Renovate the JP Branch Library Now!

Here's a headline from the Boston Globe on 2/4/2007 "Long Overdue: Some of Boston's branch libraries languish on a waiting list of broken-down buildings and unanswered needs. Which will get help, and when, is a mystery."  The JP Branch Library has been on that list a long, long time and, again to quote the Globe, "Who'll win the sweepstakes for a souped-up library is hard to know. The method for choosing seems as squishy as a Harlequin softcover."

The Friends of the Jamaica Plain Branch Library are trying to navigate that squishy process and one major advocate is City Councillor Matt O'Malley. At last week's State of the Neighborhood Forum he mentioned the library as one of 3 infrastructure priorities.  But it's individual patrons who use and love the library who will make the difference.  We need everyone to let the Mayor know that the capital budget HAS to include the renovation with full funding in the upcoming fiscal year (FY13).

Earlier today, a letter was delivered to the Mayor, the Boston City Council and members of the Massachusetts Legislature from JP and the following letter went to all the Friends of the JP Branch Library:

February 2012

Renovate the Jamaica Plain Branch Library NOW!!!

Dear Friends and Supporters of the Jamaica Plain Branch Library,

In October 2011, we celebrated the 100th Anniversary of the Jamaica Plain Branch Library building at 12 Sedgwick Street with many events, culminating in a very well attended and much enjoyed birthday party. We should not have to wait another 100 years for our beloved building to be renovated and expanded. We are asking for your help in accomplishing the goal of bringing the building into the 21st century.

The Jamaica Plain Branch Library building was the first structure built by the City of Boston for useas a branch library. Today, in terms of circulation, the Jamaica Plain Branch is often the most heavily used branch of the 26 branches, even though many other branches are housed in larger and newerbuildings, have more library staff and are open more hours each week.

Since 2004 dozens of individuals in the Jamaica Plain community have volunteered and invested hundreds of hours of their time toward the goal of achieving a comprehensive renovation and expansion of the Jamaica Plain Branch Library. These efforts began by obtaining over 1,200 petition signatures in support of this goal and continued with the completion of a Task Force Expansion Study in conjunction with the City’s Property and Construction Management Department and the Boston Public Library.

On December 7, 2006, the Jamaica Plain Branch Library Expansion Study was published by the City of Boston Property & Construction Management Department. The complete master plan can beviewed at http://www.bpl.org/branches/final%20report.pdf.

In that study the following was stated:

• While it has received some improvements over the years, the library is largely unchangedsince the construction about 95 years ago.
• The library lacks basic accessibility features expected of all public buildings.
• The children’s area is small, lacks space for associated children’s programming, and is themain traffic pathway for the branch.
• The large collection and reading rooms on the main floor are…cramped with equipment,shelving, and library materials.
• The central problem of the library is its small size with a floor area of only 10,200 squarefeet—almost half of which is not available for library programming—it is too small to serve thefunctions expected of it.
• The adult collections lack comfortable reading areas, and there is not a dedicatedyoung adults area.
• Computer access points are insufficient.

A final proposed design concept was presented in the December 2006 report. It is now February 2012, and the City has still not allocated the capital funding needed to renovate our branch.

Mayor Menino and the City Council will soon be making their final decisions on projects to include in the fiscal year 2013 capital budget; that budget should include funds to renovate and expand the Jamaica Plain Branch Library. We need your help to advocate for our branch and this project. Please email, call or write to Mayor Menino and the City Councilors and ask them to include funding and make the renovation and expansion of the Jamaica Plain Branch Library a priority in the FY 2013 capital budget.

They can be reached as follows:

• Mayor Thomas Menino - mayor@cityofboston.gov or 617-635-4500
• President and City Councilor At-Large Stephen Murphy - Stephen.Murphy@cityofboston.gov or 617-635-4376
• City Councilor At-Large Felix Arroyo - Felix.Arroyo@cityofboston.gov or 617-635-4205
• City Councilor At-Large John Connolly - John.R.Connolly@cityofboston.gov or 617-635-3115
• City Councilor At-Large Ayanna Pressley - Ayanna.Pressley@cityofboston.gov or  617-635-4217
• City Councilor Matt O’Malley (his district includes Jamaica Plain) - Matthew.OMalley@cityofboston.gov or 617-635-4220

If you have any questions, please email jplibraryfriends@gmail.com. Thanks for your help and support. The Board of the Friends of the Jamaica Plain Branch of the Boston Public Library

JP is not a neighborhood known for being shy and retiring.  If all of us make those calls and send emails - the momentum will build. The most recent statistics from the BPL show that JP has the highest circulation for any branch. We know the patrons are around, so make some noise fellow library lovers!  Make sure our branch wins this year's sweepstakes and gets funding for the renovation.