The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners encourages sponsorship and partnership agreements that increase the level of service available to Massachusetts residents, offer new resources that may not be offered otherwise, and support awareness of libraries and library services.
Guidelines
Definition
Sponsorships and partnerships are defined as mutually beneficial exchanges whereby the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) receives funds, products or in-kind services from a sponsor or partner. The sponsor in turn benefits from community recognition and affiliation with libraries throughout the state. In general, sponsorships and partnerships are ongoing rather than one-time. Grants for which the MBLC may apply to receive funding for a specific project(s) or gifts for which the giver requests a simple acknowledgement are not covered by these guidelines.
Approvals
All agreements must be in writing and approved by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. The Board may revoke its approval at any time.
Sponsorship Recognition
Sponsors will be provided with a level of recognition commensurate with their contribution. These levels will be clearly defined in writing within the sponsorship agreement. In all cases, the recognition required by the sponsor will be weighed against the benefit to the MBLC and the Commonwealth’s libraries.
Recognition may include (but is not limited to) the following:
- Recognition of the sponsor in an article in MBLC online newsletters.
- Recognition of the sponsor in media releases.
- Recognition of the sponsor on promotional materials or printed materials related to programs.
- Opportunities to promote services to the Commonwealth’s libraries. These opportunities must be agreed to ahead of time and included in the sponsorship agreement.
- Recognition at MBLC events.
The MBLC retains sole control of the content of its web sites and other promotional materials. If the MBLC agrees to display a sponsor’s name/logo in promotional materials, the MBLC will decide the placement of the name/logo and it will not take precedence or have prominence over the MBLC name/logo.
Recognition will promote the sponsor’s corporate name and will not include reference to any specific product. The MBLC will not endorse any product or service of its corporate sponsors.
General Guidelines
Sponsors will agree to display the MBLC logo according to the published brand guidelines. All uses of the MBLC name and logo will be subject to review by the MBLC Communications Director prior to publication. The MBLC name and logo may not be used as part of any official endorsement of a sponsor’s product or company.
The MBLC will maintain complete control over the library database and mailing list. Library addresses may be found on the MBLC website.
Purchasing decisions on collections, materials or other items will be made by the MBLC unless otherwise specified by the sponsorship agreement.
Sponsorship agreements will not limit the MBLC’s ability to enter into other agreements with similar organizations.
Initial Policy Approval Date: October 2, 2008
Revision and Re-approval Date: January 8, 2026
Policy Expiration Date: January 9, 2031