The original reading rooms will be restored as quiet reading areas. The design allows the meeting room facilities to be used at times when the rest of the building is closed. Adjacent to the Meeting Room is the interior entrance to the Junior Library, which occupies the southwest corner of the building and is visible from the parking areas. Like the original building, the exterior is finished in brick, limestone, and copper roofs to harmonize with the original library. The roof forms echo those of the old building, with the massing and details developed to preserve the position of the original library as the centerpiece of the composition.
Energy efficiency is achieved throughout the building.
Schematic design has been developed to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Massachusetts Architectural Access Board. The wired and connected world of the new millennium is transforming the way we gather and interpret information. The library project will provide quiet space and computer carrels for up to 40 users. Buildings designed even 10 years ago are sometimes inadequate for today s technology. The new building will meet the challenges of an interconnected world head on.