RE: FY 2027 State Budget for the Commonwealth’s Libraries through the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners

PDF- MBLC Letter to Governor Healey October2025 Download

October 30, 2025

Dear Governor Healey:

The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) would like to thank you, the Lieutenant Governor, and your administration for your unwavering support of libraries. Being a part of our conferences, construction events, filing a federal lawsuit to prevent the dismantling of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and attending one of our meetings as we grapple with book bans mean so much to the entire library community.

In the coming months, we know that your administration will face difficult choices as you formulate the FY2027 state budget. In light of the ongoing issues and uncertainty brought on by the federal cuts, policies, and executive orders, we want to provide you with a snapshot of how the Commonwealth’s libraries are doing, the challenges they are facing, and the ways that librarians are rising to meet the moment.

For many, life today means living in fear simply because of who they are. Rising prices make it harder for families, older adults, and young people just starting out to make ends meet. Massive layoffs at the federal level, and the destabilization of some of the Commonwealth’s most important sectors makes one wonder if the next job to be cut will be theirs. People who live in the margins become even more vulnerable.

These are the people we serve every day, and this is why libraries are needed now more than ever. Immigrants find support and citizen classes. Preschoolers and adults learn to read. Jobseekers sharpen skills. Teens find research help and buckle down in quiet study spaces. People with disabilities find materials that provide access. Unhoused people find a safe place to be for a while. People connect and no longer see each other as “other.”

Perhaps most importantly, everyone who walks into the library finds materials and events that represent diverse perspectives. Books that are banned in many other states are on the shelves in Massachusetts libraries because librarians and library staff continually defend everyone’s right to read.

It is in times of hardship and uncertainty that even more people turn to libraries. It’s what we’re already experiencing with an all-time high of more than 65 million items checked out last year. People of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds are going to library events — attendance rates jumped by 35%. The usage of eBooks, which can cost up to 6 times the consumer price for libraries to purchase, skyrocketed by more than 300% in the last decade. Community use of library meeting rooms increased by 30% over the same time period.

And that’s just “traditional” library services. Libraries connect people with essential services, as safety nets are eroding. For example, some of these critical programs are:

Public libraries in Cambridge, Pittsfield, Somerville, Worcester and Boston have hired full-time library social workers to support many needs including benefits eligibility and applications, food resources, housing, and employment; and resources for immigrants, refugees, LGBTQ+, and justice-impacted folks.
Plymouth Public Library’s Recovery Corner provides people with low-barrier access to information on substance use disorder, treatment options and centers, as well as harm reduction centers and supplies.
The Montague Public Library developed teen-centric programming and collections that address social isolation and mental health among tweens and teens. This project is in partnership with The Brick House, a nonprofit youth resource center.
The Wayland Public Library’s home delivery service enables access to library resources for people unable to visit the library on their own, reducing feelings of isolation and keeping folks connected to their communities and interests.

Libraries across the state are now loaning integrated assistive and adaptive technology to patrons with disabilities. These range from practical tools, such as wheelchairs and eyeglasses, to high-tech tools like screen readers and cutting-edge scene interpreters driven by artificial intelligence. Partnerships between the Perkins Library, the ARC of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and the library community allow access to expert guidance and referrals.

Libraries across the Commonwealth are not just providing traditional library services. Every day, libraries are stepping in to support people in ways that other organizations are not, or cannot.

Just as more and more people turn to libraries, funding for libraries is being cut. Earlier this year due to interruptions in federal funding, the MBLC was forced to make cuts to statewide services. This spring, several libraries including Stoneham, Lynnfield, and Orange faced drastic local cuts or closure.

Last year we tracked 22 municipalities that had to resort to budget overrides to fund library operations. For this fiscal year, we’ve already heard from many libraries that are facing cuts from their municipalities.

It is why even in this most difficult economic year, the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners respectfully requests local aid to libraries through the State Aid to Public Libraries Program line 7000-9501 be prioritized and increased by 5% to $21 million from FY26’s $20 million. This is critical unrestricted direct local aid that libraries can use to maintain their services. It has a massive impact across the Commonwealth with 347 out of 351 municipalities certified in the program and receiving this funding. For libraries and the millions of people who depend on them, it’s a lifeline.

Thank you again for your tremendous support and for your consideration. In 2024, you said the following at our conference: “Libraries are many things to many people. The one thing they are to all people, and every community is: indispensable. No other institution. No other space. No other agency of government or private-sector enterprise can do what libraries do – or do what librarians do.” Those words inspired us then and continue to do so today.

Sincerely,

Vicky Biancolo, Chair

Timothy Cherubini, Vice-Chair

Joyce Linehan, Secretary

Katherine Chang, MBLC Commissioner

George Comeau, MBLC Commissioner

Deborah Conrad. MBLC Commissioner

Kemarah Sika, MBLC Commissioner

Jessica Vilas Novas, MBLC Commissioner

Karen Traub, MBLC Commissioner

Get to Know the Founding Commissioners: C.B. Tillinghast

CB Tillinghast, MBLC Commissioner from 1890-1909. — C.B. Tillinghast, MBLC Commissioner from 1890-1909.

C.B. (Caleb Benjamin) Tillinghast (1843-1909) was a librarian, journalist, educator and public servant whose long career left a lasting mark on the Massachusetts State House Library. A graduate of Dartmouth College, he began his professional life as a teacher and journalist, moving to Boston before turning to public service. In 1888, he was promoted to be the Massachusetts State Librarian. As part of his responsibilities, he was appointed in 1890 as commissioner and chair for the newly formed Free Public Library Commission. He held both of these positions dutifully until his in 1909.

How did Tillinghast champion libraries in Massachusetts?

Tillinghast worked tirelessly for the Commonwealth’s libraries, promoting education and helping to establish libraries in towns where none yet existed. He advised officials on a wide range of issues, offering guidance to libraries, municipalities, donors, and publishers alike. Through his dedication and advocacy, Tillinghast not only expanded access to libraries across Massachusetts but also elevated the public’s understanding of their importance—spreading the value of libraries and the vital role of librarians in strengthening communities.

2. How did Tillinghast’s work challenge the cultural, social, or political norms of the late 1800s and early 1900s?

Caleb Benjamin Tillinghast’s work challenged the cultural and social norms of the late 1800s and early 1900s by promoting the radical idea that access to knowledge should be universal, not limited by class, gender, or geography. At a time when education and information were often reserved for the privileged, he championed the establishment of free public libraries across Massachusetts, ensuring that every community could benefit from learning and literacy. His advocacy for libraries as democratic institutions helped shift public perception—positioning them as essential to civic life and social progress.

3. What personal experiences shaped Tillinghast’s tenure as a library Commissioner?

Tillinghast’s passion for education shaped his work as a Library Commissioner. His early years as a teacher and local official taught him the value of public institutions. Before leading the Free Public Library Commission, he served as clerk and treasurer of the State Board of Education. He helped expand public education across Massachusetts. His vision strengthened ties between schools and libraries, promoting learning and access to knowledge for all.

4. How does Tillinghast’s impact still resonate in today’s libraries, and what can we learn from his legacy?

Tillinghast’s impact endures in the strong network of public libraries that continues to serve communities across Massachusetts. His belief in equal access to information laid the foundation for libraries as inclusive spaces for learning, connection, and civic engagement. Through his leadership, Tillinghast advanced the idea of libraries as essential civic institutions, promoting education, democratic participation, and equal access to knowledge.

5. An MBLC Favorite Quote about Commissioner Tillinghast:

“Governors, senators, and the more humble Boston representatives of foreign parentage turned to him with equal faith in his wisdom. It became a byword in the corridors there to ‘see Tillinghast.’” –Charles Knowles Bolton

These words about Tillinghast capture the deep respect and trust he earned throughout his career. Tillinghast had the ability to bridge divides—social, political, and cultural—through his integrity, knowledge, and dedication to public service. Tillinghast’s influence extended far beyond libraries.

6. Interesting fact(s) about Tillinghast:

A brief memoir about Tillinghast recounts that he “walked five miles on Saturdays to get books from an association library to supplement the meagre instruction of the school-room.”
Throughout his tenure at State Librarian, Tillinghast was offered several positions by other organizations, including head of the Boston Public Library.
Tillinghast wrote over 75,000 letters to family members, town clerks, and officials in local historical societies to gather information on Massachusetts legislators and created what is now know as the Massachusetts Legislative Biographical File Database.

The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) turns 135 years old this year and will once again celebrate with the Commissioner Awards honoring individuals who have carried forward the legacy of the founding Commissioners and who have made outstanding contributions to Massachusetts libraries and the residents they serve. You can read about the other founding Commissioners at: https://mblc.state.ma.us/mblc_blog/category/commr/

Get to Know the Founding Commissioners: Samuel Swett Green

Samuel Swett Green, MBLC Commissioner from 1890-1909

Samuel Swett Green (of Worcester, 1837-1918) was a pioneering American librarian. He is considered to be the “Father of Library Reference” for his emphasis on personal assistance in libraries. A graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Divinity School, he come the second librarian of Worcester Free Public Library in 1867, where he shaped practices that would influence libraries nationwide.

How did Samuel Swett Green champion libraries in Massachusetts?

Samuel Swett Green, often called the “father of library reference,” championed the growth and accessibility of libraries during his tenure as a library commissioner in Massachusetts. He advocated for the establishment of free public libraries across the Commonwealth, emphasizing their role in education, civic engagement, and equal access to knowledge for all.

How did Samuel Swett Green’s work challenge the cultural, social, or political norms of the late 1800s and early 1900s?

Samuel Swett Green’s work challenged the cultural and social norms of the late 1800s and early 1900s by promoting free public libraries as democratic institutions open to all, regardless of class or background. At a time when access to knowledge was often limited to the privileged, his advocacy for equal access to information pushed against entrenched social hierarchies and expanded opportunities for civic participation.

What personal experiences shaped Green’s tenure as a library Commissioner?

Born in Worcester in 1837, Samuel Swett Green was shaped by his Harvard education and career at the Worcester Free Public Library, where he pioneered active librarian assistance. Living in an era of rapid industrial change, he believed libraries should promote education and civic participation, which guided his work as Massachusetts library commissioner in expanding free public libraries across the state.

How does Green’s impact still resonate in today’s libraries, and what can we learn from his legacy?

Green’s impact still resonates in today’s libraries through his vision of librarians as active guides who connect people with knowledge, and during his time at Worcester Public Library he pioneered library reference service with school children and factory workers. Because of Green’s commitment to public service, the Worcester Public Library:

Was the first public library in the U.S. to open on Sundays (1872),
Established a lending collection of artwork,
Instituted interlibrary loans, and
Advocated the use of the telephone in libraries as early as 1880.

From his legacy, we learn the enduring importance of accessibility, personal service, and community engagement as core values in library work.

An MBLC Favorite Quote by Commissioner Green:

‘There are few pleasures comparable to that of associating continually with curious and vigorous young minds, and of aiding them to realize their ideals.”

From an 1876 essay by Green titled Personal Relations between Librarians and Readers.

Interesting facts about Samuel Swett Green:

Green was a founding library commissioner in Massachusetts as well as one of the founders of the American Library Association (ALA) and the Massachusetts Library Club which is now known as the Massachusetts Library Association (MLA).
Green wrote two books: Library Aids and Libraries and Schools.

Henry Stedman Nourse

By MBLC Preservation Specialist Jessica Branco Colati

Image of Henry Steadman Nourse — Henry Steadman Nourse, MBLC Commissioner 1890-1903

The Honorable Henry Stedman Nourse (April 9, 1831 – November 14, 1903), of South Lancaster, Lancaster, served as a founding commissioner of the Free Public Library Commission of Massachusetts from 1890 until his death in November 1903, soon after his appointment to a third term on the Commission.

Nourse was a Harvard-educated civil engineer, educator, and historian who served in the Civil War and as a Representative and Senator in the Massachusetts State Legislature. In addition to being a founding Library Commissioner, he served on many state, regional, and local commissions, committees, and boards, including the Lancaster School Committee and the Thayer Memorial Library’s Board of Trustees, of which he sat on for more than forty years

Born in Lancaster, Massachusetts, in 1831, Nourse’s ancestors included Mayflower pilgrims John and Priscilla Alden, as well as Rebecca Towne Nurse, a victim of the 1692 Salem witch hunts. After graduating from Harvard in 1853, he joined the faculty of Phillips Exeter Academy as professor of ancient languages. Nourse soon returned to Harvard, completing a Master’s degree in 1856. He then worked for a time at Whitwell and Henck, an engineering company in charge of filling in Boston’s Back Bay.

At the start of the Civil War in 1861, Nourse volunteered with the 55th Illinois Infantry. He acted as adjutant to the commander (as Alexander Hamilton did for Gen. Washington during the American Revolution), then rose to the rank of Captain of the regiment’s Company H. He also served as commissary of musters for the 17th army corps during several Federal campaigns. The 55th Illinois Infantry fought in more than two dozen battles and sieges during the Civil War, including the Battle of Shiloh where Nourse was slightly wounded, the Siege of Vicksburg, the Third Battle of Chattanooga, and Sherman’s March to the Sea. In March 1865, a month before Lee’s formal surrender at Appomattox, Nourse mustered out.

Ever the historian, Nourse was one of the authors of The story of the Fifty-fifth regiment Illinois volunteer infantry in the civil war, 1861-1865, published in 1887. Some years later, Nourse also participated in a Memorial Day ceremony recognizing Lancaster’s remaining Civil War veterans.

Lancaster, MA remaining Civil War veterans

Nourse did not immediately return north to Lancaster after the war. He settled in Pennsylvania for nearly a decade, working as the construction engineer and superintendent of the Bessemer Pennsylvania Steel Works in Steelton, near Harrisburg. He married widow Mary Baldwin Whitney Thurston, also originally from Massachusetts, in 1872. The Nourses relocated back to Lancaster in 1875, following a year-long trip to Europe that they may have embarked on as an extended honeymoon.

After returning to Massachusetts, Nourse resumed his public service endeavors within and beyond Lancaster. He served as a state representative in the Massachusetts Legislature in 1883, and then as a state senator in 1885-86. Several Massachusetts library-related acts were passed during Nourse’s terms in office, including ones supporting municipal library incorporation, the purchase of books for a prison library, support for the State Library, and protections for library holdings and property. Nourse was also appointed as a trustee of the Worcester Insane Hospital and to the Massachusetts Board of Charity in addition to his positions in Lancaster’s local government.

Nourse was appointed by Governor Brackett to serve as one of the first Library Commissioners in 1890. By all accounts, Nourse was a dedicated member of every body he served, including the Commission. He never missed a meeting during his thirteen years of service, despite living the farthest away from Boston. This dedication led to the poignant note in the Commission’s meeting minutes following his passing that his chair was empty “for the first time.”

A prolific historian, Nourse authored or edited several works, including a number focused on the history of Lancaster and its people. He compiled a bibliography and collected historic and contemporary pamphlets, notices, maps, drawings, invitations, programs, and other ephemera representative of daily life in the community, pasting each onto the pages of multiple volumes of “Lancastriana.”

Nourse extensively annotated and extra-illustrated a copy of The History of the Town of Lancaster by inserting maps, drawings, and clippings into the text block in a process known as grangerizing.

Nourse also extensively annotated and extra-illustrated a copy of The History of the Town of Lancaster by inserting maps, drawings, and clippings into the text block in a process known as grangerizing. In its expanded, three-volume form, with an additional volume of related items, Nourse’s version of the work is “the authoritative basis a student of Lancaster history requires to piece together a clear and lucid historical narrative.”

For 1899’s 9th Annual Report of the Free Public Library Commission, Nourse compiled a comprehensive history of the public library or libraries – or the lack of a public library – in each Massachusetts municipality. Anticipating strong interest in Nourse’s work, the Commission authorized an additional 2,000 printings of that year’s report. The encyclopedic resource is still referenced by MBLC staff when asked to share information about the origin of and early funding models for a particular community’s library.

Recognizing his passion for collecting and preserving local historical works and archival records, Nourse was elected to the American Antiquarian Society (AAS) in October 1883, joining fellow founding Commissioner Samuel Swett Green (Commissioner Caleb Benjamin Tillinghast would later be elected to AAS in 1907). He was later chosen to serve as AAS’s inaugural biographer. Nourse was also elected a member of the Massachusetts Historical Society in 1889.

Nourse died suddenly on November 14, 1903, while at home reading and correcting proof sheets for an upcoming publication. He had very recently presented a paper on the topic of power looms at AAS and had attended the Commission’s October meeting in Boston a few weeks earlier. Joining the many tributes made by the numerous groups Nourse was connected to, the Commission drafted its own resolutions in response to Nourse’s passing at its November 1903 meeting held just a few days later. In addition to lauding his many acts of service to the Union, the Commonwealth, and Lancaster, Commissioner Tillinghast emphasized Nourse’s dedication to libraries and archives, stating, “He has the highest ideal of the public library as the fountain of popular intelligence and the treasure house of local history.”

Author’s Note: Several volumes held by the Thayer Memorial Library’s Special Collections were authored by, annotated, collected, and/or donated by Henry Stedman Nourse. He literally left his mark on the library’s collection development. We are incredibly grateful for the assistance of Victoria Hatchel, Special Collections Librarian, in combing Thayer Memorial Library’s reference files, archival holdings, and special collections stacks in support of compiling this blog post.

In 2018, the Thayer Memorial Library was awarded $30,000 in federal funds provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and administered by the MBLC to conserve and digitize the four volumes, allowing for them to be viewable and searchable online.

Get to Know the Founding Commissioners: Henry Stedman Nourse

Henry Stedman Nourse (of Lancaster, 1831-1903) was a Civil War veteran who was part of General Sherman’s March to the Sea in 1864. He was a professor of ancient languages at Phillips Exeter Academy and a state legislator for the town of Lancaster. He was not only an avid historian of Lancaster’s local history but was also a member of many of the Commonwealth’s historical societies. Mr. Nourse took this passion to his work with libraries, which he saw as a “treasure house of local history.”

1. How did Commissioner Nourse champion libraries in Massachusetts?

Nourse was instrumental in establishing public libraries in towns across the Commonwealth as a library commissioner. His tireless advocacy for free public libraries emphasized their importance in education and community engagement. Nourse’s efforts ensured rural areas gained access to library resources, significantly contributing to the Massachusetts’ robust public library system.

2. How did Henry Stedman Nourse’s work challenge the cultural, social and/or political norms of the late 1890s and early 1900s?

Henry Stedman Nourse challenged the prevailing cultural norms of the late 1800s and early 1900s by working to promote the democratization of knowledge. He advocated for public libraries to provide free access to books and learning for everyone, regardless of socioeconomic background or geography. This was a shift from elitist norms of the time, as he supported literacy and education as universal rights, laying the groundwork for intellectual freedom.

Image of Henry Stedman Nourse in civil war uniform

3. What personal experiences shaped Nourse’s tenure as a Commissioner?

After serving in the Civil War, Nourse returned to Lancaster to find that the town had established an institution that functioned both as a public library and a memorial for Civil War veterans, which inspired him to contribute significantly to the community. He served on the Lancaster School Committee and Library Board (now the Board of Trustees), in addition to becoming one of the founding Commissioners of the MBLC.

4. How does Nourse’s impact still resonate in today’s libraries, and what can we learn from his legacy?

Henry Stedman Nourse’s work as a library commissioner in Massachusetts still resonates today through his focus on accessibility and community engagement. Nourse even donated his sizable collection of historical artifacts to the Town Museum to ensure access for generations to come that you can visit today at Thayer Memorial Library. As a pioneer for public libraries, Nourse’s vision established libraries as inclusive community hubs. His legacy emphasizes the importance of equal access to information, ensuring libraries remain vital pillars in our communities.

5. An MBLC Favorite Quote about Commissioner Nourse:

“The services performed by Mr. Nourse as a public-spirited citizen, for the benefit of his town and his state, can hardly be estimated at their full value…for he sounded no trumpet before him. In both branches of the state legislature, on the library commission, as trustee of the Worcester Insane Hospital, as member of the state board of charity, on the school committee and the library board of Lancaster — in all these relations, and many more, his courtesy, candor and good sense, his disinterestedness, his unshrinking readiness to do his full share of whatever was to be done, are gratefully remembered and spoken of by all who were associated with him.” (Samuel S. Green, 1904)

6. Fascinating Fact about Henry Stedman Nourse:

Nourse is a descendant of Rebecca Nurse, one of the women hanged as a witch in Salem in 1692.

Do you know a public official that reminds you of Nourse? The Henry Stedman Nourse Award honors a public official whose work has whose work has helped to create groundbreaking change for Massachusetts public libraries.

nominate a public official for the henry stedman nourse Award by october 1

Get to Know the Founding Commissioners: Anna Eliot Ticknor

Anna Eliot Ticknor, MBLC Commissioner from 1890-1896

Anna Eliot Ticknor (of Boston, June 1, 1823 – October 5, 1896) was an educator, who launched the first correspondence school in the United States, and pioneered public libraries in Massachusetts. She was a founding member of the Massachusetts Free Public Library Commission, known today as the MBLC, and served from 1890 until her death in 1896.

How did Commissioner Ticknor champion libraries in Massachusetts?

“Her familiarity with the intellectual possibilities of the home and the best methods and means of stimulating and meeting them, her appreciation of the free public library as an educational force, together with her experimental knowledge of the practical results that can be accomplished by simple and direct methods, made her judgment of especial value in outlining and crystallizing the work of the commission.” (Meeting Minutes and Report of the Commission, 1896)

How did Anna Eliot Ticknor’s work challenge the cultural, social, or political norms of the early 1900s?

Anna Eliot Ticknor was passionate about educating women in a time when women faced many obstacles pursuing higher education and intellectual endeavors. “… she was desirous to gratify, if possible, the aspirations of the large number of women throughout the country who would fain obtain an education, and who had little, if any hope of obtaining it.” (Samuel Eliot, 1897)

By providing women with the opportunity to pursue education via correspondence courses, Ticknor empowered women by expanding their intellectual horizons and challenging prevailing gender norms that confined women’s roles to domestic spheres. Ticknor fostered a community of learning and intellectual growth that paved a path for the broader movement towards gender equality in education. In fact, within two years of founding the Society to Encourage Studies at Home, Smith and Wellesley Colleges would be established (Bergman, 2011).

She and Elizabeth Sohier Putnam, another founding Commissioner, were the first women appointed to a United States public commission when they were appointed to the Massachusetts Free Public Library Commission in 1890.

What personal experiences shaped Anna Eliot Ticknor’s tenure as a library Commissioner?

Ticknor was highly educated and believed it was her responsibility to share her advantages with others, with the free public library holding a pivotal role in adult education. Her Society to Encourage Studies at Home was “designed to draw on the intellectual attainments of Ticknor’s leisured and wealthy friends to further the education of women throughout the country…Ticknor and her friends wanted to give away what men had long refused to allow women to buy: a liberal education.” (Bergmann, 2001)

How does Anna Ticknor’s impact still resonate in today’s libraries, and what can we learn from her legacy?

Ticknor’s work laid the groundwork for modern distance learning programs – she and the Society are cited in some Library and Information Science textbooks – and emphasized the importance of accessible education for all.

Libraries today continue to draw inspiration from her legacy by offering diverse educational resources and learning opportunities, embracing her vision of inclusive and lifelong education. From her and the Society’s legacy, we can learn the value of adaptability and the importance of creating learning opportunities that transcend traditional boundaries, ensuring education is available to everyone regardless of circumstances.

The literary interests of Anna and her father, George, also inspired the founding of The Ticknor Society, an organization of book collectors, booksellers, librarians, historians, archivists, conservators, printers, publishers, writers, and all lovers and readers of books that “recognizes that both father and daughter were instrumental in making books widely accessible in The Commonwealth of Massachusetts.”

An MBLC Favorite Quote about Commissioner Anna Eliot Ticknor:

“It will be seen that she was a teacher, an inspirer, a comforter and, in the best sense, a friend of many and many a lonely and baffled life.” (Samuel Eliot, 1897)

Do you know a librarian that reminds you of Ticknor? The Anna Eliot Ticknor Award honors a Massachusetts librarian whose work has increased residents’ access to the wealth of resources held at libraries across the Commonwealth.

Submit a nomination for the anna eliot ticknor commmissioner award by october 1

Learn more about Anna Eliot Ticknor and her pioneering spirit below!

Anna Eliot Ticknor, An Education and Public Libraries Pioneer

By MBLC Preservation Specialist Jessica Branco Colati

Anna Eliot Ticknor (June 1, 1823–October 5, 1896), of Boston, served as a founding commissioner of the Free Public Library Commission of Massachusetts from 1890 until her death in 1896. Ticknor was considered a “Boston Brahmin”, growing up in a prominent, well-traveled, highly-educated, and literary-minded family. She was an author and early proponent of distance learning, especially for women to continue their education while carrying out their wifely and motherly duties at home. She also gave voice to the role libraries could play in educating the public.

Anna was born in Boston in 1823 to parents George Ticknor, a Harvard professor of modern languages and one of the founders and early presidents of Boston Public Library. Her mother, Anna (Eliot) Ticknor, came from an extended family that included presidents of both Harvard and Trinity (CT) Colleges and poet and playwright T.S. Eliot. She regularly hosted her husband’s distinguished colleagues, literary figures including Charles Dickens and Henry David Thoreau, and other notable family friends, at the family’s Beacon Hill home or when traveling abroad.

Surrounded by books, artwork, academics, and authors from an early age, Anna wrote some volumes of her own, including a few articles, a biography of family friend, “Life of Joseph Green Cogswell as sketched in his letters”, and, in 1869, a travelogue for young(er) readers, “An American family in Paris; with fifty-eight illustrations of historical monuments and familiar scenes.”

The work that consumed most of her adult life was, however, Anna’s founding of the “Society to Encourage Studies at Home” in 1873. She filled many operational roles for the organization simultaneously, championing its work and recruiting many of her Boston high society friends and connections to join her in its efforts.

The Society is considered to be the first correspondence school in the United States, consisting of a network of women teaching women a formal course of study by mail. Her purpose in founding the Society was for “the improving the character, increasing the resources of the home” by making available “an enlightened modern curriculum; a lending library; and a warm correspondence between woman teacher and woman learner.”

Anna and the Society were true pioneers in American higher education for women, predating the founding of Smith College and Wellesley College by a few years. By 1896, the Society had remotely supported the continuing education of over 7000 students and engaged almost 200 instructors for its courses during its 23 years.

Anna was already 68 years old when she was appointed by Governor Brackett to be one of the first members of Massachusetts’ Free Public Library Commission. She was appointed to a one-year term to stagger the terms of the Commission’s board members, then reappointed for a full five-year term in 1891. She died on October 5, 1896, at her summer home in Newport, Rhode Island.

Author’s Note: While most of the sources for our expanded profile of Commissioner Anna Eliot Ticknor can be found online or in the MBLC Archives (follow the links in the text above to dive deeper into Anna’s many experiences and accomplishments!), the records of the Society to Encourage Studies at Home are held by the Boston Public Library and are not fully digitized.

They are available to researchers by visiting BPL’s Archives and Special Collections or requesting materials be digitized for remote personal consultation.

The History of the MBLC is a new, recurring series of blog posts highlighting the people, organizations, initiatives, and events that have shaped the work of the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners and its impact on libraries across the Commonwealth since its founding in 1890. Posts are authored by Jessica Branco Colati, Preservation Specialist (in her role as agency archivist) and June Thammasnong, Communications Specialist, as well as other occasional authors. External links to primary and secondary sources accessible online are included in the blog posts. The first group of posts will highlight the founding Commissioners in the lead up to the agency’s 135th Anniversary.

Meet your new MBLC Commissioner, Barbara Barros!

What are you looking forward to as a new Commissioner for Massachusetts libraries?

I’m looking forward to understanding the role I am in, what is expected of me and how I can make a difference.

What do you love about your local library?

There is something magical about entering a library; it’s the “old school” feeling where it takes me back to being a child spending my Saturday afternoons at my local library. Even though many things have changed over the years and not always for the better, the library has remained intact as a place to read, research and just be at peace in a nice quiet environment.

What do you like to do in your free time?

In my free time I garden, I write and I raise chickens. I also make soap and I belong to a dance group.

What book changed your life?

The book that changed my life I would say is Jonathan Kozol’s book Death at an Early Age. It was the first book I read that had my own writing in it. Jonathan was my 4th grade teacher and he included a composition I wrote into his book. Seeing my writing in print for the first time was inspiring and even though it took me years to begin my writing career that has always stuck with me.

What are you reading right now?

I’m presently finishing my summer reading. I’m reading Golden Girl by Elin Hilderbrand and just finished several of her books; Winter in Paradise, Endless Summer and Nantucket Nights.

Commissioner Barros is pictured here at a book signing with the novel and two children’s books she’s authored.

Meet our new Commissioner, Joyce Linehan!

Commissioner Joyce Linehan was recently appointed as Commissioner to the MBLC by Governor Maura Healey. She was sworn in on July 12, 2023 by Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll (pictured).

What are you looking forward to as a new Commissioner for Massachusetts libraries?

I am so excited to be a Commissioner, and I am grateful to Governor Healey and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll for the appointment. Libraries have been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember. I was raised by a single working mother in Dorchester, and she really relied on our local branch library (shoutout to the Adams Street Branch of the BPL!) to keep us occupied after school and in the summer. So I am most looking forward to giving back, and to doing all I can to make sure that everyone in the Commonwealth has free and equal access to libraries. I am also very interested in and disturbed by the library censorship that’s happening around the country. Library boards are an important backstop for that kind of dangerous activity. I truly believe what T.S. Eliot said: “The very existence of libraries affords the best evidence that we may yet have hope for the future of man.”

What do you love about your local library?

I am a voracious reader, and I am a heavy user of library e-books. I love the ease with which I can build a queue and books just appear like magic when they are ready. My local is the glorious Boston Public Library system, and I have been to all but a few of the 25 branches. As a child, at my branch, I took acting and writing classes, saw plays, music performances and poetry readings. Through college I spent copious amounts of time in the stacks at the Copley Square BPL, where my world was really opened up. Some of those libraries – like the main branch at Copley and the one in East Boston are architecturally stunning. Some have such strong communities and active friends groups that they serve as neighborhood institutions, providing all kinds of resources and support. All of them are cherished stewards of knowledge and information, and community anchors. In 2010, there was a proposal to close several Boston neighborhood branches, and that idea was met with such outcry and community organizing that it didn’t happen. People really communicated all that libraries mean to their communities.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I like to read! I read once that the average American female reader finishes 735 books in her lifetime (684 for men), and that’s not a lot of books. So I’m on a bit of a mission. I write for fun, and publish a Substack about music. I am a small-time art collector, and really wish I had more money and wall space to pursue more seriously. I also like to attend live theater and music performances, and I have been known to host author readings in my house. In fact, we had Matthew Desmond (Evicted, and Poverty, By America) and he won the Pulitzer after visiting with us. Coincidence? Though I like to read, my dog, Mercy, would prefer I do something else.

Commissioner Linehan’s dog, Mercy, attempting to interrupt reading time!

Commissioner Linehan displaying a work of art she just purchased with the artist, Franklin Marval.

What books have inspired you? *or* What book changed your life?

Oh, that’s a long list, and I suppose it depends on the day. I was inspired by Madame Secretary, George Martin’s biography of Frances Perkins, the first female cabinet secretary in the country, who really pushed FDR in designing and implementing The New Deal. Michael Patrick MacDonald’s All Souls was inspirational to me. I’ve known Michael since we were pretty young, and his courage in telling the until-then untold story of poor people in South Boston still inspires awe. Richard Rothstein’s The Color of Law, which tells the history of racism in American housing was hugely important to me when I was then-Mayor Marty Walsh’s policy chief, as was Elizabeth Hinton’s From the War on Poverty to the War on Crime: The Making of Mass Incarceration in America. And it’s relatively new, but Isabel Wilkerson’s Caste is an important book to me.

What are you reading right now?

I usually have one fiction and one non-fiction book working at the same time, and I just finished Howard Fishman’s remarkable To Anyone Who Ever Asks: The Life, Music and Mystery of Connie Converse. I was glad to find out that I am not the only one who is completely obsessed with Converse’s story and music. I also just finished Louise Kennedy’s Trespasses, which is one of the best works of fiction I’ve read of late. It’s sort of a love story set against The Troubles in Belfast in the mid-70’s. It’s as funny as it is heartbreaking. Bonus: Louise didn’t start writing until very late in life, so there’s hope for many of us! As soon as I hit send, I am off to Maine for a quiet weekend, and I am bringing Catherine Lacey’s Biography of X, and Kerry Howley’s Bottoms Up and the Devil Laughs: A Journey Through The Deep State.

Get to Know Commissioner Mary Ann Cluggish

(Commissioner Cluggish in the center of Blades and Lauren Baker at a summer reading event at Tyngsboro Public Library in 2022 .)

What is your favorite thing about being a commissioner?

Since this is my last year on the MBLC, it seems a bit odd to be introducing myself, but here goes. Just being on the MBLC and participating in events is interesting and fun. But speaking at Groundbreakings and Library Dedications is an honor and brings a special satisfaction. MBLC Summer Reading Events are simply delightful and again, a satisfying activity in helping to generate interest in reading in young children. It has been an honor to represent the MBLC at Legislative Breakfasts, meet Legislators, and advocate for Libraries. I enjoyed served as Chair for a couple of terms and certainly enjoyed the Executive Board.

(2017 Hopkinton Ribbon Cutting)

What do you love about your local library?

What I love about my own Library, is that it’s very well-run and busy. As Trustee Chair, I shepherded the construction of the new library through Town Meeting despite being vigorously opposed for two years by three different groups. I then was intimately involved with the construction for a year and a half; so intimately involved, that the Director and I chose the color of the mortar between the bricks! Whenever I walk into the building, I am so filled with pride that it feels like my head is going to explode. I also participated heavily in raising $3.6 million dollars for the construction of the new building and was part of the team that set up the Foundation. I served as a Trustee for 12 years; I am still active peripherally in various activities.

Plaque honoring Mary Ann Cluggish at Wellesley Free Library.

What do you like to do when you’re not being a commissioner?

Who I am can be summed up in these categories: Travel, the Outdoors, Wildlife, Birding, Water, and Town Affairs. I got the travel bug early, saved my money, and traveled around Europe for a year when I was 22 years old. I’ve been on three African Safaris and to most of the countries in South America. I’ve also traveled the world with birding groups to search for and identify birds. I’m very proud of the fact that in my lifetime I’ve identified over 1000 species in the wild. On weekends in the winter, I can be found walking the beaches of Massachusetts looking for Snowy Owls.

(Left: Commissioner Cluggish is an avid birder. Do you know what type of bird this is? Right: Commissioner Cluggish in Argentina with a penguin!)

On the water: I volunteered weekly on the Boston Harbor Islands every summer for 13 years, leading tours and answering questions. I’ve done several whale and orca research trips with Earthwatch and similar organizations. I’ve also been kayaking the rivers of Massachusetts for a long time.

Insofar as Town Affairs go, I was part of a group of 5 women who founded the Town’s Recycling program way back in 1971. It was the first in the state and one of the first in the nation. Both the EPA and Mass Audubon surprised us with awards. I also was part of a group of 13 women who started an Environmental Aide program in the public schools. We took children on nature walks, and taught them winter tracking, simple geology, tree identification, etc.

I’ve been an elected Town Meeting Member for 40 years, served on three elected boards, on the Finance Committee, the Permanent Building Committee, and on several appointed Ad Hoc study committees. I served as chair of an Open Space Management Study Committee, convinced the Town Meeting to approve the merging of 7 different authorities and set up a Natural Resources Commission. As the first Chair, I negotiated the purchase of 42 acres of open space, and persuaded Town Meeting to approve funding the purchase.

Professionally, I was a Vice President of Sales and Marketing for a small company, and then a Trainer/Consultant to High Technology Companies. Both of these positions enabled me to travel both nationally and internationally.

What books have inspired you? *or* What book changed your life?

As a young reader I was inspired by books about early aviators, with Amelia Earhart leading the bunch of course.

What are you reading right now?

Crossroads by Johnathan Franzen.

(Commissioner Cluggish gives a rousing speech about the continued importance of libraries and congratulates the town’s hard work at Salisbury Public Library in June 2014).

Get to Know Commissioner Vicky Biancolo

What is your favorite thing about being a commissioner?

I particularly enjoy visiting libraries and getting inspired by the professionalism, creativity, thoughtfulness, and care I see in libraries across Massachusetts. I also appreciate being part of important conversations that affect library services for so many.

What do you love about your local library?

I have lived in Massachusetts for most of my life, and I have loved all of my local public libraries, from the tiny reading library in Richmond to Worcester’s large, beautifully updated modern library. I love browsing the stacks, finding a comfortable chair, and tasting many different genres, authors, and subjects. I particularly appreciate that libraries are often the only indoor gathering spaces in a community where people are not required to purchase anything!

What do you like to do when you’re not being a commissioner?

I work full time as the Director of Library Services at Worcester Academy. In my free time I love to travel, hike, kayak, read, and watch movies with my family.

What books have inspired you? *or* What book changed your life?

In high school I was introduced to Jane Austen, which started a life-long love affair with Regency-era drama. It was the first time I realized that people’s hopes, wishes, and challenges of the past were pretty similar to those of today, and thereby made literature–and history–come alive for me.

What are you reading right now?

I tend to have two books going at the same time, one fiction and one nonfiction. At the moment I am reading Anxious People by Fredrik Backman and Africa Is Not a Country: Notes on a Bright Continent by Dipo Faloyin.