By Li Qiang, bostonese.com
Boston, Jan. 31, 2018, — It was a campaign promise made by candidate Marty Walsh in 2013, and Mayor Walsh finally delivered it at end of his first term as the funding for Boston Public Library Chinatown Branch was annouced in 2017. The Chinatown Branch will open its doors on Feb. 5 at the China Trade Center in Chinatown.
(R to L)Candidate Walsh, Terry Yin and Henry Yee at a 2013 Chinatowm Residents Association (CRA) meeting (photo by Li Qiang).
According to Gilbert Ho of Boston Chinatown Main Street, a ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at China Trade Center on Feb. 3 at 11:00 AM.
Many residents and orgnizations, such as CRA, Chinese Progressive Association (CPA), Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC) has campaigned for the reopening of the Chinatonw branch as it was closed in 1965 as the building that hosted it was demolished to make room for building an onramp to I-93. Stephanie Fan, board member of Chinese Hisitory Society of New England, mentioned that the Chinatown branch was initially established in 1896. The office of CHSNE is also located at the China Trade Center.
Boston Public Library Chinatown opens Monday, February 5, marking the return of library service in the Chinatown neighborhood for the first time in decades.
You can visit the BPL’s newest location Monday-Thursday 10AM – 6PM and Friday 9AM – 5PM. The following is key features of Chinatown Branch according to www.bpl.org/branches/chinatown.php.
FEATURES
- Books, DVDs, newspapers, and periodicals in English and Chinese
- Children’s programming
- Community gathering place for people of all ages
- Bilingual staff
- Holds pickup
- Citizenship and immigration information
- Free WiFi
- Laptops for in-library use