Officials and residents alike lavished praise on the new Brockton Public Library at a grand opening on July 15th of the $12 million expanded and renovated building.

"For Brockton, the objective was to make a statement about the importance of education," said Mayor John T. Yunits Jr. as he walked through the crowd of people. "We're just elated." Brockton's new main library -- actually a total renovation and expansion of the 1913 landmark structure -- is open for business.

"This building is a gem," state Rep. Thomas P. Kennedy, D-Brockton, said in a speech. "It is a place where people can satisfy their thirst for education, learning, and entertainment. It's been over three decades since I've been inside this beautiful structure," said Kennedy, a paraplegic who has been in a wheelchair since being injured in a fall.

The new building, which is twice as large as its predecessor, has sparked hopes for the revival of what for many years was one of the state's most troubled urban libraries. City leaders also see the library as a key to revitalizing downtown Brockton. Scores of residents gathered in the library's marble atrium for the morning dedication and tours of the building at 304 Main St.  Several local children helped cut a wide green ribbon, marking the renovated building's official opening. 

The library is equipped with a new children's room, meeting rooms and a story-hour and craft room. The first floor contains fiction, audio-visual materials, periodicals and circulation, while the upper floor houses the nonfiction and young-adult sections, reference area and historical room. The library is also equipped with 14 new computers, which trained librarians will assist patrons in using. 
The Mayor boosted planning for the library shortly after he came into office in 1996. ''We are absolutely ecstatic about how beautiful it came out. It is going to be a huge step forward for the downtown.''

The once-cramped entrance, part of which had been sealed off to create storage space, has been transformed into an airy reception area with slate floors, an expansive skylight, and a marble circulation desk with walnut paneling. "This is the best library in the state right now," said John Henderson of the state Board of Library Commissioners. 

The children's room contains computer stations, comfortable seating, child-sized restrooms and shelving that can be easily reached by the library's youngest patrons.  Modern shelving will make it easier for patrons to locate books, magazines and videos, while handicap-accessible entrances make it possible for everyone to enter the library's doors. The previous library was not wheelchair accessible.

After the ceremony, guests were free to browse the bookshelves and tour the renovated building. The main building had not been renovated or expanded since its opening. The library also has two branches. 

In February 2000, the city approved a $5.5 million grant to fund the new construction. A $3.1 million grant from the state Board of Library Commissioners and about $3 million in donations to The Brockton Library Foundation Inc. helped to complete funding for the project. 

During the 21/2-year project, the library was housed in the old district courthouse on West Elm Street. Throughout the stately building, which anchors the lower end of Main Street downtown, shelves are ready to be filled with thousands of books. Wiring is in place for 70 computers that are to be installed in the coming weeks. 

A ceremony marking completion of the two-year, $12 million project took place on Tuesday, July 15th.  The new children's room -- the one with the colorful carpeting and little chairs and tables -- is five times larger than the old one. Throughout the building are approximately two dozen meeting and study rooms of various sizes. There is a room for art exhibitions and another for a gift shop. In the back is parking for 35 cars. 

Graffiti and water marks have been removed from the painstakingly restored second-floor 1941 Works Progress Administration mural depicting the history of the printed word. Demand for library services typically increases sharply when a new building opens. Quincy's circulation and patronage doubled after its library opened in 2001, according to the city's library director, Ann McLaughlin.
Yunits said the popularity of the new building in Brockton could increase pressure to shift resources from the East and West branch libraries to the downtown library. 

(Material used for this account compiled from The Boston Globe and The Enterprise of Brockton)

Email the Mayor with your comments here