind of research has gone into this proposal and the effects it will have on the BPL’s future.
“This has been going on for a while,” Colford told us in giving some background. “We did a public survey in late 2010 and had over 15,000 responses. One of the things that was quite evident that people wanted was expanded hours at the BPL.”
They also took a look at Sunday-only statistics, including number of items borrowed, at the central branch. It turns out that during limited weekend hours, the BPL pushes as many items out its doors as if it were a typical weekday.
In order to bring this into fruition, the BPL had to negotiate contracts with union officials. Turns out this wasn’t much of a chore, though, because they, like the BPL and Mayor Walsh, recognized the wealth of opportunities afforded by more access to the library.
The contracts have since been completed, Colford informed us. The next challenge was bringing the idea to the City of Boston, which turned out not be a challenge at all.
“We’re very grateful for Mayor Walsh for recommending the funding,” continued Colford.
The BPL and its branches operate on differing schedules but the addition of an extra day bodes well for all of them for a handful of reasons. In some of the neighborhoods the BPL’s branches call home, people are often unable to take advantage of the free books, videos, photos and events offered.
By not offering services to the people constrained for whatever reason, the library is unable to perform at its full potential and city culture subsequently becomes stagnant.
“In the neighborhoods this will be really fantastic,” Colford continued. “Let’s face it, a lot of people, especially parents, work from 9-5 Monday through Friday. They’ll have that opportunity to do a variety of things including going to a nice air conditioned space.”
Keep in mind that Mayor Walsh only submitted his proposal on Wednesday and will undergo constructive scrutiny by City Council members. In the meantime, Colford and company will continue to prepare for the BPL’s proliferated services by hiring applicable personnel, and starting a piloting map of additional capacity.
