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Federal Funding FAQ

The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) has been collecting frequently asked questions about the executive order targeting the Institute of Museum and LIbrary Services' (IMLS) funding.  

The MBLC receives $3.6 million from IMLS’ Grants to States Program. The MBLC uses federal IMLS funds to provide statewide library services for everyone. The cut to IMLS will be felt throughout the Commonwealth.

All
State Aid Awards that public libraries receive through The State Aid to Public Libraries Program come from state budget line 9501. Not federal funding. However, staff in the State Aid Unit are funded in part through federal funding.
No, statewide delivery is funded through MLS via state budget line 9401.

Federal funding provides statewide services which all libraries use. Statewide access to Library eBooks and Audiobooks (LEA) through the Libby platform is federally funded. ComCat and the statewide research databases are also paid for either partially or fully with federal funds.  It will not be possible to cover the full cost of these programs in their current form with our existing state budget.

More information about the impact of federal cuts to libraries can be found at the MBLC's Federal Funding page.

Thirteen of the MBLC’s 23 staff members are at least partially funded through IMLS (5 fully funded, 8 partially funded).
You can view or download the MBLC funding at the MBLC Awarehouse.  More information is also available on the MBLC's Budgets and Funding page.
The MBLC was awarded $3.6 million through IMLS’ Grants to States program. The MBLC does not receive the funds in a lump sum. Instead, we submit a monthly invoice and are reimbursed.

The iRead program through the MLS is not federally funded.

The summer reading program with the Boston Bruins is partially federally funded. The Bruins have increased their support and funding so that library visits for summer 2025 will happen.

E-rate helps public libraries and schools connect users to the internet, fast. E-rate is a federally funded program offering 20-90% discounts on high-speed broadband, and the equipment and support services that make that connectivity work. 269 Massachusetts public libraries are part of networks that get E-Rate funding in some amount. 

E-Rate is not an IMLS program. It is paid out of the Universal Service Fund overseen by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The fund is supported by the universal service fee that is a small surcharge applied to some types of telecom bills. This funding mechanism frees E-Rate from being dependent on Congressional appropriations and the federal budget process.

E-Rate is not impacted by the executive orders so far, at least not directly. The program is being challenged by some members of Congress and in the court system. The Supreme Court recently heard arguments in a case challenging E-Rate’s funding. We will continue to keep you updated as this issue unfolds.

Regardless of the fate of the IMLS and the Public Library Survey, the MBLC will continue its annual data collection via the Annual Report of Information Statistics (ARIS) and Financial Report surveys. Completion of these surveys remains a requirement for the State Aid to Public Libraries program, and statewide data collection will become even more critical to Massachusetts libraries if national data collection ceases.
The Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program (MPLCP) is entirely funded at the state level by legislatively approved bond bills. The most recent bond of $150 million to support the 2023-2024 grant round was included in Governor Healey’s economic development bill, passed in fall 2024.

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