Acknowledgement Guidelines

How to Acknowledge the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners

For recipients of grants from the Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program

1. A sign will be displayed on the construction site that includes the following: “This project is partially funded by a state grant administered by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners” and displaying the MBLC name and logo.
2. A plaque will be placed in the completed building with the following statement:  “This project was partially funded by a state grant administered by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners”.
3. Other instances: In speeches, MBLC support should be recognized; brochures and flyers should include the MBLC logo, and MBLC support should be recognized in news stories.
4. If you have any questions regarding the forms of acknowledgment, contact your project consultant.

For recipients of LSTA (Library Services and Technology Act Grants)

1. As a grant recipient, you are required to acknowledge IMLS and MBLC in your announcements, printed materials, news stories, and at public events.
2. Grant recipients should adhere to the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences’ (IMLS) acknowledgement requirements www.imls.gov/recipients/imls_acknowledgement.aspx and should also acknowledge the MBLC in the credit line.

   For example:

   • For a storytime flyer: Anytown Storytime is brought to you with federal funds provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and administered by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.
   • For an author appearance: John Milton’s appearance is brought to you with federal funds provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and administered by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.
3. If you have any questions regarding the forms of acknowledgment, contact your project consultant.

Agencies funded by the MBLC

1. On the websites of agencies that are funded by the MBLC, the MBLC logo must be prominently displayed on the bottom footer. The logo should be no smaller than 250 pixels width and proportional height and should link to libraries.state.ma.us (if the public is your primary audience) or mblc.state.ma.us (if librarians are your primary audience).
2. All official documents, such as reports and applications; as well as major events or conferences should include a funding statement such as:  The (name of agency) is funded by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. This statement should also be included on print documents that are for workshops/programs.

Promotion of products for which MBLC is a funding partner, but not the primary funder:

External products, programs, and services that are partially but not primarily funded by the MBLC, will be co-branded with two logos. The logo of the primary funder as well as the MBLC logo should be included. The two logos should be included at equal size and in the same region. If there are additional funding partners, then a credit line may be added.

Promotion of products that are primarily funded by the MBLC

Marketing materials for external products, programs, and services that are primarily funded by the MBLC should adhere to MBLC brand guidelines and include the following funding statement: (Insert product/program/service name) is made possible by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, with additional funding and support from (insert other agencies).