Renovation

Fields Corner Library Renovation: Community Thoughts

Exterior appearance

Architecture: The building footprint is limited, and the height should not exceed the limits agreed upon by the neighborhood associations (civic, Main St., etc.). Some community members asked that the building reflect the traditional style of the surrounding buildings, mirroring the rounded building opposite, using traditional brick, stone, and glass materials. Design elements can reflect the historical diversity of the area, which has been a home to immigrants for close to 400 years: English, Irish, Italian, Vietnamese, Cape Verdean, and more. Community members want to be sure that this feels welcoming and not “fancy.”

Light/windows: Natural light is desirable, but the west-­facing windows have been a problem for HVAC load and screen visibility. The staff suggest orienting large windows to the south. Signage: Fields Corner Main Street requests signage to show that this is a library and to promote ongoing activities, whether through paper or electronic bulletin boards.

Multiple entrances: If mixed­ use and increased community spaces are part of this renovation, increased programming will benefit from access after hours. Modern technology allows access codes to accommodate.

Interior appearance

History of Fields Corner: recognize communities and individuals who have lived in this area. Notable authors include Oliver Optic (1800s children’s author whose house was located where the T stop now is) and Gladys Edson Locke (Golden Age mystery writer, who worked as a BPL cataloguer)

Include art inspired by the cultures of the community.

Interior spaces

Dedicated spaces for different constituencies and uses: adult, teen/youth, children, meeting, community, art, performance, tutoring, etc.

Adult space

No loss of book collection: add more magazines, materials in languages of the community (Vietnamese, Spanish, Haitian, Creole), new fiction.

Computer/technology resources: There are requests for wifi, working printers and scanners, installing technology that can be adapted as future needs and advances arise, purchasing multiple projectors and microphones to use in multiple spaces.

Career resources: In addition to offering computer resources, the branch can serve as a job hunting and training hub. Community spaces can be used for teaching, and connections can be made with social services and educational organizations, including those training in the trades.

Teen/youth space

Study rooms for students to complete group projects, spaces for job hunting, recreational spaces, computer use.

A member of the CAC suggested that teen and youth space should be on a mezzanine, which would allow staff to observe activity and anyone entering, but would still allow a sense of separate space and privacy.

Children’s space

• Better children’s collection

• Room for activities with flexible, movable furniture: Many parents in this area rely on this library for play groups, pre­K programs, reading readiness, and more.

• Appropriately sized furniture and bathroom/changing facilities

• Move closer to entrance

• Stroller parking

• Area for nursing with rocking chairs

• Sink and drying area: Art and food programs for children require clean up facilities along with a hanging area to allow paintings to dry.

• No carpet: Many children’s activities are messy, and the carpeting suffers. If the room is closed off, the noise won’t be an issue.

Other spaces

Art: Local artists would welcome exhibit space, which could be integrated into hallways, vestibules, etc.

Food: Many cultural explorations start with food. A small kitchen area adjacent to the Community Room will allow food preparation and clean up during programming for adults, teens, and children. If the space is configured thoughtfully, it might be possible for the staff to use the kitchen facility as meal preparation space during their breaks.

Performance: The Community Room should be equipped for performance and presentation. While there have been requests for performance space, this is a need to be examined and access considered.

Small group meeting rooms: As well as spaces for large groups to meet, there is a need for closed spaces for small groups in which tutoring, meetings, and private conversations can take place. AV connections for skype meetings/podcast recordings, etc., would be helpful.

File and storage space for Friends

Maker space: Many people have requested maker space, with access to engineering students and a Repair Clinic. If BFIT relocates to Dorchester, this is something to explore. However, as maker spaces require significant amounts of space and staff training and time, resources may be best centralized, either in Copley or at specified local branches.

Memory lab: A space in which people can digitize their photos, VHS, etc. Like a maker space, this is a significant investment of technology and time and may be best centralized.

Rooftop Garden: A suggestion was made to have a community garden space on the roof of the new building. Some local restaurants have partnered with Green City Growers to supply their kitchens.

Location

Many community members have asked about relocating the branch within Fields Corner.

Parking: Community members have asked if it is possible to restore the parking lot behind the building to the Library or if it is possible for the Library to have access to a small number of designated spaces in the lot across the street.

Mixed­ use possibilities

Housing: There is a great need for housing in Boston, especially near transit. The building footprint limits the number of units, and access and utilities will need careful consideration to avoid interference with library space.

Retail: Many people have requested a café in the Library. After discussion with Fields Corner Main Street, it is clear that there are more than enough coffee outlets in the area, and the Library does not wish to compete with Chill on Park, whose owners have been incredibly generous supporters of the Library programs and who are great neighborhood citizens, hiring teens and offering them opportunities to learn how to be part of the workforce. There are also ample cell phone and beauty retailers.

Fields Corner Main Street feels that the Library is a valuable part of the streetscape, and they explain that commercial retail requires first­floor presence, thus eliminating restaurant, grocery, and most stores. Banking generally requires first­floor access, but a bank may be interested in an ATM vestibule.

Office: Realtors, accountants, or lawyers may be interested in office space in this area. The Fields Corner Business Lab serves a need for businesses just starting out, and they currently have open desks.

Non­profit: Some Boston non­profits that have clients in the area could use meeting and office space. The Boston Globe covered this issue on April 1, 2019.

Hotel: One patron suggested a hotel as part of the mixed­ use. Currently, Air B&Bs are the only option for hotel space in this area. Hotel rooms would have similar issues as housing, as well as requiring securing, laundry, and food service.

Day care: This is an ongoing need. A requirement is space for parents to park during drop off and pick up.

Education: Boston has committed to pre­K for all; a pre­K facility in the building would share and expand programming for that age group. Children’s facilities could be on the first floor, adult and programming space on upper floors. See Globe article for more information on pre­K pledge.

Current concerns:

Book drop: This need has been expressed for at least eight years, and it seems that a new drop is in process (installed in 2019). However, this has been promised before and installation must be monitored. 

Carpet: The Community Room carpet is old and dirty, so that parents are reluctant to let children sit on it during activities. The Friends have bought a vacuum cleaner, and activity directors bring cloths and throw rugs to allow participation in programming. A member of the CAC is applying for funding to buy carpeting that can be rolled out over the existing carpet. The carpet in the rest of the building has similar issues, but is less critical in view of the upcoming renovation. (Carpet was replaced in spring 2022.)

HVAC: The building design in 1969 relied on open windows for summer cooling. Currently, the HVAC struggles year-­round, usually far too hot for comfort. The portable AC units exhaust so much heat and humidity that window signage was irrevocably damaged.

Staffing: The branch is currently short staffed, and the situation will worsen when one staffer retires in the middle of March 2019. This is a busy branch, particularly for children and youth, and staff are needed to manage the collections and programming.

Leaking roof: The roof leaks, and building damage is ongoing. While this will not be fixed prior to renovation, measures should be taken to prevent mold, damage to the collections, and health risks.

Signage: For many, many years, the building has been hard to identify as a library. The Friends have applied for funding for signage, have installed window films, and are exploring other means of identifying the branch. While it is a busy branch, it is not obvious to many that the building has cultural, learning, and programming resources to offer.

Need for ESL conversation group

Security: The librarians often are required to handle problematic people in the branch and on the property. While they recognize that libraries are public spaces, they need assistance from the police to deal with inebriated and compromised persons.

Future concerns

Temporary location: Many community members rely on Library programming for job support, tutoring, language acquisition, and more, and complete closure of the branch will deprive them of these resources. If the city can negotiate a rental with an empty storefront or use of a city property, the space could be used well. While there are several other Dorchester branches, this is the only one with good access to the Red Line, and as such the patrons come from far beyond the expected geographical radius.

Opening hours: There is a current and future need for more hours at the branch. With better facilities, there will be more call for use of the collection, services, and spaces, and more need for staff and open times.