Which Allston-Brighton Public Library is Most Likely to be Closed?

The Trustees of the Boston Public Library are compiling data in order to determine up to ten branch libraries to close in order to address a budget shortfall of $3.6 million.

Three of the 26 branch libraries are located in Allston-Brighton; statistically speaking, one of those three is therefore facing closure.

Which one?

On one level, it would be politically disastrous to close the Honan-Allston Public Library in North Allston, since it is named after the deceased brother of current State Representative Kevin Honan. The Brighton Branch Library near Brighton Center would seem an unlikely target, too, since it is currently undergoing renovations -- if it were to close, the money already spent would be tossed down the toilet.

That leaves the Faneuil Branch Library in Oak Square [pictured at right].

How do the data on the branch libraries compare to this superficial assessment? The trustees have stated that they will be guided in their decision-making by data about each of the branch libraries, in addition to other important qualities such as connection to other community centers:

Library administrators will rank the 26 neighborhood branches by foot traffic, computer use, and how many Web surfers use laptops to log on to Wi-Fi networks. They will count how many programs are offered at each location and tally the number of people who attend storytime and English classes.

Below are a few sets of data on the Allston-Brighton branch libraries that were taken from a compilation on the BPL website. Statistics date from fiscal year 2007, which allows for a direct comparison among the branches (since the Brighton branch was closed for renovations in early 2009). I am impressed by the methodological data collection that BPL has undertaken, and the ease with which a member of the public can access the information from the internet. If only all government agencies were like this!

Based on these indicators -- many of which the BPL trustees said they would be using in arriving at their decision -- it would appear that the Faneuil branch library is the most likely to be closed. In fact, the Faneuil branch ranked last in all but one indicator.

The Presentation School Foundation has already initiated a campaign in order to drum up support for the Fanueil library and lobby the city to keep it open. Based on these data, however, the PSF's work is cut out for them.


Most Recent Renovation or Construction (i.e., Most Modern Facilities)

1. Brighton: built 1969, renovated 2010
2. Honan Allston: built 2001
3. Faneuil: built 1931

Size of Collection (in volumes):

1. Brighton: 76,900
2. Honan Allston: 74,000
3. Faneuil: 47,200

Size of Facility (in square feet of floor space):

1. Brighton: 22,400
2. Honan Allston: 20,000
3. Faneuil: 7,600

Items Circulated:

1. Brighton: 120,710
2. Honan Allston: 118,117
3. Faneuil: 93,043

Number of Volumes Used by the Public:

1. Honan Allston: 14,540
2. Brighton: 9,841
3. Faneuil: 2,902

Meeting Room?

1. Brighton, Honan Allston: yes
2. Faneuil: no

On-Site Parking Spaces:

1. Honan Allston: 20
2. Brighton: shared lot (with courthouse)
3. Faneuil: none

Public Computers:

1. Honan Allston: 17
2. Brighton: 14
3. Faneuil: 12

Number of Visitors:

1. Honan Allston: 82,895
2. Brighton: 77,857
3. Faneuil: 61,568

Number of Class Visits:

1. Honan Allston: 101
2. Brighton: 58
   
3. Faneuil: 53

Number of Library-Sponsored Programs Within Boston Public Schools:

1. Honan Allston: 25
   
2. Brighton: 4
   
3. Faneuil: none

Number of Students Requesting Library Assistance:

1. Brighton: 701
   
2. Honan Allston: 254
   
3. Faneuil: 198

Use of Meeting Rooms by Public Organizations:

1. Honan Allston: 98
2. Faneuil: 83
3. Brighton: 27

Number of People Seeking "Orientation and Instruction":

1. Honan Allston: 1,736
   
2. Brighton: 981
   
3. Faneuil: 720
   

Number of People Receiving "Literacy Training and Assistance":

1. Brighton: 199
2. Honan Allston: 116
3. Faneuil: 10

One statistic appears inaccurate to me: the number of class visits at the Brighton branch. The reason is that nearby Winship Elementary School has no on-site library, yet during a visit to the school earlier this year I was told that they have a regular program to visit the Brighton branch library as a substitute. Four classroom visits per year therefore appears inaccurate.

Another issue that is bound to be raised is that the Faneuil branch would be a nearby resource for a future community center at the former Presentation School in Oak Square; that future connection will not be reflected in assessments of past connections.

A final issue which appears contradictory is that the Faneuil branch had its meeting rooms used more often by public organizations than the Brighton branch, yet BPL documentation lists the Faneuil branch as having no meeting rooms. (I assume that the "meeting room" that is being referred to in the Faneuil branch is the small stage in the children's book wing -- which cannot be used separately from the rest of the room.)

Lacking from these indicators is a measurement of the number of "community centers" connected to each branch library. How exactly this term is defined may determine which branch comes out on top.

Another indicator missing from these is how "central" the branch is to the neighborhood or the public. That's a hard thing to quantify, although it probably already appears in the statistics for the numbers of visitors (gate count) and the circulation statistics.

Finally, the number of children's events (book readings, magic shows, etc.) is not summarized in the information on the BPL website. Based on my experience, I suspect that the Brighton branch will come last in this category -- but there should be a more quantitative measure available on it, too.


Let me add my own architectural category:

Most Interesting Architecture:

1. Honan Allston: Beautiful building inside and out. A real treat to visit.
   
2. Faneuil: Cool Art Deco exterior (only building of that style in Allston-Brighton). Awful and cramped interior that makes you forget its beautiful exterior.
3. Brighton: Horrendous Stalin-esque exterior (which, in 1969, replaced a beautiful building!). Unknown interior (until renovations are complete).

Shoveling Federal Money Into Allston-Brighton

Congress yesterday passed the $790 billion economic recovery ("stimulus") bill -- readying it for President Barack Obama's signature -- which includes many billions of dollars for "shovel-ready" infrastructure projects around the country.

What infrastructure work in Brighton is at the top of the list of projects to be funded?

A $5.5 million renovation of the Brighton Branch of the Boston Public Library is the ninth-most-expensive project requested by Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, as tracked by the StimulusWatch.org wiki. The city estimates the work would create 45 jobs, according to the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

The library building, located at 40 Academy Hill Road in Brighton Center, has long been criticized not just for its brutalist facade, but also for inefficient interior design. A renovation design plan has been developed over the last couple of years and is already starting up (the library already closed on January 16, 2009, to remain closed until 2010), which makes it one of those "shovel-ready" projects. Modifications include updated wiring, heating, and ventilation, reconfiguring the children's area, better access (including an elevator), and LEED certified energy-efficient design standards.

Other city-wide improvements that would likely include Brighton, although details are not yet fully available, include $30 million for making 10,000 sidewalk curb cuts compliant with current code (240 jobs), $3.2 for expansion of bicycle lanes (24 jobs), $5 million for middle school renovation (possibly including the Edison School, which is merging with Hamilton and Garfield Elementary Schools this fall and whose renovations may be already initiated; 40 jobs), and $0.5 million for masonry repairs at Allston's Engine 41 station (which is already in the fire department's FY09 budget; 4 jobs). It's unclear if another $2.5 million for renovations at two community centers (20 jobs) would include the Veronica Smith Senior Center, where work is already underway.

What this list appears to demonstrate is that some of the individual projects, requested by Mayor Menino for funding from the federal stimulus bill, are projects already under way. This shouldn't be much of a surprise for "shovel-ready" construction projects. The city has already announced a large deficit that needs to be bridged, so federal funding appears to be saving projects already underway from getting axed.

If that's the case, then a significant portion of the federal stimulus infrastructure funding at the city-level would be saving existing jobs, not so much in creating new jobs. Federal stimulus funding then frees up city funding to plug gaps in other areas of the city budget -- like not laying off school teachers (or at least as many).


Via David Bernstein's Talking Politics blog.