The Chinatown neighborhood in Boston has been without a library since 1956. And recent efforts have been tabled due to the lack of funds. But Boston Street Lab -- whose mission is to pilot cultural and civic programs in dense, urban environments -- came up with their own plan. For three months, they ran the Chinatown Storefront Library: an experiment in micro-urban design transformed 3,000 square feet of idle space in Boston's densest neighborhood into a thriving resource center.

I trace the lifespan of the Storefront Library and the continued efforts of the community to get a permanent branch; I also examine how walk-up cultural spaces, libraries, and small-scale organizing can serve the needs of neighborhoods neglected by city budgets.

This is the story of a community without a library, a few people with a plan, and the benefits of being nimble and thinking small.

The Chinatown neighborhood in Boston has been without a library since 1956. And recent efforts have been tabled due to the lack of funds. But Boston Street Lab -- whose mission is to pilot cultural and civic programs in dense, urban environments -- came up with their own plan. For three months, they ran the Chinatown Storefront Library: an experiment in micro-urban design transformed 3,000 square feet of idle space in Boston's densest neighborhood into a thriving resource center.

I trace the lifespan of the Storefront Library and the continued efforts of the community to get a permanent branch; I also examine how walk-up cultural spaces, libraries, and small-scale organizing can serve the needs of neighborhoods neglected by city budgets.

This is the story of a community without a library, a few people with a plan, and the benefits of being nimble and thinking small.