Building Literacy: Public Library Construction
This Massachusetts-focused podcast is for librarians, trustees, and local officials who are exploring or undertaking a renovation, expansion, or new construction project for their library. However, stakeholders in library building projects everywhere may find helpful information within these episodes. From fundraising and advocacy campaigns to sustainability and resilience, to the planning, design, and construction process, there is something for everyone. The hosts, Andrea Bunker and Lauren Stara, are the Library Building Specialists who administer the Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program, a multi-million dollar grant program run by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, the state agency for libraries.
Episodes
25 episodes
Transformational Impact 7: Final Thoughts
In this seventh and last episode of the transformational impact series, we ask our panel of dedicated library administrators from across the Commonwealth, who represent urban, suburban, and rural libraries, to share any final thoughts about ...
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Season 6
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Episode 9
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5:06
Transformational Impact 6: Community Response
This sixth installment of seven bite-sized episodes on the transformational impact of new libraries focuses on the community’s response to the new building. While we may think it is about voicing awe at the architectural details and the aest...
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Season 6
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Episode 8
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14:34
Transformational Impact 5: Sustainability and Resilience
The fifth of seven bite-sized episodes that capture the transformational impact of six new libraries, this episode focuses on sustainability and resilience measures. Hear library administrators from across the Commonwealth, who represent urb...
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Season 6
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Episode 7
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17:43
Transformational Impact 4: Flexibility
The fourth in a series on transformational impact, this episode focuses on how flexibility of spaces has allowed the six new libraries to adapt to changing needs or circumstances. Hear library administrators from urban, suburban, and rural libr...
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Season 6
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Episode 6
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15:36
Transformational Impact 3: Changemaker
In this third episode in the seven-part series on the transformational impact of six new libraries throughout the Commonwealth, our panel of library administrators shares how the new facility has changed their communities, attitudes about the l...
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Season 6
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Episode 5
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14:22
Transformational Impact 2: New Visitors and Increased Statistics
In the second episode in the Transformational Impact series, the directors and assistant directors of six new libraries across the Commonwealth share stories of community members discovering or rediscovering their new library. Learn what has br...
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Season 6
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Episode 4
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19:11
Transformational Impact 1: One Story
From our daily work, we know that newly renovated, expanded, and constructed libraries are transformational for individuals, families, community groups and the staff that serve them. It is time to celebrate the results of so many people w...
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Season 6
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Episode 3
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10:45
Curating Services in Intentional Spaces at New Canaan Library
We are joined by Lisa Oldham, the President and CEO of New Canaan Library, and Miki Porta, the Environmental Social Governance (ESG) Coordinator for the New Canaan Library for this second episode of a two-part series focusing on their new li...
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Season 6
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Episode 2
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1:04:47
Holistic Sustainability in the New Canaan Library Project
In this first episode of a two-part series, Lisa Oldham, the President and CEO of New Canaan Library, and Miki Porta, the Environmental Social Governance (ESG) Coordinator for the New Canaan Library, discuss the design and construction proce...
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Season 6
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Episode 1
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59:56
Goals for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: A Conversation with Meghan Costa from the SDO
On this very Massachusetts-focused episode, learn more about the Supplier Diversity Office's (SDO) Municipal Construction Affirmative Marketing Program (MCAMP) from our guest, Meghan Costa. Any State-assisted vertical construction project above...
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Season 5
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Episode 5
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25:31
The Role of the OPM: A Conversation with John Sayre-Scibona of Design Technique
This episode focuses on a very special role: part therapist, part mediator, part wrangler of budget and schedule. It is none other than the role of the Owners' Project Manager. This is a required role on any public project in Massachusetts that...
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Season 5
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Episode 4
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1:26:47
The Library Building Program
Essentially a letter to the architect, the Library Building Program is a document that is the basis of design for any library building project at any scale. It provides context, includes community input, and details the areas and adjacencies th...
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Season 5
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Episode 3
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1:33:06
Green Communities Grants and Energy Efficiency Incentives: A Conversation with Joanne Bissetta and Catie Snyder
In our last episode we learned about the broad goals of the Commonwealth’s Climate Act and Executive Order 594’s implications for the State’s portfolio of buildings. In this episode, we dig a little deeper into what resources, incentives, an...
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Season 5
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Episode 2
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1:08:49
Construction and Climate Change Legislation: A Conversation with Eric Friedman
In this episode, we discuss the Commonwealth’s new Act Creating a Next Generation Roadmap for Massachusetts Climate Policy and Executive Order 594 with Eric Friedman, the Director of the Leading by Example Program, which is a division of the Ma...
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Season 5
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Episode 1
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1:00:36
Campaign Finance Law and Advocacy: A Conversation with Jason Tait from OCPF
On this episode of Building Literacy, we talk campaign finance law with the Office of Campaign and Political Finance's Communications and Education Director Jason Tait. In previous episodes of our advocacy stories series, we have mentioned both...
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Season 4
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Episode 4
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42:31
Advocacy Stories: Marketing and Communications Plans
In this episode in our series entitled Advocacy Stories, we discuss messaging, communications plans, and marketing for libraries with the MBLC's Communications Team: Celeste Bruno and Matthew Perry. While we touch upon issues related to library...
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Season 4
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Episode 3
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1:01:22
Taxes and Capital Projects: A Conversation with the Division of Local Services
In this episode, we are taking a mini detour from the nuts and bolts of Advocacy to focus on the financial component of public library building projects. While many projects like these have a combination of funding sources- municipal funding, g...
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Season 4
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Episode 2
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1:04:17
HVAC and COVID-19
On this episode of Building Literacy: Public Library Construction, we delve into the ducts of HVAC systems. HVAC, as you may know, stands for heating, ventilation and air conditioning, and does include dehumidification as well. Reopening librar...
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Season 3
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Episode 2
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1:02:19
Advocacy Stories: Opponents
In this series of Advocacy Stories, we will examine the nuts and bolts of advocacy through the experiences of Directors, Trustees, and Consultants involved in the MBLC’s Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program. A basic rule of advo...
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Season 4
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Episode 1
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21:50
Designing Libraries for a Pandemic
In this episode, we convened a roundtable of architects from several of the firms who design buildings for libraries that partake in the Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program. Each firm tackled a topic related to designing libraries...
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Season 3
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Episode 1
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1:41:27
Some Things Never Change
When recording recent episodes with former library building specialist Patience Jackson, she called our attention to a speech from 1915 that exists in our files. The writer and speaker was Alice Chandler, who made advisory visits to libraries a...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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1:59:13
History of the Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program with Patience and Roe
On this episode of Building Literacy: Public Library Construction, we delve into the history of the Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program, which has been in existence since 1987. Founding Library Building Specialist, Patience Jackso...
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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48:45
Words of Wisdom from Patience Jackson and Rosemary Waltos
On this episode of Building Literacy: Public Library Construction, two former Library Building Specialists with our program, Patience Jackson and Rosemary Waltos, offer their words of wisdom from a collective 50 years of experience working on l...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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39:28
Designing for Sustainability: An Interview with Finegold Alexander Architects
Continuing our series on sustainability in public library construction, we interview Finegold Alexander Architects’ Ellen Anselone, Rebecca Berry, Josephine Penta, and Beth Pearcy in this episode. Learn how architects approach the integration o...
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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42:22
Sustainability and Building Performance: An Interview with Building Evolution Corporation
Whether undertaking a renovation, renovation/expansion, new construction, or capital upgrade project, library administration, trustees, and the municipalities they serve are increasingly approaching these projects with sustainability in mind, e...
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Season 1
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Episode 1
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1:31:12