chinatown branch boston public library
DESCRIPTION
Chinatown Branch Boston Public Library. Presented by: Jason D. Nosek, Joaquin Falcon, & John Brdecka LIS 779 - Planning & Equipping Libraries Professor Christopher Stewart. Boston Public Library System. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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Chinatown BranchBoston Public Library
Presented by: Jason D. Nosek, Joaquin Falcon, & John
BrdeckaLIS 779 - Planning & Equipping Libraries
Professor Christopher Stewart
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Boston Public Library System• Founded in 1848, BPL was the first
large free municipal public library in the United States• McKim (Central Library) on Copley
Square and 25 neighborhood branches• 3+ million visitors per year• 2012 operating budget:
$39.7 millionSource: www.bpl.org/general
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Project ArchitectsMiller Dyer Spears,
Boston, MA• Specializing in
learning space and campus design for secondary and higher education, the healthcare industry, and more
Source: www.mds-bos.com/
Client list includes: • M.I.T.• Northeastern
University• Mount Holyoke
College• Brandeis
University• City of Boston• Harvard
University• UMass Amherst
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Project Architects, cont'd
Source: www.mds-bos.com/?mdsact=projects
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Branch History• First Chinatown branch established in
1896o Offered multilingual collections, ESL classes,
citizenship information, and employment assistance
o Closed in 1938o Reopened as a reading room from 1951-1956o Building demolished in 1956 for the Boston
Central Artery (now the Rose Kennedy Greenway)
• One of the few neighborhoods w/o a branch• Advocacy since 2001; 2006 feasibility
study
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Site SelectionFour sites chosen
for the from eleven listed in feasibility study:• Parcel A,
17,362sf• Parcel P12,
17,362sf• Tufts Lot,
14,305sf• Hudson Street,
19,187sf*all sf represents gross area
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User SegmentationService Area:
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User Segmentation, cont'dDemographics in service area*:• Asian population: 51.7%• English (only) speakers: 40.2%• Asian language speakers: 51.5%• Median household income: $22,213• 9th grade education: 32.1%• Unemployment rate: 10.8%• Age 0-16: 12.4%• Age 65+: 19.4%*from 2005 study
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Community ConsiderationsResidents voices were heard by way of: • Two well attended public meetings• An advisory council composed of "key
members of the Chinatown community"• Six public advisory council
presentations
Cultural accommodations: • Tea service accounted for in
adjacencies• 415 sf devoted to cultural artifact
displays• Eight computers dedicated to
language ed
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Key Specifications• Collection size: approx. 55,000 items• Shelving: approx. 5,500 linear feet• Gross building area: 20,830 sf• Interior building area: 19,485 sf• Cost per sf (Hudson St.): $554.91• Seating for 372 (w/rooms)• Estimated cost by location:
o Parcel A: $5,157,650o Parcel P12: $5,157,650o Tufts Lot: $4,248,352o Hudson Street: $10,647,006
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Assignable Space: Public• Entry/Circulation
o Prominent, multi-lingual signageo Self-serve checkout kioskso Laptop borrowingo Community bulletin board
• Meeting/Multi Purposeo Large meeting space for 120 peopleo Near entry for after hour community useo Large meeting must be adjacent to public
washrooms
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Assignable Space: Public• Adult Services
o Must include an Asian Language, ESL, and Asian Language Instruction collection
o Stacks should be of differing heights to reduce visual barriers and incorporate seating
o Both study carrels and casual seating are required
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Assignable Space: Public• Children’s Services
o Secure areao Near entrance, near garden/courtyardo Fun flexible furnitureo Separate crafts roomo Storytelling areao Display area for artwork
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Assignable Space: Public• Young Adult
o Adequate space for group/collaborative studyo Flexible modular furniture to allow for
reconfiguration of furnitureo Separate College Resource Center
• Cultural Displayo A Central larger display area with smaller
satellite displays disbursed throughout the library
o All display areas and cases should be located for good visual coverage by staff and patrons
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Assignable Space: Staff
• Staffo Main area must be adjacent to the main entry
and the loading access for the libraryo A small workroom on each level is required if
the library is on more than one floor
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Non-Assignable Space
• Building Supporto Adequate support space and infrastructure
for LEED rating is requiredo Systems must be flexible to the greatest
extent possible to allow for program and technological change
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Adjacencies: The Matrix
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InteriorsLibrary must be perceived as part of the
community; entrance has to be highly visible and on 1st floor• Welcome, open feeling specified• Entrance vestibule leads to lobby,
adjacent to Circulation• Prominent sight lines specified for
entry areas
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Interiors, cont.
• Shelvingo Specified and designed for different service
areas of buildingo Stacks specified to be a varying heights, with
carrels intermixedo Lower stacks must have a durable topo Reference collection shelving, “12 shelves, 5
shelves high”o Children’s collection: 48 shelves, 5 shelves
higho Separate, utilitarian shelving designated for
staff areas (e.g. metal shelving)
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Interiors, cont.
• Lightingo All reading rooms and areas must have
access to natural lighto Natural light and views to be maximized
throughout the buildingo Light fixtures specified for each section of
buildingo Ambient and spot lighting designated for
main public areaso Spotlighting specified for artworko Conference rooms equipped with dimmable
fixtures
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Interiors, cont.
• Lightingo Group study + meeting rooms equipped with
low glare task lightingo Lighting between stacks required; not
specified as “top up” or “down”o Low glare lighting accounted for in computer
areaso “Playful” accent lighting for children’s areas
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Interiors, cont.
• Décor• General furnishings established for each area
in building• Flexible modular furniture used throughout
YA and Children’s areas, with size adaptations made for respective areas
• Décor to be influenced by Asian perspective, especially in the Central Cultural Display area
• Walls in Lobby/Circulation areas to have high level of finish, complemented with wood and stone wainscoting
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Interiors, cont.
• Décor• Outdoor space furnished with 4 Chinese
chess tables + chairs, with additional seating throughout
• Artwork within public spaces to be maximized, assumed that some will be temporary displays
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Way finding
• Overall design is thoughtful, and laid-out in a welcoming, easy to navigate design• Plentiful signage accounted for;
multilingual usage throughout the facility, all signs to be ADA + MAAB compliant• Design utilizes minimal directional
signage, with the building relying on adequate sightlines to direct flow through building
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Service Points
• Circulation Desk, located adjacent to entrance/lobby is main service + circ station• Design specifies 2 self-checkout
stations, located adjacent to circulation desk• Book drop room separate from
Circulation desk, vestibule area includes off-hours book drop as well• Design accounts for Adult Services
Librarian Desk
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Service Points
• Children’s area a large space; separate Children's Librarian desk central within the room• All points in Children’s area within
direct sight of central Librarian’s desk is required• YA Services room "controlled" by
Librarian Desk at room entrance, group study room in corner could become an issue for staff due to its isolation
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Outdoor SpaceEssential for library to include this
exterior program element• Envisioned as a garden, courtyard or
terrace• Should be “restful retreat” for reading,
conversation, and contemplation• Sheltered and defined by surrounding
library architecture
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Outdoor Space, cont.
• Should be places to play chess, sit and read, and converse• Needs sense of connection between
interior and exterior library spaces• Sheltered and defined by surrounding
library architecture• Views into exterior space should be
accessed by as many program areas as possible
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Safety and Security• Security emphasized throughout building
plan• Multiple panic buttons accounted for, at
main desk, in the unisex Children’s restroom, and in adult restrooms• Coat room a “non-secure” area• No panic alarm in loading dock area;
access is limited to library staff• After-hours community room use could be
problematic
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AcousticsAcoustic separation considered critical for the building’s design and use• Through-wall and through-slab sound
transmission is minimal• Mechanical systems are isolated• Sound absorptive flooring to be used
throughout the building, either carpeting or cork floors
• Design accounts for embellished acoustic separation of YA section from rest of facility
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Technology + ElectricalAccess to technology considered critical, as crucial for its main constituents; young adults, new immigrants, and those in a lower-income bracket• Design accounts for both hardwired
and Wi-Fi Internet access• Teleconferencing and other
communication technology accounted for in building plan
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Technology + Electrical, cont.
• Translation equipment and multilingual technology requested in plan• Tables throughout the building are to
be wired for power/data• System designed to be flexible for
future change in technology
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Comfort• Design accounts for “noisy” and “quiet”
areas• Flexible seating used throughout; would
like to see more soft seating specified• Outdoor garden to be a traditional
Chinese garden, with emphasis on contemplation
• “Coffee shop” vibe replaced with “teahouse” feel
• Use of healthy indoor materials, including overall air quality
• Extensive accommodation for natural daylight + views
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Flexibility and Use• Building plan allocates space for large
(120 person) Community Meeting room• Community/Cultural displays a feature of
the design• Kitchenette required, mainly “a place to
serve tea from”• At least one additional 20 person
conference room is required by the plan as well
• Plan allocates for separate “Recycling Room”, adjacent to Loading Dock
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Flexibility and Use• Building plan specifies LEED Silver
building practices• Restroom facilities minimal; one each for
Men + Women, one Unisex Children, and one Unisex Staff restroom included in plan
• Staff area adjacent to Children’s/YA area, may not be the most practical placement; space concerns may hinder future expansion
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OverallPositives• Community
involvement• Library planned
around community needs• Very thorough plan:
from branch history to room adjacencies to area mock-ups• Program transparent
and made available• Very culturally aware
Negatives• Too many sites• Too difficult to
secure prefered site (3 parcels)• Perhaps unrealistic
in space needs; garden?• Meeting room in
center?• Loading dock?• Perhaps too much
emphasis on local culture; are other branches similar?
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Epilogue• BPL's Chinatown Branch was never
built--at least not yet. Building plan finished in 2008• Community still rallied around having
a library & cultural centero "Chinatown Storefront Library" created
independently from BPL, though it used this BPL building program. October 2009 - January 2010.
o Chinatown Lantern & Cultural Educational Center, a 800sf reading room and gathering place opened in April of 2012. It is located on the ground floor of the Oak Terrace apartment complex and partnered with both BPL and the Chinatown Storefront Library.
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Epilogue, cont'd.
Sources: http://www.storefrontlibrary.org/ & http://www.chinatownlantern.org/gallery/
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Thank you for your attention!
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ReferencesAbout Us. (n.d.).Chinatown Lantern and Cultural
Educational Center. Retrieved November 14, 2012, from http://www.chinatownlantern.org/about/
Boston Public Library. (2008). Chinatown Library, Boston
Massachusetts: Program & Sitting Study. Boston:
MDS, Inc.Boston Street Lab, Inc. (n.d.). About the project.
Storefront library: A temporary library in a vacant
storefront. Retrieved November 14, 2012, from http://www.storefrontlibrary.org/about
*All images have been sourced from the building program unless otherwise noted
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References, cont'dGeneral and Contact Information. (n.d.). Boston
Public Library. Retrieved November 10, 2012, from http://www.bpl.org/general/
Miller Dyer Spears. (n.d.). Firm Overview. MDS / Miller
Dyer Spears. Retrieved November 10, 2012, from
http://www.mds-bos.com/philosophy/firm-overview/
Miller Dyer Spears. (n.d.). Projects. MDS / Miller Dyer
Spears. Retrieved November 10, 2012, from http://www.mds-bos.com/?mdsact=projects