Imagine a bookstore in the Copley Square library

J. Patience was startled by the retail-lease sign on the side of the new wing of the under-renovation BPL main library in Copley Square.

Earlier this month, BPL trustees issued an RFP for companies interested in leasing the space, at the corner of Boylston and Exeter in the under-renovation Johnson wing.

Brandon Abbs is on a BPL advisory board that will review the bids. "It's not a done deal," and he'd love to hear from folks what sort of retailer they'd like to see in the space, he said.

At a meeting in November, officials set the basic criteria:

Vendors will be reviewed on criteria including their compatibility with the BPL mission (bookstore, technology store, map center, etc.). An appropriate vendor would be relevant, tied to learning, and future-looking.

Separately, the trustees are looking to lease out 600 square feet of space next to the North End branch library to a retail or food vendor. The trustees said the space is not needed for any particular library uses - which is why it's been used by a neighboring restaurant as a patio.