The Friends of the Fields Corner Library are more than happy that their branch is going into construction in early 2024, but at the same time they are sounding the alarm about the void that will be left in the neighborhood during the two- or three-year construction timeline.

Rachel Kemper, who is part of the Friends group, said the topic has come up frequently throughout 2023, and added that they have a petition in the community calling for temporary space in the area during construction.

“When they announced that they were going to build next year, immediately constituents who come to the library asked what they were going to do without the space for homework help, citizenship classes, computer access, and after school resources,” said Kemper.

A rendering and site map of the planned replacement library in Fields Corner. BPL images

“It is the only branch in Dorchester at a public transit hub,” she noted. “This is not a matter of, ‘Oh gee, we’re not going to have story time for a few years. This is a two- or three-year period once they start the demolition.”

The petition has been signed online by more than 100 people, the Friends group said, and they expect more.

“This community needs a temporary location for this branch library during construction,” reads the petition in part, which cites “strong community support” for the idea and expresses confidence “that suitable space within a reasonable budget is available if the BPL agrees to consider” an interim site.

The new Fields Corner Library has been in planning and design for several years, and BPL officials said they would be hosting a meeting in September, with the most recent timelines indicating the a demolition could happen as early as January. BPL officials confirmed that the project is on schedule and there have been no delays for a two-story library that is double the size of the present facility.

At a meeting in April, BPL President David Leonard was asked by Kemper and other members of the Friends group about temporary space. While he didn’t commit to the idea, he didn’t rule it out completely.

So far, the BPL has suggested Fields Corner library patrons use branches in Codman Square, Adams Village, or Uphams Corner. There are also some notions about hosting services at local businesses or community rooms in Fields Corner, but nothing along that line has been cemented.
Said a spokesperson for the BPL: “We look forward to hearing from the community and having dialogue with the community to find out what services are most important to them, and we will look for creative ways to provide services to the community during the closure.”