Boston Public Library, McKim Building

Boston Public Library
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark
U.S. Historic district Contributing property
Boston Public Library, McKim Building in Copley Square
Location	Boston, Massachusetts
Coordinates	42°20′58″N 71°4′41″W / 42.34944°N 71.07806°W / 42.34944; -71.07806
Built	1895
Architect	Charles Follen McKim; McKim, Mead and White
Architectural style	Renaissance Revival, Beaux-Arts
Part of	Back Bay Historic District (ID73001948)
NRHP reference No.	73000317
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	May 6, 1973[1]
Designated NHL	February 24, 1986
Designated CP	August 14, 1973

The McKim Building is the main branch of the Boston Public Library at Copley Square in Boston, Massachusetts. The building, described upon its 1895 opening as a "palace for the people", contains the library's research collection, exhibition rooms, and administrative offices. The building includes lavish decorations, a children's room (the first in the nation), and a central courtyard surrounded by an arcaded gallery in the manner of a Renaissance cloister. The library regularly displays its rare works, often in exhibits that will combine works on paper, rare books, and works of art. Several galleries in the third floor of the McKim building are maintained for exhibits.