Terms of Use

Thank you for using the websites of the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC).

1. Users Agree to These Terms. This document contains terms of use for MBLC. By using the MBLC websites (mass.gov/mblc and libraries.state.ma.us) you agree to these terms and conditions. Please note that individual state agencies or other Commonwealth entities may adopt additional terms of use that apply to specific web based transactions with those agencies or data posted on their web sites. In addition, you should also review the MBLC's privacy policy at https://mblc.state.ma.us/footer/privacy-policy.php to learn about information collected by the MBLC, what that information is used for, and how it may be shared.

2. Other Sites Have Other Policies. For your convenience, the MBLC’s websites contains hypertext or other links to external Internet sites that are not provided or maintained by the Commonwealth. Please note that the Commonwealth cannot guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of these external sites. In addition, the inclusion of links to non-governmental sites is not intended to endorse any views expressed, or products or services offered, on these sites, or the organizations sponsoring the sites. In particular, please note that the agency uses various social media tools. Although some of the social media sites or identities might appear to be part of this site, many are hosted by third party providers. Please review our Social Media Policy for more information on the terms that apply for those sites.

3. Public Record and Copyright. All of the material posted on the Commonwealth's websites and accessible to the public without use of an authenticating and authorizing mechanism (such as a "PIN" or password) is public record. Most of the public records posted on Commonwealth Websites can be copied and used for any purpose. For example, all judicial opinions and all laws and regulations are public record. However, some of the public records posted on the Commonwealth's websites are also copyrighted material (for example, regulations based on technical codes developed and copyrighted by private organizations). With respect to material copyrighted by the Commonwealth, including the design, layout, and other features of MBLC’s website, the Commonwealth forbids any copying or use other than "fair use" under the Copyright Act. "Fair use" includes activities such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, research, and other related activities. Photographs: Reproduction of MBLC photographs in any format requires written permission from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.  Contact Celeste Bruno for permission. In addition, please be advised that MBLC makes use of materials (including, but not limited to, photographs) copyrighted by third parties, which also cannot be copied or used for use other than "fair use" without permission of the copyright owner. If you want to make use other than "fair use" of any copyrighted information on this Web site, you must seek permission directly from the copyright owner.

   The only part of this website to which the copyright rules stated above do not apply is on social media pages that receive comment. Content on these pages is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. Content includes all materials posted by the Executive Department of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In addition, visitors to these pages agree to grant a non-exclusive, irrevocable, royalty-free license to the rest of the world for their submissions to this site under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. A copy of this license is available online at http://creativecommons.org/licenses.

   The Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Executive Department respects the intellectual property of others, and we ask users of our website to do the same. In accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and other applicable law, we have adopted a policy of terminating, in appropriate circumstances and at our sole discretion, users, subscribers, or account holders on our website who are deemed to be repeat infringers. We may also, at our sole discretion, limit access to our website and/or terminate the accounts of any users who infringe any intellectual property rights of others, whether or not there is any repeat infringement.

Notice and Procedure for Notifying Designated Agent of Claims of Copyright Infringement

If you believe that any material on this website infringes upon any copyright which you own or control, or that any link on this website directs users to another website that contains material that infringes upon any copyright which you own or control, you may file a notification of such infringement with our Designated Agent as set forth below. Notifications of claimed copyright infringement must be sent to the MBLC's Designated Agent for notice of claims of copyright infringement. Our Designated Agent may be reached as follows:

Designated Agent: James Lonergan, Director, MBLC
Address of Designated Agent: 90 Canal Street, Suite 500, Boston, MA 02114
Telephone Number of Designated Agent: 617-725-1860
E-mail Address of Designated Agent: james.lonergan@state.ma.us

4. No warranty, endorsement or liability. The Commonwealth makes no warranty that the materials contained within MBLC's website are free from copyright claims, or other restrictions or limitations on free use or display. The Commonwealth disclaims any liability for the improper or incorrect use of information obtained from the MBLC.

   With respect to the Agency’s social media pages or identities, which are identified on the Agency’s Social Media Policy, any references to commercial entities, products, services, or other nongovernmental organizations or individuals that remain on the site are provided solely for the information of individuals using the social media pages. These references are not intended to reflect the opinion of the Governor, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or its officers and employees concerning the significance, priority, or importance to be given the referenced entity, product, service, or organization. Such references are not an official or personal endorsement of any product, person, or service, and may not be quoted or reproduced for the purpose of stating or implying Governor Charlie Baker's or the Commonwealth of Massachusetts'; endorsement or approval of any product, person, or service.

   The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners does not guarantee or warrant that any information posted by individuals on the website is correct, and disclaims any liability for any loss or damage resulting from reliance on any such information. The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners may not be able to verify, does not warrant or guarantee, and assumes no liability for anything posted by any other person. The views expressed on the website by non-state commentators do not necessarily reflect the official views of the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.

5. No waiver; Laws, Regulations and Policies Take Precedence. The content published on this website is subordinate to, and is not to be interpreted as an amendment to or waiver of, the Federal and State laws, regulations and policies applicable to the matters addressed in the site’s content.

Policy Approval Date: March 7, 2024
Contact Information Updated: March 7, 2024