Dear Members of the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation:
On behalf of mayors and city officials across Massachusetts, we thank you for your leadership in representing the needs of our communities. We are writing to express our deep concern over an executive order signed March 14, 2025 that would target federal funding to libraries and museums through the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). IMLS is the single largest source of critical federal funding for libraries, however it only accounts for 0.003% of the federal budget.
In Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) received $3.6 million from IMLS’ Grants to States Programs. This money funds several statewide services for everyone, including the full and partial salaries for MBLC staff, statewide research databases, Summer Reading, the Statewide eBook Program, statewide trainings for librarians to increase access for people with vision loss, early literacy development and grade level reading programs, and Interlibrary Loan. It is also critical to note that IMLS funding also supports museums in our communities.
Libraries offer the opportunity for members of the public to access materials at no cost or low cost to them. For individuals with visual impairments or other disabilities, it can be difficult to sustain a need or desire for reading materials that are usable for their needs. Most importantly, Interlibrary Loan offers the chance for library patrons to obtain materials that are not a part of their home library’s collection. In towns that have smaller collections, Interlibrary Loan offers a gateway to materials throughout the Commonwealth.
As elected officials on the front lines, we know that libraries are more than spaces to hold reading materials. Libraries also serve as spaces that offer connections to social services and resources, support for small business owners and entrepreneurs, and they can serve as a space for community. Since their creation, American libraries have served to keep and circulate knowledge; they have remained dedicated to promoting intellectual freedom in our democracy. We urge the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation to work together and across party lines to protect IMLS funding from harmful cuts and policy changes. As local leaders, we are directly accountable to the residents we serve. Thank you for your continued leadership and commitment to protecting the well-being of all residents.
Sincerely,
Joseph M. Petty, Mayor of Worcester Cathleen DeSimone, Mayor of Attleboro Dori A. Vecchio, Interim Town Manager of Auburn Robert Pontbriand, Town Manager of Ayer Margaret “Peg” Stone, Select Board Chair of Berlin Robert F. Sullivan, Mayor of Brockton E. Denise Simmons, Mayor of Cambridge Charles Seelig, Town Administrator of East Bridgewater Samantha Squailia, Mayor of Fitchburg Charles Sisitsky, Mayor of Framingham Michael J. Nicholson, Mayor of Gardner Greg Verga, Mayor of Gloucester Virginia “Ginny” Desorgher, Mayor of Greenfield Melinda Barrett, Mayor of Haverhill Brian A. DePeña, Mayor of Lawrence Caesar Nuzzolo, Select Board Chair of Lunenburg Jared C. Nicholson, Mayor of Lynn David P. Beauregard, Jr., Mayor of Methuen Ruthanne Fuller, Mayor of Newton Gina-Louise Sciarra, Mayor of Northampton Ted Bettencourt, Mayor of Peabody Sherry Patch, Town Administrator of Princeton Leah Whiteman, Select Board Chair of Rutland Austin J. Cyganiewicz, Town Administrator of Rutland Dominick Pangalo, Mayor of Salem Domenic J. Sarno, Mayor of Springfield
We interrupt your regularly scheduled, policy-centered fortification with a practical guide on determining just how much value your library contributes to your community. Welcome to ROI 101: Your library’s return on community investment. In this Fortifying Friday post, I’ll be showing you some tools that can help you calculate the value of your services to your community and the return on investment those services bring for every tax dollar that’s invested in your library. I’ll also give you some suggestions on how to frame those numbers in a way that can be meaningful to those who are making decisions about library funding.
Return on Investment
A return on investment (ROI) is generally a metric that’s used in the business world to calculate how much profit was gained from an investment. As a government service, public libraries obviously don’t turn a profit, nor are they meant to. But that doesn’t mean that libraries don’t add immense value to their communities. While some of that value will always be incalculable (who can quantify the positive feelings or nostalgia someone feels in a library?), there are some very concrete ways to quantify what a library offers its users and non-users alike. Enter the ROI.
Most public libraries in Massachusetts are funded by a combination of municipal, state and some federal tax dollars. Though some are also privately funded as independent 501(c)3 organizations, they still receive enough municipal appropriations to obtain state certification and state aid. For our purposes, we will be looking at the return on investment for the municipal tax dollars, i.e. what the city or town spends on its public library, as these are generally the largest part of a library’s budget and are the funds most likely to be applied to the most common library services. The library’s municipal officials (town management, select board, city council, etc.) are also likely to be familiar with an ROI figure as an understandable and relatable metric.
There’s a Calculator for That
How does a library start calculating its ROI? Fortunately, the Maine State Library* still posts a ROI calculator that was developed by MLA and the Chelmford Library’s Brain Herzog. So what’s left for you to do is obtain the correct statistics to plug into that tool. Those statistics they’re asking for? You already have them. Your ARIS statistics that you submit to the MBLC every August have the numbers you need. Click “calculate” and you’ll have a number.
Don’t get too excited (yet). The number you get from the calculator isn’t your ROI. That number is the dollar amount of what your services would cost the average person if they were paying for them out of pocket. The next number you need is your municipal appropriation, which you can also easily get. While you may have this number in your budget files and in your financial reporting that you submit to the MBLC in October, you can also get it in relation to the budget of the other departments in your municipality.
Have a Slice of Municipal Pie
As a self-admitted data nerd, this is quite possibly one of the most underrated library tools out there (the CensusData tool runs a close second). Allow me to introduce you to the municipal pie. This link will take you to the MA Department of Revenue’s site that lists and charts every MA municipality’s budget info and breaks it down by department. Here is where you see your total municipal budget appropriation and where your budget falls in relation to other departments in your city or town. Here’s how you get there:
Find your municipality from the drop-down.
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Screenshot of detail of website with Division of Local Services: MA Department of Revenue logo indicating the content of “Schedule A General Fund and Library Expense Prepared for the Board of Library Commissioners” with a drop-down menu asking to “Select Municipalities” and listing the name of MA municipalities with a selectable check box next to each option
Choose the fiscal year you want to see. (For ROI purposes, it’s best to use the most recent, but you can also compare to previous years for other interesting information.)
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Screenshot of detail of website with Division of Local Services: MA Department of Revenue logo indicating the content of “Schedule A General Fund and Library Expense Prepared for the Board of Library Commissioners” with a drop-down menu asking to “Select Fiscal Years” and listing years from 2024 back to 2003 with a selectable check box next to each option
Click on “Chart Library Expenditures” to see the pie chart breaking the tax dollar budget appropriations for your municipality. For demonstration purposes, this pie chart is for ALL the municipalities in MA. That tiny pie slice is the percent of the budget that all libraries have in the overall budget of Massachusetts. In other words, on average, libraries across the state are 1.1% of the Commonwealth’s budget. How does your municipality compare?**
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Screenshot of detail of website with Division of Local Services: MA Department of Revenue logo. The selectable option “Chart Library Expenditures” is highlighted.
What’s Your Number?
OK – you have your calculated value and your municipal appropriation. To calculate your return on investment, divide the value determined in the library calculator by your total municipal budget, (calculated value / municipal budget = ROI). This number will very likely be greater than 1. When you multiply this number by 100, you’ll get your ROI percentage. This is a valuable metric that will be understood by a good portion of your community regardless of their connection with the library.
Spread the news!
Your library’s percentage is very likely over 100% and is probably somewhere between 100-1000%. The most important thing you can do now is to put that in context for your community. Here’s an example:
You’ve calculated that your ROI is 430%
What this means: The value of your library’s services is 4.3 times what your municipality invests in your library
Or: For every $1 tax dollar that your municipality invests in your library they get $4.30 back in services that do not cost your community any additional money
To put it another way: You’re offered a savings account where, for every dollar you put into that account you get $4.30 back in interest. (I don’t know a single person who wouldn’t take that deal.) That is essentially what your library is offering where, in this case the interest = services.
One more point you want to stress: those services that are worth 430% MORE than the tax dollars that have been invested to your library do not cost your community any additional money. The people using your services are doing so at no additional cost to them beyond the taxes they have already paid into their community. No one is asking them to pay a fee to take advantage of a staff member’s expertise on safely and critically navigating the internet. No one is charging admission for the early literacy benefits of a story time at the library. Libraries are not charging per hour for after school programs that tutor kids and give them skills to succeed. Most of us know (as I’ve previously mentioned) that if you are considered a municipal employee (and most library workers are; even association libraries usually get their staff salaries from their municipal budget), then you have a responsibility to be good stewards of tax dollars. Your ROI is concrete data offering proof that you are stretching those tax dollars as far as they can go.
Once you have your number and its context, get this information out into your community! Do NOT wait to get this information out there. Your ROI is not an “ace in the hole” number to pull out only during budget negotiations (though it can be helpful to remind your municipality of your ROI during those negotiations). This is a number that everyone who enters the library, uses library services, or has a say in library services should be able to see. Put it on flyers; post it around the library; add it somewhere on your website; send everyone picking up a hold home with a bookmark that tells them just how much their tax dollars are offering them. Update this information every year as your new budget comes through. Most importantly, arm your advocates with this information. The more people in your community who know the value of the services you are offering to your community, the better. I’ve talked before about showing the community you’re a good steward of tax dollars. This is a great way to demonstrate what good stewards you are because you are backing that info with data. You are telling your community: we know how to stretch a dollar and get the most out of the money we’re given. You give us $1 and we will use that dollar to give our community services that are worth multiple times your investment.
*There are other library calculators out there, but the ALA links to the Main State Library one while their tool is, unfortunately, not currently available.
** A note for Association libraries: your “slice” of pie will likely be considerably below the average since your primary sources of income are structured differently than municipal libraries. That doesn’t mean you can’t still get some great data, though!
Much has happened in the two weeks in since President Trump signed Executive Order 14238. However, the primary question remains: will Massachusetts and all the other states receive the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) funding that is in statute?
To that end the IMLS Board sent a letter to IMLS Acting Director Keith Sonderling with the Board’s determination that “the Museum and Library Services Act of 2018, as codified in Title 20 of the U.S. Code, outlines specific statutory mandates that cannot be paused, reduced, or eliminated without violating Congressional intent and federal statute.”
U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) also led a bipartisan effort to send a letter to the IMLS acting director seeking assurances that allocated federal funding for IMLS will be implemented in a manner that is consistent with bipartisan approved appropriations laws. Senator Reed was joined by U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). Both are tangible examples that making our voices heard is paying off. Earlier this week, the Massachusetts Library Association (MLA) released a statement opposing the executive order, and sent information about a new initiative by Senator Edward Markey (D-MA) to collect stories: https://www.markey.senate.gov/trumpstories. MLA also informed us that Representatives Dina Titus (NV-01) and Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) are circulating a letter for other members of the House of Representatives to sign onto asking the Administration to reconsider the executive order. The deadline for members of Congress to sign onto the letter is the end of the day today, Friday, March 28.
At the MBLC we appreciate the emails we’ve received letting us know how important databases are, or the huge impact an LSTA grant had on your community, or how much your patrons rely on ComCat. These stories help us demonstrate the importance and value of these services.
The MBLC continues working with other state library agencies to assess the impact and share information. The MBLC also met with the Talking Book Libraries, Networks, MLA, Massachusetts School Library Association, Massachusetts Center for the Book, and the Massachusetts Library System. We plan to hold meetings with the broader library community when we have more answers and more concrete information to share.
In the meantime, understanding how the MBLC receives federal funds may be helpful. The MBLC was awarded $3.6 million through IMLS’ Grants to States program. The MBLC does not receive the funds in a lump sum. Instead, we submit a monthly invoice and are reimbursed. We are concerned that this may end with little or no warning. It is in this environment of uncertainty that the MBLC is working to find ways to hold steady the services that libraries and patrons need. Services depend on staff. More than half of the MBLC’s 23 staff members are at least partially funded with federal dollars. The entire State Aid to Public Libraries staff falls into this category. So, while the State Aid Program is funded with state dollars, the ability for the program to function depends on staff who are partially funded with federal dollars. Staff continue to support and advise trustees, run the direct grant program, develop trainings, partnerships, and resources to support our most vulnerable populations, work with Networks, and more. Simply put, without staff at the agency we cannot provide the services required under Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 78. Our staff is the service we provide to the library community.
Thanks to the careful extensive planning by MBLC staff, statewide databases, ComCat, and the platform that makes statewide eBook sharing possible will continue uninterrupted for the remainder of the fiscal year (ending June 30, 2025). This allows some time for legislative efforts and potential legal pushbacks to play out.
That doesn’t mean we stop planning. Maintaining services is our priority and we will continue to work towards that end. Please continue to reach out with questions or concerns anytime.
Sincerely,
Maureen Amyot
Director, Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners
Reed Leads Bipartisan Effort to Preserve Support for Public Libraries & Museums
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jack Reed, the leading champion for public libraries in the U.S. Congress, today led the co-authors of the last reauthorization of the Museum and Library Services Act in sending a letter to the acting director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) seeking assurances that allocated federal funding for IMLS will be implemented in a manner that is consistent with bipartisan approved appropriations laws.
Senator Reed was joined by U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) in writing to IMLS Acting Director Keith Sonderling urging him to continue IMLS’s mission to engage with and support libraries and museums, as Congress intended when it created the agency. The letter comes in response to a March 14, 2025 executive order [whitehouse.gov] issued by President Trump that seeks to eliminate the IMLS to the greatest extent possible under the law along with several other federal agencies and services.
“As the lead authors of the Museum and Library Services Act (MLSA) of 2018 (PL 115-40), which was signed into law by President Trump, we write to remind the Administration of its obligation to faithfully execute the provisions of the law as authorized,” the Senators wrote. “The MLSA established the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and tasked the Director with the “primary responsibility for the development and implementation of policy to ensure the availability of museum, library, and information services adequate to meet the essential information, education, research, economic, cultural, and civic needs of the people of the United States.”
Senator Reed and his colleagues called attention to the fact that IMLS is the largest supporter and investor in public libraries, museums, and archives across the nation which all play critical roles in strengthening local communities.
Federal funding made available through IMLS programs help to ensure that all Americans, regardless of income or socioeconomic background, have access to free books, services, skills and career training, internet connection, and much more that is provided through the nation’s system of public libraries as well as educational and cultural enrichment provided through local museums.
The Senators continued: “Libraries and museums play a vital role in our communities. Libraries offer access for all to essential information and engagement on a wide range of topics, including skills and career training, broadband, and computing services. IMLS grants enable libraries to develop services in every community throughout the nation, including people of diverse geographic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds, individuals with disabilities, residents of rural and urban areas, Native Americans, military families, veterans, and caregivers. Museums serve not only as centers for education but also as drivers of local economic development.”
In an effort to ensure that the Trump Administration keeps true to the spirit of the law when it comes to funding IMLS and disbursing federal funding through its grant programs, the Senators said: “We expect that the Administration will implement the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act of 2025 in a manner consistent with these allocations enacted in Fiscal Year 2024. We also expect that the Administration will allow the IMLS to engage with and support both libraries and museums as Congress intended and as authorized in the MLSA.”
On Friday, March 14, President Trump signed an executive order that targets federal funding to libraries and museums through the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). IMLS is the single largest source of critical federal funding for libraries. IMLS’ entire program of service costs 87 cents per person (US population July 2024).
From the executive order: This order continues the reduction in the elements of the Federal bureaucracy that the President has determined are unnecessary.
The non-statutory components and functions of the following governmental entities shall be eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law, and such entities shall reduce the performance of their statutory functions and associated personnel to the minimum presence and function required by law.
MBLC staff: 13 of the MBLC’s 23 staff members are at least partially funded through IMLS (5 fully funded, 8 partially funded)
Statewide research databases
The Commonwealth Catalog (ComCat)
Summer Reading
The Statewide eBook Program (Library eBooks and AudioBooks-LEA) Funding for the eBook platform and some eBook content.
Statewide trainings for librarians to increase access for people with vision loss
Data collection and reporting
Federal funding also supports the E-Rate program
Key Points to remember:
IMLS’ Grants to States Program (which is how Massachusetts and every other state gets federal funding for libraries) is in statute, Chapter 72 of Title 20 of the U.S. Code, so we’ll be getting more information to clarify the impact of this executive order.
The MBLC has been contingency planning for several months and if federal funds are eliminated or greatly reduced, it will act to preserve the core library services it provides.
Everyone can take action to stop the targeted attacks on libraries.
Is the State Aid to Public Libraries Program affected by federal funding? State Aid Grant Awards that public libraries receive through the State Aid to Public Libraries are fully funded by the annual state budget line 7000-9501. Not federal funding. However, all staff who work in the State Aid Unit are funded in part through federal funding. Data reporting through ARIS will continue.
What do I do if I have an LSTA grant from the MBLC? If you received a federal grant (LSTA) from the MBLC in July 2024, your grant is secure and you should proceed with your intended service. For libraries that recently were awarded Explore Grants, the MBLC is proceeding with grant disbursement as planned. Should that change the MBLC will reach out to individual grant recipients.
Are the grants from Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program (MPLCP) affected by federal funding? The MPLCP is not federally funded. Governor Maura Healey and the State Legislature included $150 million for the MPLCP in the Economic Development Bill.
Are any of the MBLC services going to be immediately affected? Right now, statewide databases, ComCat, and the other services the MBLC provides (mentioned above) will continue. Should that change, the MBLC will notify the library community immediately.
The executive order raises many questions about which programs are statutory, and which are discretionary. In the days ahead, the MBLC will work with our state and federal partners to determine a course of action and provide you with more information as it becomes available. Please reach out with questions anytime.
Sincerely, Maureen Amyot
Director, Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners
Is the State Aid to Public Libraries Program affected by federal funding?
State Aid Grant Awards that public libraries receive through the State Aid to Public Libraries are fully funded by the annual state budget line 7000-9501. Not federal funding. However, all staff who work in the State Aid Unit are funded in part through federal funding. —Cate Merlin, Head of State Programs
🆕 NEW BLOG SERIES! Fortifying Your Library with Al Hayden
The regular monthly board meetingof the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners is scheduled for 10AM on Thursday, April 3, 2025, at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, North Adams. This is a hybrid meeting.
😎Apply for a Summer Library Visit with Blades by March 24
Blades library visits are 1 hour with all event materials provided by the MBLC and Bruins. A typical visit includes a hockey themed story (read by librarian or local VIP), hockey trivia, activity stations (coloring, beading, button making), photos with Blades, and outdoor games (such as Jenga and Connect 4).
The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) recently awarded $1 million in grants to Automated Networks for purchase of eContent for the Library eBook and Audiobook program (LEA). LEA gives Massachusetts residents access to eBooks, audiobooks, and more from 389 participating libraries. For more information on increased eBook funding, visit the MBLC website.
Libraries certified in the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners’ (MBLC) State Aid to Public Libraries Program receive local aid funding to directly support public library services. For FY2025, 347 municipalities and their libraries are certified in the program and will share $20 million. For more on FY2025 State Aid, visit the MBLC website.
The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) is pleased to announce 18 libraries will receive a combined $93,000 as the FY2025 recipients of Explore Grants. The MBLC uses federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funding to provide Explore Grants that improve library services, collections, and programs. For more on how federal funding makes a local impact with the Explore Grants, visit the MBLC website.
📜 Community Voices: Curating Oral Histories and Audiovisual Collections (Recording now available online)
Whether your recordings are audio, video, “on tape,” or born digital, curating oral histories and other media introduces new and different questions around collecting, management, preservation, and use. What equipment do you need to capture or digitize? How do you calculate storage? Should you work with a vendor? Do you need permission to make people’s stories and historical recordings available in your library and online? View the recording online, and/or contact Preservation Specialist Jess Colatiwith any questions or to schedule a 1-on-1 appointment.
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!
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.
Join Cate Merlin, Head of State Programs, and your fellow Library Directors, Trustees, and others seeking advice and answers as we embark upon the FY2026 budget season. Make sure your next budget, materials spending, and hours open fully meet State Aid requirements, and share ideas for budget strategies with others- registration is not required, and session and chats will not be recorded or saved.
📈 Census Bureau Data 101: Resources and Services (Online)
In this workshop you will learn about U.S. Census Bureau’s surveys and data resources available to help you understand, access, and use Census Bureau data, which can be helpful to libraries for community research and outreach, program planning, and resource allocation. We will take a tour of the Census Bureau’s website and highlight areas that may be most useful to library staff and patrons and provide a demonstration on how to quickly pull up your community’s data profile.
👭 Building Friendships Between People with and without Disabilities: A Train-the-Trainer Workshop (Online)
The ARC of Massachusetts will facilitate a 2-hour train-the-trainer workshop model to equip library staff with the skills and strategies needed to foster friendships between people with and without disabilities. This interactive presentation will provide practical tools to help integrate inclusive practices into your organization. Registration is required.
The State Aid team is excited to introduce Baker & Taylor Connect to the Library community! B&T Connect is the data analysis and visualization counterpoint to B&T Collect. This training will walk you through the basics of creating and viewing data and charts using years of your library data (and data from all MA libraries), so you can better advocate for your libraries and communities.
🌍 Breaking Bad Conversations about Climate Change with John E. Fernandez(Online)
Please join us to learn how to better communicate about challenges facing our climate with Professor John E. Fernandez, a practicing architect, a full professor in the Department of Architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the Director of MIT’s Environmental Solutions Initiative. Professor Fernandez will leverage his experience engaging across diverse sectors of American society – the public sector, private sector, communities, and civil society generally – to offer ways in which to engage in non-confrontational, nonpartisan, and, most importantly, positive conversations about climate change. The aim of the talk will be to discuss cases in which conversations are likely to be derailed by current misunderstandings and explicitly confusing information and offer pathways toward, if not agreement, then purposeful enhancement of understanding and empathy. Professor Fernandez will also offer several information and communication assets developed over the past few years by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative.
This webinar was planned by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, the Massachusetts Library System, and the Vermont Department of Libraries.
🌈Special Populations Deep Dive: Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth (Online)
Join us for a conversation and Q&A with the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth to learn more about its Annual Recommendations for state agencies (including the MBLC!), the Safe School Initiative, and opportunities for trainings and technical assistance to schools across the state. The Commission advises others in state government on effective policies, programs, and resources for LGBTQ youth and will help connect you to resources and latest news to help libraries support youth in their communities.
It’s not too late to join the Boston Bruins, DCF/Wonderfund and Cradles to Crayons to collect pajamas for kids in need until March 15. Together, we hope to collect 10,000 pairs of new PJs!
In collaboration with the Massachusetts Library System (MLS) and Simmons University School of Library and Information Science, we are excited to announce the Library Summit on Social Cohesion! This in-person event will provide a nourishing day for library staff to strengthen relationships within our profession and to support our important role fostering social connection in our communities. The theme of the summit is: Together We Thrive: Libraries as Catalysts for Social Cohesion. Registration is required.
To better understand library services to incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals, Ally Dowds, Consultant to Special Populations at the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, recently conducted a survey of public, school, academic, and special libraries. Of the 48 respondents, 9 currently provide outreach services to incarcerated individuals and 4 support reentry efforts in their communities. “The results confirm that libraries want to do more to provide services, but they need support, staffing and funding to do so,” said Ms. Dowds. Many libraries stated that they simply “don’t know where to begin.” Libraries also reported needing better connection to community partners and access to continuing education to prepare staff. The survey is the first step in the MBLC’s ongoing efforts to support libraries as they provide services to incarcerated people and reentry services or support for returning citizens at libraries.
Overview
General: • 48 Respondents • 40 Public Libraries
Outreach: • 9 currently provide outreach to incarcerated individuals • Blend of book donations, legal support and comprehensive services
Outreach Needs: • Continuing Education and Staffing were primary needs of those currently providing outreach services • New outreach – 29 responded “Where do I begin?”; 25 needed connection to a partnership. Continuing education also a big factor
Reentry: • 4 libraries currently provide reentry services or support returning citizens at the library • 37 libraries reported they do not
Reentry Needs: • 24 reported needing more information • 26 reported “Where do I begin?” • 23 reported needing access to community partners • Continuing education, community partnerships were top responses
Survey Responses
Type of outreach reported
Book donations and access to book sale items
Institutional library card for staff to reserve and check out items to bring back to facility
Outreach visits to facilities to give book talks, book groups, technology and art programming, and occasional author talks
Greenfield Community College offers courses and library services at Franklin County House of Corrections
Legal reference question support
*”Yes” respondents were (1) juvenile detention center, (5) county jails or House of Corrections, (3) state prisons.
“Other” response:
More staff
Method of delivery of materials to institution
Loss prevention around materials
Inactive library cards
Types of re-entry support:
Re-entry fairs and Re-entry Center partnerships/drop-in services
Legal support
Internet access
Digital literacy and tech support around social service applications (ie, Registry of Motor Vehicles, housing)
CORI-sealing workshops
If yes, who?
Admin (Director/Assistant Director): 5
Adult Services: 5
All departments: 5
Outreach Librarian: 4
Youth Services: 5
Other: 3
If no, reasons?
Funding, funding, funding
Time
Staffing
Development of new position
Community/administrative support, funding, continuing education, blueprint for how to create position
Need community input, interest and prioritization
Justification and buy-in to bring library services beyond library walls
Additional Comments:
Barriers to library card signups such as ID requirements, lost materials, old charges, etc.
Map or directory of youth detention centers, points of contact for carceral facilities
Library programs/support to expunge records
Continuing education on topics such as outreach partnerships (establishing, maintaining), library services to incarcerated individuals
Library to library collaboration to share outreach responsibilities, alleviate burden on staffing and funding, etc.
“I would like to see social work and other services available right here in the library…”
“We would be interested in learning more…”
“A huge barrier is finding prisons and jails with libraries [and] staff tasked to manage them.”
“I…believe that helping people who are incarcerated is incredibly important and would like to see our library organization do more…”
“… be a known ally [for incarcerated youth]…”
“…extremely important work… I’m grateful for all libraries that are providing this for incarcerated individuals… potential to have life-changing outcomes…”
“…[I]t’s important for libraries to provide more than just materials to incarcerated patrons…”
Are you a Massachusetts resident and want to get started using these resources? Find your local library to get a library card or sign up for a BPL Virtual eCard to get borrowing today!
The MBLC is a state government agency with statutory authority and responsibility to organize, develop, coordinate, and improve library services throughout the Commonwealth
This year has quite literally been one for the books. It’s created challenges we’ve never had to face but has made us grow closer and realize how much we need each other. You’ve had to reinvent library services and you deserve enormous respect for the many ways you’ve made it work.
As we continue to navigate this new normal, know that we’re so impressed with the creativity and resilience you’ve shown as you work to take care of yourself, those you love, and your community.
You are the reason people love their libraries and your health and safety are what matter most. On behalf of the Commissioners and staff of the MBLC, I wish you a healthy and safe holiday season and hope we can be together soon.
Mary Ann Cluggish, Chair
Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners
As we work together to get through the current reality, the MBLC will provide regular updates on MBLC services and other statewide issues. Please let us know if there’s info you’d like us to cover—we’ll include it if we are able. Stay well.
Re-opening Phase 3 Contact: Rob Favini Maura Deedy Phase 3 Step 1 of the state’s reopening guidance began Monday July 6, 2020. What does this mean for libraries? On the “When Can My Business Reopen” page, under libraries, the addition of “Phase 3 open for browsing.” The safety standards for libraries were updated on July 6, 2020.
MBLC and MLS staff will be seeking additional clarification, specifically around contract tracing, and will review and update our COVID-19 guidance as library specific details of Phase 3 Step 1 are made available. In the meantime we recommend keeping the following in mind as you plan your next service expansion:
Opening for browsing as part of Phase 3 step 1 beginning on July 6th is not a mandate or requirement, it is simply allowed if you can meet the established safety requirements.
Any expansion of service should be done in coordination with local municipal leaders and health departments.
Staff concerns are a top priority: Can staff safety be assured? Do you have enough staff to facilitate expanding building operations?
Adequate hygiene protocols must be in place. Welcoming outside visitors exponentially increases cleaning and disinfecting demands.
All necessary social distancing measures must be in place. Have directional/distancing markers and needed physical barriers been installed?
The Governor’s Phase 3 announcement signals a significant milestone as we cautiously move to resume services that are vital to our communities. The MBLC and MLS can’t emphasize enough that maintaining staff and visitor safety are key to meet this and all future milestones.
State Aid- Reopening survey
Contact: Liz Babbitt In light of the Governor’s phased re-opening plan, please update the COVID19 reopening survey via the new LibWizard form This will be shared with the library community in a Google spreadsheet titled “COVID19: Re-opening Public Libraries Survey”.
MBLC Monthly Board Meetings Contact: Rachel Masse
The regular monthly business meeting of the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners is scheduled for 10:00 A.M. on Thursday, July 9, 2020 by Zoom Teleconference Meeting. https://mblc.libcal.com/event/6201495
CARES Act Grants Contact: Lyndsay Forbes MBLC funds Library Summer Distance Learning
For 2020, a total of 126 received funding from the MBLC to offer the online program. Fifty-six received a Summer Software grant and when IMLS Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding became available, seventy-three more were added.
See which libraries received grants.
Performer’s Directory
Contact: Paul Kissman Updates to the Performer’s Directory make it easy to find programs that can be delivered virtually. (https://mblc.state.ma.us/directories/performers). MBLC staff reached out to performers who added over 350 new programs.
This Friday! Conversation on the Commons – Black Lives Matter protests and history organizations: Partner, collect, change? Description Registration is full but you may livestream view Hosted by Mass History Alliance the focus will be discussing and confronting racial justice issues among Massachusetts’ historical collections. For mainly historical societies, house museums, archives, etc. but libraries and library staff are welcome.
REGISTRATION OPEN – MBLC/MLS Virtual special collections symposium for smaller libraries
July 23, 9am-12pm Local public memory collections provide important, unique, and sustainable opportunities to interpret a community’s contemporary experiences as they change over time. Yet there are many challenges in building, preserving, and sharing these collections, especially among smaller libraries. Renowned experts in the book trade, academic libraries, and library special collections will convene for a morning symposium of sharing and dialogue about these topics, tailored specifically for library workers, librarians, archivists, and collections volunteers with various levels of experience, and from collections of all sizes. Co-hosted by the Massachusetts Library System. Register
Construction-The Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program (MPLCP) Contact:Lauren Stara Andrea Bunker
The Senate passed bond bill S 2790 that contains funding for the Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program (MPLCP). Senator Eric Lesser’s amendment to increase library construction funding to $150 million from $115 million did not pass. The bond bill now goes to Conference Committee to reconcile any difference between Senate and House funding amounts. It will then be voted on separately in the House and Senate before going to the Governor for his signature
The $115 million for the MPLCP will cover the projects on the waitlist.
Baker and Blades Statewide Summer Challenge kicks off In total, 66 libraries from across Massachusetts signed up to participate, each picking their own unique challenge for their community. Bridgewater Public Library’s goal is to get 325 people registered for summer reading, while Blackstone Public Library wants to read 300 books total. Other challenges include minutes read, hours read, and consecutive days of reading. Goals will be tracked from July 1 to August 14. Participating libraries are listed here.
State Aid To Public Libraries
Contact:Liz. Babbit Uechi Ng Mary Rose Quinn
ARIS is open The Annual Report Information Survey (ARIS) is open. Login information has been sent to all public library directors. Due to COVID19 related library closures, the form is not due until October 2nd, 2020. No printed forms will be accepted this year. Please see instructions for submitting the signature page on the Instructions and Tips document on the ARIS home page
