Photo: Chaiel Schaffel/WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — The Boston Public Library (BPL) launched a new digital and audio tour for visitors to explore the Central Library in Copley Square.
Katherine Mitchell, the visitor experience coordinator at BPL, said the library has been getting more and more visitors since traveling picked back up after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’ve seen those numbers rebound especially this summer,” she told WBZ NewsRadio.
Since the library only offers one guided in-person tour a day, the new audio tour guide helps fill in that gap.
The audio tour guides visitors through popular spots like Bates Hall, the Abbey Room, and the Sargent Gallery while talking through the backstory of each space. Transcriptions of the tour are available in 42 languages, and the library is hoping it will reach and make its resources accessible to a more diverse audience.
“We knew we weren’t reaching all the visitors that we could be reaching because we didn’t have content translated and because our content was primarily printed text or was online,” Mitchell continued.
The tour is narrated by current librarians, where they also share interesting and little-known facts about the library throughout the tour.
“So if people are curious, they can dive a little bit deeper,” Mitchell said.
The audio tour is offered through the Bloomberg Connect app, which is available to download from the App Store or Google Play, and just search "Boston Public Library."
WBZ NewsRadio’s Chaiel Schaffel (@CSchaffelWBZ) reports.