I booked it around Boston
I love libraries. I got my first library card in 1974 at the tender age of 5 (thank you, Paul Pratt Memorial Library) and have been a frequent library patron ever since, wherever I've lived or traveled.
I also love urban hiking. There is no better way to spend a Saturday (or even a weekday) than to play the flâneur and take in the sites, sounds, and tastes of the city.
So when I learned of the Boston Public Library passport and the challenge to "Book it around Boston" by visiting all of the BPL's 26 locations, I knew that I had some roaming to do. It's hard to imagine an activity that so perfectly combines these two passions.
The idea is simple: visit any BPL branch to pick up a passport booklet (and get it stamped). Then get moving. There is swag to be earned after 5 branch visits (a water bottle) and 15 visits (a t-shirt) and a medal for visiting all 26. It took a bit of walking, T riding, and Blue Biking, but I finished my final branch today!
Some observations that I made along the way:
- The Central Library is one of my favorite places in Boston (and one of the most beautiful libraries anywhere), but the neighborhood branches bring services to every corner of the city. Touring them is a great way to see parts of the city that you don't often get to, or may never have visited.
- Librarians are unfailingly helpful, friendly, proud of their branches' unique features, and interested to hear about your passport journey.
- Libraries remain a crucial community resource. In my travels I saw people reading, studying, using the internet, job-hunting, learning English, and simply relaxing in one of the last true public spaces that remain to us, no purchase or membership required.
If this sounds interesting to you, there is still library swag to be earned (but only for the first 250 finishers), so get out there and get your passport!
Here's my [somewhat crazy branch selfie gallery](https://photos.app.goo.gl/dkQUas4tqy9dt5mJA):
