Report: “Boston Public Library Expands Access to Collections Through AI-Enhanced Digitization”
From the Boston Public Library (Full Text Announcement):
The Boston Public Library (BPL) is launching a large-scale digitization project to unlock hundreds of thousands of historically significant items previously inaccessible to the public. This multi-phase effort will give BPL the opportunity to pilot the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to make vast historical collections – currently underutilized due to their age, scale, and format – freely available, modernize digitization processes, and responsibly integrate AI to expand access and discovery.
Since its founding in 1848, BPL has been collecting books, government documents, maps, newspapers, and more. While the library has continued to steward these materials and has digitized portions of these collections over time, the sheer scale of BPL’s collections has made full public access impossible. This project aims to change that by opening the library’s collections more fully and providing the public with new ways to discover and interact with its vast holdings. By centering library workers’ expertise alongside transformative digitization technologies, BPL will deepen its commitment to free and open exploration of knowledge and information.
“For more than 20 years, the Boston Public Library has been a leader in the effort to increase accessibility of cultural heritage materials by digitizing historic collections across Massachusetts and the nation, and providing a comprehensive digital repository for preserving these materials,” said David Leonard, president of the BPL. “This initiative marks the next step in enhancing usability and discovery of our materials.”
BPL’s project includes a collaboration with the Institutional Data Initiative (IDI) within the Harvard Law School Library. IDI and BPL will explore processes that balance AI technology with curatorial expertise when enhancing collection metadata and modernizing and scaling BPL’s digitization program to expand access. Additionally, by working with IDI to release large-scale public domain collections as data, BPL will support innovative research, enhance transparency in AI training, and ensure that library values and the unique needs of cultural heritage materials are represented in AI development.
“Our audience extends beyond traditional academic researchers. When patrons use our digital collections to explore family histories, neighborhoods, and cultural heritage, we want them to benefit from the same technological advancements as our academic peers,” said Michael Colford, Director of Library Services. “Expanding digital access at this scale within a public library allows us to center those patrons every step of the way.”
This initiative is also supported in part by OpenAI’s NextGenAI initiative and builds on BPL’s mission of being “Free to All” by ensuring emerging AI technologies serve patrons from all walks of life, from academic researchers to lifelong learners. As a collecting institution for nearly 200 years, BPL has amassed vast historical resources, including government documents, early American literature, and unique archival materials. This project reinforces its longstanding commitment to expanding knowledge and accessibility.
Filed under: Data Files, Digital Collections, Digital Preservation, Interactive Tools, Libraries, Maps, News, Open Access, Patrons and Users, Public Libraries, School Libraries

About Gary Price
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area. He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit. Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com.