The Brutalist Library: Rereading Its Legacy and Reimagining the Future symposium will explore the significance, technical challenges, and future adaptation strategies of the modernist public library. The event will feature three panels: Historians discuss the evolving role of libraries in the digital age and their spatial needs, Librarians discuss the evolving role of libraries in the digital age and their spatial needs, and Architects address technical challenges and innovative solutions for renovating iconic structures. We will also offer tours of the UMass Boston campus and the UMass Boston Healey Library, and an open discussion between attendees and panelists.

The UMass Boston campus master plan and recent renovations of existing campus buildings, including the Healey Library, offer a unique opportunity to elevate the role of public architecture and how it adapts to the changing context of academia. By fostering dialogue among faculty, librarians, historians, and members from allied professions such as architects, engineers, contractors, along with the broader campus community and the general public. The symposium aims to create a dynamic, cross-disciplinary conversation among all participants on how we may celebrate, conserve, and provide stewardship for our modernist and brutalist buildings for now and in the future.