Visitors to the Springfield City Library’s Central Library should enter through the door facing the Springfield Museums, starting December 12. Doors on State Street will not reopen until the next construction phase is complete. The Library’s newly constructed ramp means that pedestrians and wheelchair and stroller users alike can enter the building on the Quadrangle side. Museums staff welcome library visitors to park in their lots on Edwards Street. Accessible parking for vehicles displaying a license plate or placard is in a small lot between the George Walter Vincent Smith and Springfield Science museums; enter through the State Street driveway.
The new ramp is part of a renovation of the historic Central Library which opened in 1912. The City of Springfield is funding the project, with supplementary grant funding from the Massachusetts Cultural Council through its Cultural Facilities Fund. Besides the ramp construction, ongoing improvements include remediation of water leaks, replacement of a worn roof, and restoration of cornices lining the roof profile. The next step dismantles and restores the marble staircase on the State Street side of the building, necessitating the closure of the surrounding doors for public safety.
The Central Library, located at 220 State Street, is the headquarters for Springfield’s nine-location system. It remains open its regular schedule during construction: Mondays and Wednesdays, 12 to 8; Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, 9 to 5; and Sundays, 12 to 5. The Massachusetts Cultural Council is a state agency.
Founded in 1857, the Springfield City Library provides nearly 5000 educational and recreational programs per year. To learn more, visit www.springfieldlibrary.org.