MBLC Blog

Month: July 2025

  • Service Update – July 30, 2025

    MBLC Service Update – July 2025Download

    🕙 MBLC Monthly Board Meeting on August 7th (Hybrid) 
    Contact: Rachel Masse

    The regular monthly board meeting of the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners is scheduled for 10AM on Thursday, August 7th, 2025, at the Marlborough Public Library. 

    📝NEW BLOG POST: Immigration Enforcement and Library Spaces 

    Contact: Ally Dowds 

    Libraries serve as vital community hubs and value their institutions as welcoming spaces that take proactive steps to protect patron rights and intellectual freedoms. MBLC’s blog post, Immigration Enforcement and Library Spaces, suggests pathways for how to support staff and sustain our place as trusted institutions for our most vulnerable patrons.  To read the full post, visit the MBLC Blog. 

    📋 New Americans Resources for Immigrants 

    Contact: Ally Dowds 

    The MBLC’s resources page for New Americans provides a comprehensive collection of tools and information to assist immigrants and refugees in Massachusetts. It includes citizenship resources, legal aid, and ALA’s guide to Libraries and Immigration Enforcement. 

    📜 Reach Out to NEDCC for Disaster Assistance 

    Contact: Jess Colati 

    With the onset of hurricane season, please remember that you can connect with the Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) for telephone, on-site and online resources and assistance when handling collection-related disasters or for emergency planning.  Visit (and bookmark) the NEDCC’s Disaster Assistance page for more information. 

    🖥️ Environmental Monitoring: Identifying and Monitoring for Mold (Online) 

    Contact: Jess Colati  

    Tuesday, August 12 at 2 PM – Registration 

    Conserv, MBLC’s environmental monitoring program partner, offers a brief overview of mold risks and monitoring methods in library and archival collections. Open to all. Registration required. This webinar will be recorded.  

    💻 Web Accessibility Office Hours 

    Contact: Jaccavrie McNeely, Kate Butler 

    Need help making your web content accessible?  MBLC staff are here to help!  Join our office hours every first Friday at 11AM or third Wednesday at 3PM. 

    Next First Friday Session: Friday, September 5 at 11AM – No registration needed 

    Next Third Wednesday Session: Wednesday, September 17 at 3PM – No registration needed 

    View all upcoming Web Accessibility programming under the Internet, Technology, and Access category on our calendar. 

    📄Accessible Word Documents 

    Contact: Jaccavrie McNeely, Kate Butler 

    Thursday, September 11 at 2PM – Registration required 

    Learn advanced Word skills to make your documents accessible!  MBLC staff will be discussing and working through hands-on exercises for accessible headers, document templates, alt text, and more. 

    📰 FY2026 State Budget and Library Legislation 

    Contact: Rob Favini 

    Governor Maura Healey recently signed the $60 billion FY2026 state budget which includes $52,411,000 for libraries. The budget level funds all but two Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) budget lines: the Board of Library Commissioners Support and Outreach Services line (7000-9101) which was reduced by $21,341 and Technology and Resource Sharing line (7000-9506) which received a $3,210 increase. The full budget chart is available on the MBLC website. To read more about FY2026 state funding to libraries, visit the MBLC website. 

    📰 2026 MBLC Officers Elected 

    Contact: June Thammasnong 

    The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) elected new officers to serve for FY2026 at its Board Meeting on July 10, 2025. The elected positions of Chair, Vice Chair and Secretary form the Executive Committee of the MBLC. The Executive Committee is elected every July by the board for a term of one year. Commissioners can serve for two successive one-year terms in any office and after one year off the committee are eligible for election again.  To read more about the newly elected Executive Committee, visit the MBLC Website. 

    📰 MassArt at the Library Returns 

    Contact: Celeste Bruno 

    MassArt at the Library is returning for another summer of connecting people to art through workshops at public libraries. The program, sponsored by The Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt) and the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC), places MassArt faculty and student ambassadors in public libraries so that children and teens can experience the benefits of art creation, learn about the creative process, connect with MassArt faculty and students, and explore art as a possible career path. To read more about this summer’s MassArt Workshops, visit the MBLC website.  

    🖼️ For photos from the recent MassArt Sustainable Fashion Workshop in Lowell, visit the MBLC’s Flickr album. 

    🗓️ARIS Closes on Friday, August 15th 

    Contact: Cate Merlin, Jen Inglis 

    State Aid ARIS & Financial Report season continues! The FY26 ARIS survey will close on Friday, August 15th, and the FY26 Financial Report will open on Monday, August 4th and close on Friday, October 3rd. Financial Report workshops begin this month, and Waiver workshops will begin in September- view  all upcoming trainings here. Sign up for the State Aid Listserv for updates and information. Don’t hesitate to reach out to the State Aid team if you have any questions or concerns. More information and dates can be found at at the MBLC website.   

    💬 ARIS Drop-in Hours (Online) 

    Contact: Jen Inglis 

    Friday, August 1st at 10AM – Zoom Link 

    Monday, August 4th at 2PM – Zoom Link 

    Wednesday, August 6th at 10AM – Zoom Link 

    Monday, August 11th at 2PM – Zoom Link 

    Wednesday, August 13th at 10AM – Zoom Link 

    Drop-in with any and all questions about the ARIS survey before it closes on Friday, August 15th at 5pm (with signed signature pages emailed to Uechi.Ng@mass.gov)! No registration needed; use the same Zoom link for all Open Hours. 

    🖥️ Environmental Monitoring: Identifying and Monitoring for Mold (Online) 

    Contact: Jess Colati  

    Tuesday, August 12 at 2 PM – Registration 

    Conserv, MBLC’s environmental monitoring program partner, offers a brief overview of mold risks and monitoring methods in library and archival collections. Open to all. Registration required. This webinar will be recorded.  

    💻 Web Accessibility Office Hours 

    Contact: Jaccavrie McNeely, Kate Butler 

    Need help making your web content accessible?  MBLC staff are here to help!  Join our office hours every first Friday at 11AM or third Wednesday at 3PM. 

    Next First Friday Session: Friday, September 5 at 11AM – No registration needed 

    Next Third Wednesday Session: Wednesday, September 17 at 3PM – No registration needed 

    View all upcoming Web Accessibility programming under the Internet, Technology, and Access category on our calendar. 

    📄Accessible Word Documents 

    Contact: Jaccavrie McNeely, Kate Butler 

    Thursday, September 11 at 2PM – Registration required 

    Learn advanced Word skills to make your documents accessible!  MBLC staff will be discussing and working through hands-on exercises for accessible headers, document templates, alt text, and more. 

    💬 State Aid + Financial Report Weekly Drop-in Hours (Online) 

    Contact: Cate Merlin 

    Wednesdays in August and September at 9AM – Zoom Link 

    For August and September, Wednesday State Aid Office Hours are now also Financial Report Drop-in Hours- and they’re weekly at 9am! Make sure your budget, materials spending, and hours open fully meet State Aid requirements, and bring your Financial Report and/or Waiver questions, big and small. Registration is not required, and session and chats will not be recorded or saved. Use the same Zoom link each week. 

    🗨️ Preservation Office Hours (Online)  

    Contact: Jess Colati  

    Tuesday, August 5 at 10 AM – Zoom Link  

    Tuesday, August 19 at 10 AM – Zoom Link   

    Open to all interested in ensuring safe and stable storage and improving collection management for your library or organization’s preservation projects.  Connect with the MBLC’s Preservation Specialist, Jess Colati and colleagues around the Commonwealth that work to advance the protection of cultural collections during monthly office hours.  Sessions and chats are not recorded or saved. 

    🗓️August Financial Report Workshops (Online) 

    Contact: Cate Merlin, Jen Inglis 

    Tuesday, August 26th at 1pm – More Information & Registration 

    Thursday, August 28th at 10am- More Information & Registration 

    Review the FY26 Financial Report and questions. Workshop information (meeting ID, etc.) will be emailed to registered participants as the date of the session approaches. Financial Report Workshops (and Waiver Workshops) continue in September- see them all here. Registration is required. 

    📅 Get to Know Your Local Trial Court Law Libraries (Online) 

    Contact: Ally Dowds 

    Tuesday, August 19 at 11AM – Registration & More Information 

    Join staff from the Massachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries to learn about legal resources available to the general public and library staff. Services like Ask a Law Librarian and Document Delivery Service and informational access to Massachusetts and Federal legal forms, treatises, and case law research support legal research needs across the Commonwealth and may equip you with skills and tools to use during your next reference-based interaction.  Registration is required. 

    🤝Library Advisory Office Hours (Online) 

    Contact: Al Hayden 

    Monday, August 11 at 9AM – More Information & Zoom Link 

    Monday, August 25 at 2PM – More Information & Zoom Link 

    Open to all Directors, Trustees, Library Friends, and Foundation Members. They are designed to be an open-ended, safe space for questions and interaction among participants. Sessions will NOT be recorded, and chats will NOT be saved. Registration is not required; stop by anytime during the hour! 

    🕙 MBLC Monthly Board Meeting on September 4th (Hybrid) 
    Contact: Rachel Masse 

    The regular monthly board meeting of the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners is scheduled for 10AM on Thursday, September 4th, 2025, at the Holyoke Public Library. 

  • Immigration Enforcement and Library Spaces

    By Ally Dowds, MBLC Consultant, Services to Special Populations

    Libraries serve as vital community hubs and value their institutions as welcoming spaces that take proactive steps to protect patron rights and intellectual freedoms. Current federal immigration enforcement activities throughout Massachusetts and the broader United States have left library staff and stakeholders grappling with how best to support vulnerable community members and remain committed to missions rooted in diverse and inclusive practices. Below are suggested pathways to support staff and sustain our place as trusted institutions for all patrons.

    Clear policies and procedures

    As both a community and very public space, libraries may develop institutional procedures to feel better prepared to respond to ICE inquiries. This could include designating points of contact, outlining clear communication channels, or facilitating regular staff workshops on bystander training, patron privacy or emergency response to reduce uncertainty and support effective response. One place to start is to review the MA Library System’s collection of policy samples.

    Ultimately, librarians cannot dispense legal advice, but we can provide access to information, and this includes material related to an individual’s constitutional and statutory rights. Review the rights and legal framework for ICE stops, arrests, and inquiries found within Know Your Rights guidance from the Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General or refer patrons to local resources on Boston Public Library’s expansive Legal Services Referral list.

    Lastly, check to see if your city or town has developed its own laws around federal civil immigration enforcement. The Massachusetts Municipal Association has shared this official statement signed by leaders from 13 cities and one town on ICE activities in their communities.

    Know Your Rights and Theirs

    A good place to start is ALA’s How to Respond to Law Enforcement Requests for Library Records and User Information. This comprehensive guide on patron privacy may help you prepare for and respond to requests from law enforcement while upholding First and Fourth Amendment freedoms, professional ethics and state laws. If legal advice or expert opinion is needed, please do consult with the library’s local municipal attorney as they often have the final say on town legal matters.

    Sometimes all we can be in the moment is a good bystander. Someone to bear witness, relay information, or make a phone call. Page 3 of the Attorney General’s Know Your Rights guidance outlines these rights. Read it. Decide how and if this fits into your role, and remember, “Bystanders are not required to answer questions about their own immigration status or the status of another person.”

    Post-event staff support

    If your staff, your patrons, or your colleagues experience immigration enforcement in your library space, it is important to address and assess the impact this experience has on the individual or group. Review procedures, be an ally, provide staff training, host listening sessions, or connect employees and colleagues to Employee Assistance Program services.

    Community engagement and education

    Why should libraries concern themselves with immigration enforcement? Look to your library mission, which often encourages a library to be the mirrors and windows to the community it serves. Some of the basic ethical underpinnings of libraries is to offer free, nonjudgemental spaces for people to access lifelines to information. Libraries do this regardless of immigration status.

    Collaborate with partners like the MIRA Coalition to support immigrant communities on topics like bystander training, Family Preparedness, or legal clinics. Engage with local resources to ensure you are providing safe and accurate information to your patrons and staff. Display informational flyers in multiple languages that highlight immigration hotlines, Know Your Rights basics, or Citizenship Assistance and empower patrons through informational access.

    And finally, continue to build trust through collections that showcase diverse voices, programs that bridge the differences of our languages, and staff that welcome all through your doors.

  • MBLC Update – July 18

    Dear Colleagues:

    We’re taking every opportunity to keep the federal IMLS issue (especially databases) at the forefront for legislators—your help with that is making a difference and is greatly appreciated.

    This week I testified at the State House at an invitation only hearing before the House Committee on Federal Funding, Policy and Accountability. It was an opportunity for libraries and others from the cultural sector to talk about the effect of federal policy changes and funding cuts on our organizations. I was joined by Boston Public Library President David Leonard and American Library Association President-Elect and Cambridge Public Library Director Maria McCauley. We worked together to give legislators the full impact of the federal crisis on libraries and library users in Massachusetts. Thank you, Maria and David, for your support and for your leadership. You can view our testimonies here: https://malegislature.gov/Events/Hearings/Detail/5276

    The hearing continues to get some great media coverage. Our testimonies were the lead story in State House News and more coverage is below:
    NBC Boston
    MassCreative
    22News WWLP

    More on Funding
    As I mentioned last week, the MBLC continues to submit reimbursements to IMLS to try to get the federal funding that was approved  (and then stopped) for FY2025—on the federal timeline, FY2025 ends on September 30th (unlike the state timeline in which FY2025 ended on July 30). We were able to use one small reimbursement to restore statewide membership to United for Libraries. Al Hayden just sent out notice that people can register for the upcoming virtual conference.

    This is not an indicator that our FY2025 IMLS funding will be restored by September 30, nor does it mean that IMLS will be funded for FY2026. Like many state organizations that rely on federal funding (as we heard from many of our colleagues at this week’s hearing), we’re proceeding with extreme caution as we grapple with service cuts now and brace for potential further fallout from the recently passed federal budget and continued uncertainty about the future of IMLS.

    Please continue to reach out with any questions you have. We appreciate your support.

    Sincerely,

    Maureen Amyot

    Director, Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners

  • MBLC Update – July 11

    Dear Colleagues:

    It’s been a busy few weeks with both the state and federal budgets passed. I’ve included some key takeaways and actions needed below.

    Now is the time for IMLS funding
    Funding to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) will be decided in the next few weeks. It is critical to contact legislators now.

    In the federal budget framework that was just passed, IMLS is funded at $6 million to essentially close down the agency. BUT that is not a done deal. While IMLS is part of the federal budget, Congress, not the President, determines how much funding IMLS will get.

    The House Appropriations Committee is currently reviewing and marking up the budget. The subcommittee overseeing funding for IMLS is scheduled for Monday, July 21.  Members of this committee can be contacted.
    This article on BookRiot has valuable information about who to contact and what information to include.


    The federal budget impacts the state budget.
    Governor Healey signed the state budget last week. State legislators and officials are determining how federal budget cuts will impact the state. But the Governor has already been proactive. According to the Healey and Driscoll Administration, “Governor Healey is vetoing $130 million, resulting in a final budget that is more than $1 billion less than the H1 proposal and $130 million less than the final conference budget. The administration is also continuing an Executive Branch hiring freeze, halting a planned non-union manager pay raise scheduled for January, saving $17 million, and delaying payment on earmarked funds for local projects in the budget totaling approximately $125 million until later in the year when more is understood about their affordability.”

    The state budget level funds all but two Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) budget lines—in this climate that is good news. However, it is tempered with a $21,341 cut to the Board of Library Commissioners Support and Outreach Services line (7000-9101). For FY2026, the MBLC requested an increase of $414,854 to this line. Given the federal uncertainty, this funding is even more critical for agency staff and operations and was funded below FY2025 levels at $2,052,927.

    What is the status of IMLS?
    In addition to funding hurdle, the reauthorization of the Museum and Library Services Act (MLSA) of 2018 needs to happen by September 30. This is done by Congresson a six-year cycle. The 2018 MLSA authorizes spending levels through October 1, 2025. It is critical to contact legislators about reauthorization.

    The MBLC has had very limited contact with IMLS since much of the agency’s workforce was placed on leave. Last week the Supreme Court’s ruling on mass firings at federal agencies seems to support the Trump Administration’s reduction in workforce efforts. It’s unclear whether IMLS staff will be brought back while Massachusetts and other states pursue legal avenues.

    As I’ve mentioned in previous updates, the way the IMLS funding works in Massachusetts is that the MBLC expends money and is then reimbursed by IMLS for those expenses. The lack of IMLS staff and the uncertainty about IMLS funding mean the risk of not being reimbursed remains high.

    However, the MBLC continues to submit for reimbursements and some small reimbursements have gone through. It’s too soon to tell what that means for future reimbursements, especially with the significant hurdles that still exist for IMLS funding.  For more background the Center for Budget Policy and Priorities sums up the current circumstances well. Read the full article.

    Thank you for your advocacy and your support as we navigate these difficult times together. Please continue to reach out with questions anytime.

    Sincerely,

    Maureen Amyot

    Director, Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners