🕙 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.
🗓️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.