Boston Public Library, Honan-Allston Branch
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The Honan-Allston branch of the
Boston Public Library The Boston Public Library is a municipal public library system in Boston, Massachusetts, founded in 1848. The Boston Public Library is also Massachusetts' Library for the Commonwealth (formerly ''library of last recourse''), meaning all adult re ...
is located at 300 North Harvard Street in Lower
Allston Allston is an officially recognized neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was named after the American painter and poet Washington Allston. It comprises the land covered by the zip code 02134. For the most part, Allston is ...
. The building opened in 2001 at a cost of $6.5 million, replacing a former branch closed in 1981. The library itself contains an area of . The materials used to build the library include slate panels, shingles and rough sculpings, unfinished iron-wood cladding, and wood windows. The Honan-Allston branch has more than 50,000 items for adults, teenagers and children. There is a large literacy collection, as well as more than 100 newspapers and magazines subscriptions. The Honan-Allston Branch has partnered with the Jackson Mann School and the Jackson Mann Community Center as part of
Mayor Menino Thomas Michael Menino (December 27, 1942 – October 30, 2014) was an American politician who served as the mayor of Boston, from 1993 to 2014. He was the city's longest-serving mayor. He was elected mayor in 1993 after first serving three mont ...
's Community Learning Initiative, a multi-department collaboration aimed at helping Boston's youth reach their full capacity by combining learning and recreation. The library is accessible on public transportation via the
MBTA bus The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) operates List of MBTA bus routes, 152 bus routes in the Greater Boston area. The MBTA has a policy objective to provide transit service within walking distance (defined as ) for all residents ...
66 route, which stops directly at the building.


History

Library service began in 1889 in a delivery station in Frank Howe's drugstore at 26 Franklin Street. Horse-drawn carriages delivered books from other branch libraries to local businesses, which in turn displayed the books for customers. The demand for books increased as the delivery station grew, and volunteers organized expanded library services. In 1905, the Allston Reading Room at 354 Cambridge Street replaced the 16-year-old delivery station. A Boston Public Library librarian staffed the reading room. It became a full-service branch of the
Boston Public Library The Boston Public Library is a municipal public library system in Boston, Massachusetts, founded in 1848. The Boston Public Library is also Massachusetts' Library for the Commonwealth (formerly ''library of last recourse''), meaning all adult re ...
in 1924. The branch moved to rented space at 161 Harvard Avenue in 1929, and in 1979 celebrated its 90th anniversary. In 1981, amid statewide budget cuts, the branch was closed. Neighborhood groups lobbied for its reinstatement, however. In 1993,
Mayor Menino Thomas Michael Menino (December 27, 1942 – October 30, 2014) was an American politician who served as the mayor of Boston, from 1993 to 2014. He was the city's longest-serving mayor. He was elected mayor in 1993 after first serving three mont ...
said he would advocate construction of a new branch in the neighborhood. On January 19, 2000, ground was broken for the new facility. Designed by Machado and Silvetti Associates, the branch officially opened on June 16, 2001. On March 13, 2003, the branch was renamed the Honan-Allston branch in honor of the late City Councilor
Brian Honan Brian Honan (April 2, 1963 – July 30, 2002) was a Democratic Party member of the Boston City Council. He was elected from the 9th district, representing the neighborhoods of Allston and Brighton. Personal life He graduated from St. Columbkil ...
, who died in 2002. He served Brighton and Allston’s District 9 from 1996-2002. In 2006, tree guards and bicycle racks designed by sculptor Rich Duca were added to the property.


Programs

For adults, the Honan-Allston Branch offers a monthly book discussion group, weekly
English for Speakers of Other Languages English as a second or foreign language refers to the use of English by individuals whose native language is different, commonly among students learning to speak and write English. Variably known as English as a foreign language (EFL), Engli ...
(ESOL) conversation groups and basic computer instruction. Children’s activities include storytimes for babies through preschoolers, creative drama instruction, chess instruction, summer reading activities, hands-on science programs and a playgroup for young children and their caregivers. Computers are available throughout the branch for the public to use for office software, library catalogs and databases and the Internet. Laptop-friendly tables and study carrels are located in the adult reading area; each has a power source at the seat and access to wired and wireless Internet connections. A large function room for events and meetings also holds a
Yamaha Yamaha may refer to: People * Torakusu Yamaha, a Japanese businessman and founder of the Yamaha Corporation Companies * Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese musical instrument and audio equipment manufacturer ** Yamaha Music Foundation, an organi ...
baby grand piano; a private study room for small groups and a conference room for meetings and activities are also available for public use. All of the meeting rooms have wired Internet access. In addition, an art gallery showcases monthly exhibits by local artists and organizations. Semi-annual book sales are also held in these back rooms. The Honan-Allston Branch has seen extensive community use of these spaces, including student piano recitals, a teen video production program, a monthly Asian languages "meetup" group and large meetings by local civic groups. Patrons can also obtain museum passes for various Boston organizations, including the
Boston Children's Museum Boston Children's Museum is a children's museum in Boston, Massachusetts, dedicated to the education of children. Located on Children's Wharf along the Fort Point Channel, Boston Children's Museum is the second oldest children's museum in the ...
,
New England Aquarium The New England Aquarium is a nonprofit organization located in Boston, Massachusetts. The species exhibited include Harbor seal, harbor and northern fur seals, California sea lions, African penguin, African and southern rockhopper penguins, gia ...
,
Harvard Museum of Natural History The Harvard Museum of Natural History (HMNH) is a natural history museum housed in the University Museum Building, located on the campus of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It features 16 galleries with 12,000 specimens drawn fr ...
, Harvard University Art Museums,
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston The Museum of Fine Arts (often abbreviated as MFA Boston or MFA) is an art museum in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the list of largest art museums, 20th-largest art museum in the world, measured by public gallery area. It contains 8,161 painting ...
,
Museum of Science A museum is an institution dedicated to displaying or preserving culturally or scientifically significant objects. Many museums have exhibitions of these objects on public display, and some have private collections that are used by researchers ...
and the Wheelock Family Theatre.


Raymond V. Mellone Park

In July 2011, the branch opened its new 1.74-acre park, called Library Park and located at the rear of the library building, to the public. The park was created on the one-time site of a concrete plant through a partnership among
Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
, the
Boston Redevelopment Authority The Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA), formerly the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA), is a Massachusetts public agency that serves as the municipal planning and development agency for Boston, working on both housing and commercial de ...
, the Boston Parks & Recreation Department, the
Boston Public Library The Boston Public Library is a municipal public library system in Boston, Massachusetts, founded in 1848. The Boston Public Library is also Massachusetts' Library for the Commonwealth (formerly ''library of last recourse''), meaning all adult re ...
, and members of the Allston-Brighton community. Harvard also committed to 10 years of park maintenance using sustainable techniques such as organic fertilizer. The park’s planning and design team included the landscape architectural firm
Michael Van Valkenburgh Michael Robert Van Valkenburgh (born September 5, 1951) is an American landscape architect and educator. He has worked on a wide variety of projects – including public parks, college campuses, sculpture gardens, corporate landscapes, priva ...
Associates Inc. and representatives from Harvard and the
Boston Redevelopment Authority The Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA), formerly the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA), is a Massachusetts public agency that serves as the municipal planning and development agency for Boston, working on both housing and commercial de ...
. Construction began in 2009 and drew heavily upon residents’ and patrons’ suggestions. A
water feature In landscape architecture and garden design, a water feature is one or more items from a range of fountains, jeux d'eau, pools, ponds, rills, artificial waterfalls, and streams. Before the 18th century they were usually powered by gravity ...
was not included in the plans, although patrons asked for one that could include a fountain or stream. Instead, a funnel feature will redirect rainwater to a small wild garden at the north section of the park, thus allowing for
sustainability Sustainability is a social goal for people to co-exist on Earth over a long period of time. Definitions of this term are disputed and have varied with literature, context, and time. Sustainability usually has three dimensions (or pillars): env ...
and the reduction of flooding in the neighborhood. A misting feature was added, as well, with three granite lions as the spouts, and an additional fourth lion hidden to the side. In 2013, the four lions were named by neighborhood children, winners of a naming contest, and plaques were added to the statues. In November 2011, Library Park was renamed Raymond V. Mellone Park, in honor of Mellone, a Brighton native, Korean War veteran and who served on the Boston Rent Control Board and with the Transportation Department, among other agencies. The finished park includes a quarter-mile of pathways, as well as half an acre of open space, a winding path to the east of the park and a coiled, low-incline ramp up a hilltop to the west. One hundred and fifty trees and other foliage around the park’s border surround an open lawn in the center, along with a misting
fountain A fountain, from the Latin "fons" ( genitive "fontis"), meaning source or spring, is a decorative reservoir used for discharging water. It is also a structure that jets water into the air for a decorative or dramatic effect. Fountains were o ...
built with three granite lion heads, salvaged from a Western Ave. business. Some areas are meant to encourage residents to use the park for gatherings or educational purposes. The park’s eastern area features an open-air "classroom" for public and library programming and has space for 50 people. A hill was constructed near the rear of the library itself. Patrons can visit a flat meeting area at the top by climbing one of two staircases or by walking around coiled pathway to the top.


References


External links


Application to become a Friend of the Honan-Allston Branch Library






{{Authority control Library buildings completed in 2001 Libraries in Allston, Boston Public libraries in Massachusetts Honan-Allston Branch