About 70 area residents met with the president of the Boston Public Library and police officials July 6 in the wake of a series of vandalism incidents at the city's Codman Square branch.
The incidents, which include broken windows, graffiti in the men's bathroom, and firecrackers being thrown against a door, have been blamed on a group of teenagers who hang out in front of the library, according to the Boston Globe.
BPL President Bernard Margolis asked the residents for suggestions on how to solve the problems. Residents proposed holding programs for the teens at the library or elsewhere or hiring a staff member to get to know the youths.
The newspaper reported that the library has already taken steps to improve safety, including the hiring of a second security guard and the installation of more lighting in the parking lot. The branch has also received approval to install closed-circuit surveillance cameras.
Posted July 13, 1998.