Special to the Sun
The Boston Public Library (BPL) last week announced Book it Around Boston 2023, a fun run/walk/bike event designed to reintroduce residents to BPL branches across the city while incentivizing movement across Boston’s neighborhoods.
BPL has partnered with Heartbreak Hill Running Company to offer guided routes kicking off and concluding at the Roxbury branch. As part of the event, participants will walk, run, or bike to other BPL branches.
The family-friendly event is the kickoff of this year’s BPL Passport initiative, which will roll out in September during Library Card Signup Month.
“We are thrilled to partner again with Heartbreak Hill Running Company for Book it Around Boston,” said Michael Colford, BPL Director of Library Services. “We appreciate their support for the Passport program during Library Card Signup Month and beyond.
“This event provides a fantastic opportunity for residents to get out and visit the diverse neighborhoods of Boston and their local branches, which are the heart of our community. We hope Bostonians will get out, explore, and sign up for a library card if they don’t already have one!”
Book it Around Boston will take place on September 23, at 9:30 a.m. Participants can choose one of five routes starting and ending at the Roxbury branch, depending on how far they would like to walk, run, or bike. These include:
• Route 1 (3.5 miles): start at Roxbury Branch, visit South End Branch, Parker Hill Branch, end at Roxbury Branch
• Route 2 (5.9 miles): start at Roxbury Branch, visit Egleston Branch, Jamaica Plain Branch, Connolly Branch, Parker Hill Branch, end at Roxbury Branch
• Route 3 (8 miles): start at Roxbury Branch, visit Fields Corner Branch, Adams Street Branch, Codman Square Branch, end at Roxbury Branch
• Route 4 (10 miles): start at Roxbury Branch, visit Parker Hill Branch, South End Branch, West End Branch, North End Branch, South Boston Branch, end at Roxbury Branch
• Bike Route (20 miles): start at Roxbury Branch, visit South Boston Branch, Fields Corner Branch, Adams Street Branch, Lower Mills Branch, Mattapan Branch, Roslindale Branch, Jamaica Plain Branch, Connolly Branch, Parker Hill Branch, end at Roxbury Branch
There will be a reception at 10:30 a.m. at the Roxbury branch, the final stop on all the Book it Around Boston routes. There will be light snacks and refreshments and closing remarks. The first 200 participants to register for the event will also receive a free Book it Around Boston lapel pin.
“We’re so excited to celebrate cross-community movement using our world-class library system,” said Dan Fitzgerald, co-founder of Heartbreak Hill Running Company. “This is the second annual Passport run, so we’re delighted and grateful to build on the momentum from last year. 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 background in sport. I can’t wait to bring both together on September 23rd!”
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.
The BPL Passport program is open to everyone. Visit a local BPL branch to pick up a Passport, then use the routes outlined in the booklet to visit branches across the city and collect stamps. Exclusive swag is available to participants for visiting specific numbers of branches; visit bpl.org/passport/ to learn more.
To register for Book it Around Boston, visit: bplrun.splashthat.com. For a complete list of BPL branches, visit: bpl.bibliocommons.com/locations.