Medford first resolved to provide a free public library in 1855 and for the first 20 years, the library occupied various spaces in Medford’s town square.

A new building on High Street, designed by Boston architects Schwartz/Silver, opened in the Fall of 2021, replacing the former library building which opened in 1960. Supported in part through a grant from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, the project was made possible in part through a $3 million gift by Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies and Bloomberg LP and the 108th mayor of New York City, who grew up in the city. It is named the Charlotte and William Bloomberg Medford Public Library in honor of Michael Bloomberg and Marjorie Bloomberg Tiven’s parents, who lived in Medford for 65 years.

The new building nearly doubles the library’s usable square footage and improves accessibility, noise, design, and technology issues. The Charlotte and William Bloomberg Medford Public Library has cutting-edge technology, and is fully ADA compliant, energy efficient, and LEED certified.

Photo courtesy of Schwartz/Silver