Submitted by Marleen Nienhuis

The next scheduled South End Writes speakers are historian Lauren Prescott, executive director of the South End Historical Society (Feb. 25, Boston's South End, a postcard history series); State Representative Byron Rushing (March 27, My Life and Debt in the Massachusetts State House); biographer Megan Marshall (May 8, Elizabeth Bishop: A Miracle for Breakfast); and novelist Allegra Goodman (May 22, The Chalk Artist).

Boston Public Library (BPL) president, David Leonard, will attend the FOSEL Annual Meeting on Tuesday, January 30, at 6:30 PM, when you, the audience, will elect a new board of officers and directors. (They serve two- and one-year terms, respectively.) Leonard is a member of Friends of the South End Library's (FOSEL's) Honorary Fundraising Committee and has been a strong supporter the BPL/FOSEL public/private partnership to renovate the South End branch. Information about the slate of board candidates will be made available on this website.

At the meeting, you will get updates about the latest developments in library and park renovation. We serve delicious refreshments. If you would like to become part of FOSEL's all-volunteer board, email us at info@friendsofsouthendlibrary.org.

The January Local/Focus installation in the library's Tremont Street window features the award-winning Zeitgeist Stage Company, including a live screen with a running slideshow of images from past and future plays. The Zeitgeist, now in its 17th year, will open its next performance run of Mark Gerrard's Steve, on March 2 at he Boston Center for the Arts.

Coming up next in the Tremont Street window is a display by one of the neighborhood's great institutions, the Community Music Center of Boston. Local/Focus showcases local artists, creative entrepreneurs and non-profits in the South End library's window to inform you, the community, about their various programs, specialties and events.

The Boston Parks Department presented its proposed redesign, Concept C, for Library Park to the South End Historic Landmark Commissioners in early January.Concept C was one of the three proposals, the one preferred by the audience in a December public hearing at the South End library. Commissioner John Amadeo requested more details on three matters, specifically how to protect the mature pin oak near the library building; how to ensure that the foot traffic through the park on curved paths would be unencumbered by park furniture; and how to make the proposed concrete material used for new footpaths and patio more interesting with historically appropriate touches such as thermal bluestone and bricks. The Parks Department will resubmit a revised proposal so construction can begin in early spring, as planned.

Last but not least, our fundraising campaign, WrIting the Next Chapter, is continuing to receive checks from you, our very supportive donors. Our initial goal of raising $50,000 for the First Phase of the interior renovation by October 2017 has now crossed into $70,000 territory, thanks to you, fantastically generous contributors. Thank you.The excess funds will be applied to the Second Phase's private fundraising 'tranche,' for which we will also request additional capital funding from the BPL in its FY 2019 budget. FOSEL will be meeting with city officials and our elected representatives to advocate for the library in the next few weeks when city agencies' budget plans are being hatched. Usually, in April or May, the City Council holds budget hearings for Boston's libraries, at which point we will ask again for City Council support. Stay tuned.

The BPL has concluded that the total estimated cost of the proposed interior downstairs renovation (Phases One and Two) will be approximately $600,000. The BPL set aside $132,000 in capital funding in FY 2018 for the South End branch; FOSEL committed to raising another $50,000, privately. The Friends hope to collect most of the private contributions for the Second Phase --to add to the to-be-determined additional FY 2019 public funding-- from local businesses, developers, and service providers, proud to support a public library in the community where their customers and clients live. In that spirit, EVERSOURCE Energy has already contributed generously to this effort in the South End, as have Casa Cuong, Cambridge Trust Bank and Community Bicycle, among other establishments.

For more information, visit www.friendsofsouthendlibrary.org. The South End Branch of the Boston Public Library is located at 685 Tremont Street.