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BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) – The Boston Public Library Professional Staff Association (BPLPSA) held an event Saturday afternoon to bring the community together in the wake of several hate incidents at local libraries.
The “Fill the Library with Love” unity gathering was meant to provide a safe space for any staff and patrons who experienced these attacks. The union hoped that by surrounding the library with this kind of love and support, people would be able to heal from these encounters and make libraries safe spaces once again.
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“Dedicated public library workers provide unique, essential spaces and services at branches across the City and at the Central Library,” said Maty Cropley, president of BPLPSA. “This Saturday's gathering is about bringing people and library staff together to fill the library with love in the face of recent ugly incidents that targeted the children’s room in two locations and the library staff who work there every day.”
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The union said in three separate instances a group protested COVID-19 masking and vaccine mandates at the Central Library, located at Copley Square, and at the Hyde Park branch. There was also another incident where gasoline was dumped on a bust of Maya Angelou at the Central Library.
“We need some support from the community; we need some support from the city,” said Veronica Koven Matas who is also with the BPLPSA. “We need a safety plan that works for library staff to keep us safe, to keep the community and the library safe.”
WBZ’s Mike Macklin has more:
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