Library would fill missing link to culture
Fifty years ago, Chinatown's branch of the Boston Public Library at 130 Tyler St. was demolished to make way for a Central Artery ramp. Now, as new developments swirl around the neighborhood, residents say a library is needed to keep Chinatown's character alive.
``This is not about new library, it's about a library being returned to us after it was taken away," said Lawrence Joe, with the Chinese Progressive Association and a leader of the Friends of a Chinatown Library group. ``This is a culturally rich neighborhood that's also a residential neighborhood with unique linguistic needs. We see a library as a building block for the community, where people can send their children and the elderly can read the news in Chinese."
There's little time to spare, Joe said.
``The reason for urgency after waiting for 50 years is that development here is very rapid, and we're afraid that unless we get commitments from the city, we'll lose this opportunity."
After more than 100 residents packed a City Council hearing last month on creating a Chinatown library, Mayor Thomas M. Menino allocated $35,000 for a feasibility study.
``It's up to myself, my colleagues, and the mayor now to get this done," said Councilor James M. Kelly, who represents Chinatown.
Interns and youth volunteers from the Chinese Progressive Association have worked the streets, collecting signatures to send to city councilors and the mayor.
Sandra Lee, a three-year veteran of the campaign at just age 17, said she often sees kids from Chinatown loading up on books at the Boston Public Library in Copley Place. The main library and its South End branch, at 685 Tremont St., are closest to the neighborhood -- and they are each more than a mile away, she said.
``I know kids who, every time they have a school project, go all the way to Copley and fight over computers," Lee said. ``And the children's section is always packed with Asians." Lee, a Dorchester resident who graduated this year from Boston Latin School, said a Chinatown library would also provide a place for East Asian-Americans around Boston to reconnect with their heritage.
The Chinese Historical Society, based in a cramped basement office at the China Trade Center, would eagerly partner with a Chinatown library, said Peter Kiang , a society leader.
The society has no place to exhibit its abundant collection, he said, and noted, ``It's terrible when stores close or families move or elders pass away and there's no place to gather artifacts or photos or documents and make them available for others to appreciate."
The City Council's president, Michael Flaherty, said he ``likes a library's chances in Chinatown," and he agreed with Kelly that developers should be called on to create a library as part of their mitigation responsibilities.
Big Dig and Boston Redevelopment Authority parcels should also be examined, he said.
While library proponents are open to several locations, they prefer existing buildings in residential Chinatown, said the Friends' Joe. Washington Street's Upper Quincy School, which is moving, is a favored spot, he said.
A city evaluation underway of whether Boston might already have too many branches may complicate the issue. One study found that although Boston ranked third out of 77 big cities in branches per resident, it ranked just 59th in circulation per resident.
Councilor at Large Sam Yoon said Chinatown and its nearby neighborhoods shouldn't be punished because some branches are underused.
``Chinatown is a cultural treasure, and we have to do everything we can to preserve it."
RON DePASQUALE 
