August 15, 2022 – BOSTON, MA – The Boston Public Library today announced Book it Around Boston, an event designed to incentivize movement across the city’s neighborhoods.
BPL has partnered with Heartbreak Hill Running Co to offer guided routes from BPL locations at the four corners of the city for participants to walk, run, or bike from the start location to other BPL branches, concluding with a warm reception at the Roxbury branch. The event is the kickoff of the BPL Passport initiative, which will roll out in September during Library Card Signup Month.
“We are thrilled to launch the BPL Passport and to host the Book it Around Boston event,” said BPL librarian Maggie Levine. “The Passport is a fantastic way to see and experience the many neighborhoods of Boston through the lens of its treasured local libraries. Every branch of the BPL has its own unique personality and important role within the community it serves, and we hope this passport and Book it Around Boston will encourage Bostonians to get out and explore our wonderful city.”
Book it Around Boston will take place on September 10, 2022 at 9:30am. Participants can choose one of five branches to start at, depending on how far they would like to walk, run or bike. These include:
- Honan-Allston Branch (6 miles): visit Central Library in Copley Square, South End Branch, end at Roxbury Branch
- Roslindale Branch (5 miles): visit Grove Hall Branch, end at Roxbury Branch
- West End Branch (4 miles): visit Chinatown Branch, Central Library in Copley Square, South End Branch, end at Roxbury Branch
- Fields Corner (2.8 miles): visit Uphams Corner Branch, end at Roxbury Branch
- Parker Hill Branch (0.8 miles): end at Roxbury Branch – this route is recommended for families
There will be a reception at 10:30am at the Roxbury branch, the final stop on all the Book it Around Boston routes. There will be snacks and refreshments, and remarks from guest speakers. The first 100 participants to register for the event will also receive a free t-shirt.
"This event is about celebrating accessibility to me, said Fitch Henry of Heartbreak Hill Running Company. "We are celebrating the accessibility of exercising in a shared outdoor space as well as the accessibility of BPL and its staff: a historical public resource which goes beyond lending out books. I hope people will engage more with the resources their neighborhood library offers."
"Being able to celebrate cross-community movement using our world-class library system as the guide is so exciting," said Dan Fitzgerald, co-founder of Heartbreak Hill Running Company. "BPL exists in every corner of our city offering free, democratic access to information and education. Running, for us, is always an opportunity to unite people and communities of all backgrounds in sport. I can't wait to bring both together on September 10th!"
All participants will receive a BPL Passport: a new booklet outlining routes to walk, run, or bike between each of the BPL’s 26 locations, encouraging residents to get out and explore the city. For each branch participants visit, they will receive a branch stamp in their BPL Passport. BPL Passport booklets will be handed out at the Book it Around Boston starting locations, but can also be used anytime and will be available for patrons to pick up on a first-come-first-serve basis at all BPL locations.
To register for Book it Around Boston, visit: bplrun.splashthat.com. For a complete list of BPL branches visit: bpl.bibliocommons.com/locations.
