Cradle of Liberty, Cradle of Knowledge: the Dual Identity of the Copley Library

Cradle of Liberty, Cradle of Knowledge: the Dual Identity of the Copley Library

While making observations about the Fields Corner Public Library for the Dorchester assignment, I became interested in the way libraries in Boston marketed themselves as public spaces designed specifically for perceived needs in the local community. I realized I had never felt this so acutely when visiting the central branch of the Boston Public Library system in Copley square, and decided to visit and try to see if and how the Copley branched balanced the duties of being an international tourist destination with serving a local Bostonian community. I found a surprising number of indications that the Copley branch worked hard to help improve specific aspects of local life, such as the effects of homelessness or the difficulty of applying for college. In trying to figure out why I had never noticed this or why it might be surprising, I hypothesized that the other side of the library – which very explicitly acts as a museum and memorial to Boston’s ‘cradle of liberty’ culture – may consider it in its best interest to seclude these less glamorous aspects of the library, which may complicate the tourist narrative of Boston and the Copley branch of the Boston Public Library.

Mike Ross