Boston Public Library (BPL) is the third-largest public library in the United States behind the federal Library of Congress and New York Public Library.
The Boston Public Library was founded in 1848, making it the first large free municipal library in the United States. The library opened to the public in 1854, initially housed in a small building on Mason Street.
The BPL boasts an extensive collection, including over 23 million items such as books, manuscripts, maps, and music scores. The library houses numerous rare and valuable items, including early editions of Shakespeare’s works, original music manuscripts by Mozart, and historic maps. It also has significant collections related to Boston’s history and genealogy resources.
We visited BPL this May. I can’t wait to go there again and spend some time reading.
June’s Journeys 
Wow. Fantastic. I would love to scour those shelves, and particularly to look at the old maps. Fascinating!
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Thank you Betsy! I wish I can return to BPL soon. It is a fascinating place and I love it👍👍🌹
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How fortunate you are for having been there! Thanks for sharing it with the rest of us. 🙂
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Betsy, thanks for stopping by and commenting! I appreciate it 😊
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A pleasure! 🙂
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Incredible!!!
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Thank you, GP!
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Wow, fabulous! I spent my whole working life in public libraries, and even commissioned a few new-builds, but this is a different world altogether. The people of Boston are very privileged to have such a magnificent cathedral of learning in their city.
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Thank you for working in public libraries! I have been a loyal customer of public libraries both in USA and China. I wish I can live in Boston. I was also surprised that they have so many Chinese books in Boston Public Library. I talked to the librarian. Since they accept book donations, I will donate some of my parent books to BPL later. And I would like to spend some time there too.
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My father was born and brought up in a poor area of London, and left school young. Yet he was one of the most thoughtful, knowledgeable people I’ve ever known, due mainly to what he learned via his local library. The public library service remains an important community resource even in today’s Internet age. I’m glad you’re a supporter of it.
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Your father’s story is very inspiring. Thank you for sharing with us!! Yes, even today, liberals still play important roles in our lives. Besides regular books, they also offer ebooks and audiobooks. One of my friends bought Tote Bag gift from New York City Public Library for friends in China. I think this is one of the best gifts!
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I never knew the Boston Public Library was so large (and old). Very impressive.
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It is gorgeous. Architecture and paintings are amazing too. Somehow I felt like am transported to Europe☺️
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