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MBLC Service Update 5-13-2020

MBLC Service Update
May 13, 2020

Past Updates
April 1, 2020
April 8, 2020
April 15, 2020
April 22, 2020
April 29, 2020
May 6, 2020

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.

State Reopening Advisory Board
Interview with Mass. Reopening Advisory Board Member Easthampton Mayor LaChapelle
News and information from the Reopening Advisory Board
Summary of comments from the MLS and MBLC listening sessions are on the MLS Resource Guide.

State Aid- Reopening Survey
Contact: Liz Babbitt
Several library directors have asked us if we will be adding re-opening questions to the COVID19 survey; others wanted to know if we were planning a new survey. No one realized when we created the original form how nuanced the process of reopening would be and there are some limits to adding questions to an existing LibWizard form so we made the decision to create a new survey.
The re-opening survey can be completed via a new LibWizard form This will be shared with the library community in a Google spreadsheet titled “COVID19: Re-opening Public Libraries Survey”.
We understand that COVID19 will continue to be a serious threat to public health and that your plans may change as the situation evolves so we will NOT be creating a version of this survey for the public UNTIL libraries have started opening.

You can still update the original COVID19 Closure form via this LibWizard link: https://mblc.libwizard.com/f/covid-19 . I’ll continue to update that Google sheet for the next few weeks.

Your library info in the Library Directory on public portal
Contact: Paul Kissman
Some of the information that libraries have provided to Liz on the COVID19 Closure form is being integrated into the Library Directory on the public portal. Here we use Canton as example of what the public sees when it looks for library info on libraries.state.ma.us. This information will become even more important as libraries begin opening and offer varying degrees of service. This information will also be included on the Library Directory on the agency website.

CARES ACT Funds
Contact: Lyndsay Forbes
Celeste Bruno
The MBLC will soon announce grant opportunities that focus on virtual programming and mental health. These grant opportunities were developed collaboratively by MBLC and MLS and were based on the needs expressed during the weekly check-ins conducted by Christi Farrar (MLS) and April Mazza (MLS) with hundreds of children’s, YA, and school librarians.
Also coming very soon: Availability of more Beanstack grants

Construction-The Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program (MPLCP)
Contact: Lauren Stara
Andrea Bunker

Construction Bond funding/ Bill H.4154
The IT Spending Bond Bill that contains library construction funding is being discussed today.
From State House News:With dependence on technology rising, House Democratic leaders have set their sights on legislation to borrow more than $1 billion for information technology and cybersecurity upgrades as one of the next major bills that could emerge for a vote. Speaker Robert DeLeo’s office informed members of his party on Monday to be prepared to discuss a committee rewrite (H 4039) of Gov. Charlie Baker’s IT bond bill during a remote caucus on Wednesday. The Baker administration has been pressing for the bill’s passage for months. The speaker’s office did not outline explicit plans or a timeline for consideration of the bill by the full House, but the bills that are the focus of caucus talks often emerge for House consideration shortly thereafter. Baker filed his $1.15 bill in April 2019, describing it as necessary to protect Massachusetts from cyberattacks and to improve how constituents interact online with their government for health care, housing and more. The House Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets Committee recommended the bill with an amendment in October, and it has been pending in the House Ways and Means Committee since then.

NEW! MBLC Construction Podcast!
Episodes:
Sustainability and Building Performance: An Interview with Building Evolution Corporation
Designing for Sustainability: An Interview with Finegold Alexander Architects

Preservation and Disaster Recovery
Contact: Evan Knight
A note of caution about UV light disinfecting products.
UV light radiation indeed can disinfect against viruses, however, the radiation levels must achieve certain thresholds of intensity and certain thresholds of exposure time. There are several systems considered effective for medical device and whole-room virus sterilization, such as those in use at large hospitals. But please be hesitant to consider purchasing a small UV radiation devices for the sterilization of your library materials, as they are not clearly shown to be as effective in disinfecting SARS-CoV-2, as advertised. Here are some questions and issues to look for in any UV disinfecting machine:

What levels of irradiation does the product reach? What is the required exposure time? When you look into product documentation, make sure to find the specific wavelengths and intensity of UV radiation for effective use. Do they meet the thresholds required to disinfect analogous viruses of SARS-CoV-2? (No product should claim that they have demonstrably disinfected SARS-CoV-2 specifically because that research, as far as I, and peers from the preservation community, can tell, has not been released from these products. I’ve submitted a request for more information about the required thresholds of wavelength and intensity for SARS-CoV-2 from the REACH group (IMLS/OCLC/Battelle).) Some products have tested their efficacy against bacteria, such as E.coli, which may react very differently to radiation than viruses.
There should be obvious directions, with lots of details, about the safe operation of any disinfecting product. Books and materials do not put themselves in the machine, after all.

In my outreach with preservation peers, the Library of Congress Preservation Directorate could not comment on any specific products, but was comfortable sharing with us that at this point, they “are not using UV systems at present, and that [their] own planning focuses on safe processes (hygiene, quarantine, contact tracing).”

PJ Drive
Contact: Rachel Masse
Matt Perry
Way back in March we asked everyone to please hold PJs in place. The warehouses were getting full, DCF workers were getting overwhelmed, and librarians weren’t comfortable handling pajamas.
The big question now is once staffs are able to get back into the buildings what do we do with the PJs now?
For libraries that still have PJs, is it possible to donate the pajamas locally?
If you can’t donate locally, please hold them for 2 weeks after delivery opens up again. If you have questions about which warehouse you should send your pajamas to please contact Rachel.
Matt is working with MLS and Cradles to Crayons to get the PJs that are currently in warehouses picked up.
This is probably the last thing on your mind but if you haven’t submitted your totals to Rachel please do so. Also if some pajamas already went out please give your best estimate.
Lastly the winners most likely won’t be announced until sometime in September since schools also participate.

Promotion/Summer Library Program
Contact: Celeste Bruno
Matthew Perry
Rachel Masse
Paid advertising for Library eBooks and Audiobooks and virtual programming began yesterday. They will run through the middle of June. We’re targeting two audiences:
Parents and caregivers of children under six and middle-income residents under the age of 55
Type of ads:
Pre-roll advertising (video)-these are short ads that run before a video.
OTT streaming spots (video) that run during episodic content—OTT stands for Over-the-top. They’re ads that run before streaming content.
Digital banner ads
Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat social ads

Video Library (for kids and teens)
Video site
Upload your video directly or email it to Celeste

SUMMER: Please submit your Summer Success Story, even if you can’t do the challenge. Please omit any identifying info

Consider joining the summer challenge
Description
Register and order materials
Poster
Goal tracker
Order/re-order CSLP posters (last day to order, Friday May 15)
They can be sent to your home
order form
poster designs

State Aid To Public Libraries
Contact: Liz. Babbitt
Uechi Ng
Mary Rose Quinn

ARIS Workshops
State Aid will be hosting eight ARIS (Annual Report Information Survey) workshops online in June via Zoom. All sessions will take place from 10:00 am -12:30 pm. We’ve added half an hour to each session to allow for additional questions you may have. Registration will be through the MBLC Calendar
The dates are:
June 3
June 10
June 11
June 16
June 17
June 18
June 24
June 25

Reporting Deadlines for FY2021:
ARIS will open as usual on July 1st but the deadline will be extended until October 2nd to allow libraries and networks more time to gather statistics. The Financial Report and State Aid Compliance Application will open August 7th as scheduled and also close on October 2nd. Municipalities applying for a waiver of the FY2021 MAR will have until November 6th to complete additional paperwork.
PLEASE NOTE: All dates are based on current information we have about COVID19 and the Governor’s State of Emergency. We will reassess deadlines if necessary but they will not be earlier than stated above.

Library closure/status info
Liz Babbitt continues to update the Google Docs for both libraries and the public.
Links to the documents:
For Patrons
For Librarians
Changes and updates can be submitted through the LibWizard form
for both libraries and the public.

Trustees and Friends
Trustees and Friends
Contact: Maura Deedy
Rob Favini
There are 3 Virtual Trustee Orientations scheduled for May.
Description: Are you a new library trustee eager to learn about your new, and very important, role? A “seasoned” board member looking for a refresher course? Trustee Orientations are a great opportunity to meet key staff at MBLC who work with trustees, to learn more and ask questions about your roles and responsibilities as a member of a library board. At each session we cover board responsibilities, library funding and State Aid, state laws with relevance to libraries, and how to be an effective advocate for libraries. Time is included for questions and answers. Orientations are aimed at new trustees, and all trustees and library directors are welcome to attend.
Date: Thursday, May 14, 2020
Time: 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Register

Tuesday, May 19, 2020
10:00am – 12:00pm
Register

Wednesday, May 20, 2020
10:00am – 12:00pm
Register

MBLC Service Update 5-6-2020

MBLC Service Update
May 6, 2020

Past Updates
April 1, 2020
April 8, 2020
April 15, 2020
April 22, 2020
April 29, 2020

State Reopening Advisory Board
Lieutenant Governor Polito is co-chairing the Reopening Advisory Board that the Governor announced last week. MBLC Commissioners sent the Lt. Governor a letter to help ensure that libraries are considered in the reopening process.
Letter to Lt. Governor Polito

Please take the survey- Deadline Monday May 11 at 5pm.
Contact: paul.kissman@state.ma.us
Please help the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners identify and prioritize the legal reference training topics that will be the most value to you over the coming weeks and months by taking this brief survey: https://mblc.libwizard.com/f/legal-reference-topics.

The MBLC is working with a partnership of legal reference and service providers to address public libraries’ need for quality legal information and referrals, including: the Massachusetts Access to Justice (A2J) Commission, the Massachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries and Court Service Centers , coordinated by the Social Law Library. Training sessions and resource guides will be developed based on your input.

As you answer, consider not only which legal information requests have been the most prevalent or challenging in the past, but also those you anticipate will be caused or exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

From the heart: Libraries share stories about how they’re stepping up to support their communities
Contact: Celeste Bruno
From Deb O’Brien, Director of the New Marlborough Town Library
Read this entire amazing blog post. Here’s a preview:
Internet connectivity is one topic, but what matters more is the connectivity of my library to the people of my town, the role it serves as its center and the glue that binds so many of us in this far-flung community. Our library (and I think libraries in general) are thought of as safe havens no matter what world or local events swirl around us. We are the community’s security blanket.
NOTE: The MBLC is in the process of setting up a website where librarians can upload their stories so that they may be shared broadly.

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, May 7, 2020 by Zoom Videoconference Meeting. https://mblc.libcal.com/event/6201491

Construction-The Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program (MPLCP)
Contact: Lauren Stara
Andrea Bunker

NEW! MBLC Construction Podcast!
COVID-19 has caused all of us to shift operations and services to meet the needs of those we serve, and, for the MBLC’s Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program, that means moving our in-person workshops and site visits to the digital realm. As such, we, the Construction Team, would like to introduce you to our new endeavor: the “Building Literacy: Public Library Construction” podcast, in which we will explore all topics relevant to the entire construction process.
Episodes:

Sustainability and Building Performance: An Interview with Building Evolution Corporation
Designing for Sustainability: An Interview with Finegold Alexander Architects

ESOL coordinators meeting scheduled
Shelley Quezada, MBLC Consultant to the Unserved, reports that while libraries may be shut down but library-based literacy/ESOL programs in Massachusetts are still valiantly coming up with ways to serve their ESOL and adult learners. An informal group of about 20+ literacy coordinators around the state who usually meet face to face twice a year will be convening a zoom meeting this coming Friday to discuss changes they have instituted over the past few weeks brought on by the pandemic. They will explore ideas about how they are helping students and tutors now forced to meet remotely if they are able.

This meeting is usually attended by those who work in the metro Boston area however ESOL coordinators from other parts of the state are most welcome to participate. This meeting is being convened by Philippa Biggers, Literacy Coordinator at the Wayland Public Library and is set for Friday May 8th from 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. Inquiries should be directed to her attention at: pbiggers@watertown-ma.gov

Preservation and Disaster Recovery
Contact: Evan Knight
June Preservation Assessment Grant round postponed
Unfortunately we will not be able to run the June Preservation Assessment Grant round as originally planned. It will be rescheduled at a later date to be determined. (See https://mblc.state.ma.us/programs-and-support/lsta-grants/mini-preservation-assessment.php for more details about the program.) The contributing factors are the uncertainty of the end of the stay-at-home order, and what the after effects will look like. We also believe that there may be difficulty engaging preservation assessment consultants to do the work on short notice. This is key, because grant funds awarded after June would have to be spent by the end of the current federal fiscal year which would be September 30, 2020.

Promotion/Summer Library Program
Contact: Celeste Bruno
Matthew Perry
Rachel Masse (summer and the Bruins)
The summer team (Christi Farrar, April Mazza, Matt Perry, Rachel Masse, Celeste Bruno, and Lyndsay Forbes) has met to discuss how CARES Act funding may be used to support summer programs. Since the shut down due to COVID-19, the Massachusetts Library System (MLS) has conducted weekly check-ins with hundreds of YA and children’s public librarians and school librarians. Any recommendations will be based on the needs expressed during those check-ins. We’ll send out more information as soon as we have it.
In the meantime:

Please submit your Summer Success Story, even if you can’t do the challenge. Please omit any identifying info
Consider joining the summer challenge
Description
Register and order materials
Poster
Goal tracker
Order/re-order CSLP posters
They can be sent to your home
order form
poster designs

State Aid To Public Libraries
Contact: Liz. Babbit
Uechi Ng
Mary Rose Quinn

Tuesday, May 19, 2020
10:00am – 12:00pm
Register

Wednesday, May 20, 2020
10:00am – 12:00pm
Register

MBLC Service Update 4-29-2020

MBLC Service Update
April 29, 2020

Past Updates
April 1, 2020
April 8, 2020
April 15, 2020
April 22, 2020

Stay-at-home extended; advisory board formed
At his press conference yesterday, Governor Baker extended the stay-home order to May 18 and continues the ban of gatherings of more than 10 people.
More
Note: The MBLC is contacting Lt. Governor Polito with information about library re-opening and the role libraries will play in economic recovery.

Federal Budget
Individual libraries are eligible for CARES Act funding. Applications for CARES Act grants will open on May 4. Interested organizations can visit MassHumanities.org/Cares-Act to preview the application, learn more about eligibility, and find additional resources.
Mass Humanities will award grants ranging from $2,500 to $10,000, depending on the size of the organization’s operating budget.
More

Re-opening/Library Advisory
Contact: Sarah Sogigian (MLS)
Rob Favini (MBLC)
This week the MBLC and MLS, through the automated library networks, will be holding a series of virtual sessions to learn what issues you face as you start planning for the resumption of full services. Schedule of sessions. In preparing for these sessions we have found several library organizations who have shared their resumption of service plans. They highlight a wide range of considerations that may be helpful to you as you begin to formulate your plan.

 Recent article from Medium.com: https://medium.com/@john.alan.thill/a-phased-reopening-plan-for-libraries-as-covid-19-restrictions-are-lifted-2d96885c0c1d

 Utah State Library: https://library.wyo.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Utah-Libraries-Plan-for-Moving-Towards-Full-Service.pdf

 Indiana Library Federation: https://library.wyo.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/planelementsphasesofpandemic.pdf

 Oak Park Public Library WY: https://library.wyo.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/OAK-PARK-PUBLIC-LIBRARY-COVID-19-Library-Building-Reopening-Phases.pdf

 Midlothianm WY: https://library.wyo.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Tentative-Reopen-Plan-Midlothian-DRAFT-2.pdf

From the heart: Libraries share stories about how they’re stepping up to support their communities
Contact: Celeste Bruno
From Ellen Snoeyenbos, Director West Bridgewater Public Library
The West Bridgewater Fire Department took to Instagram to thank West Bridgewater Public Library for making face mask extenders for their responders. Ellen reported that she’s using the library’s 3D printer to make the extenders, “We’re up to 325 extenders shared out to nurses, MDs, physical therapists, transporters, EMTs, sheriff’s departments, prison guards, “ she said. “It’s been a labor of love and the need to feel useful.”
She also shared a bit about the process: With some inspiration from an involved patron, Ellen started the project. They moved the 3D printer out of the library and into her home in Halifax. She tweaked the print model a bit, in response to the feedback she got from the Good Samaritan nurses, making them thinner so they would bend around the head more comfortably. And she created a file that could crank out 5 at time. “My husband actually really got into it and I had him running the printer while I did other work from home for the library, “she added.
The library is also hosting Laughter Yoga, Family Trivia Night, and a bunch of online storyhours that are produced on a weekly basis, too. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmRwzeimVk-qzGy3a6H0UFw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TbUPnDUkCo

Contracts/Business Office
Contact: Tracey Dimant
The Business Office has worked with the state’s Administration and Finance department to set up the appropriation for new IMLS CARES Act funding; communicated with Administration and Finance, House Ways and Means, and Senate Ways and Means staff requesting information on the FY2021 budget (no news as yet); continued to process contracts, funding requests from affiliates, and invoices from vendors, as well as handling daily operations.

Preservation and Disaster Recovery
Contact: Evan Knight
ALA’s Preservation Week, in its tenth year from ALA/ALCTS, promotes and advocates for improving collections care at your library. There are a number of events, tips, and resources available from http://www.ala.org/alcts/preservationweek. The week culminates with a related promotion from the Society of American Archivists, called “MayDay,” supporting your institution’s Emergency Preparedness – tips an resources are available from https://www2.archivists.org/initiatives/mayday-saving-our-archives. MBLC and collaborative partner COSTEP MA will aggregate these links, and release original emergency preparedness content, on their website on Friday the 1st, “MayDay.” https://mblc.state.ma.us/costepma

Promotion/Summer Library Program
Contact: Celeste Bruno
Matthew Perry
Rachel Masse (summer and the Bruins)
SUBMIT YOUR SUMMER SUCCESS STORY, even if you can’t do the challenge.
Here’s why: summer success stories help demonstrate that while summer programs are fun, they are also instrumental in helping kids and teens improve academically. Mrs. Baker will read the success stories and chose a library/libraries to visit. Stories can be sent to the MBLC here (please omit any identifying info) and will be part of the public facing page.

Order/re-order CSLP posters
We’ve decided to redo the ordering for the CSLP posters that we are making available for this summer. Since the order form was originally sent out in the beginning of March, circumstances have changed for everyone and summer reading is starting to look very different. We figured reordering is the best opportunity for those who want posters to get them, and those who can no longer receive them or use them to not. They can be sent to your home.
order form
poster designs

Summer Challenge: If you’re wondering how to do a summer program this year, the summer challenge may help. You’ll receive everything you need to participate- you just set your goal and track it. You’ll also be helping to demonstrate the importance of summer programs because we’ll be able to use the completed goal info to raise awareness of what libraries are doing even in these challenging times.
Description
Register and order materials
Poster
Goal tracker

State Aid To Public Libraries
Contact: Liz. Babbit
Uechi Ng
Mary Rose Quinn

The State Aid unit held three Q&A sessions last week that were attended by over 250 people. We are working on an FAQ based on the questions we received. It should be available early next week.
Library closure/status info
Liz Babbitt continues to update the Google Docs for both libraries and the public.
Links to the documents:
For Patrons
For Librarians
Changes and updates can be submitted through the LibWizard form
for both libraries and the public.

Statewide digital library – libraries.state.ma.us
Contact: Kate Butler (website issues)
Matt Perry (content additions)
Paul Kissman (virtual calendar)
New Statewide Calendar for Virtual Library Programs is LIVE!
Calendar
More Info
NEW Social media to help you spread the word!

Tuesday, May 19, 2020
10:00am – 12:00pm
Register

Wednesday, May 20, 2020
10:00am – 12:00pm
Register

MBLC Service Update 4-22-2020

MBLC Service Update
April 22, 2020

Past Updates
April 1, 2020
April 8, 2020
April 15, 2020

Federal Budget
The MBLC is receiving CARES Act funds through the Institute of Museum and Library Services and are considering how to best use these funds to target the priorities detailed in the legislation.
The latest news release about the funding

Re-opening/Library Advisory
Contact: Rob Favini
Governor Baker has reported that Massachusetts has entered the peak period for COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. As we all anxiously look past the peak our thoughts turn to the day when we can begin to reopen our libraries. Right now the consensus is that this will be a multi phased approach beginning with library staff prepping the building for opening, then leading to a period of partial openings with limited hours and services, ending with resumption of full hours and services.

The MBLC is starting the conversation with the library community to learn what pressing issues face libraries relating to the reopening process. We have scheduled virtual update sessions planned around our State Aid and Construction programs, and with library trustees across the state. These sessions are designed to provide information and, more importantly, gather valuable feedback around library reopening concerns. In addition MBLC is working with the MLS to gather broader feedback to help prepare reopening guidance and resources. Announcements around these efforts will be coming soon.

Construction-The Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program (MPLCP)
Contact: Lauren Stara
Andrea Bunker

Andrea is working on a Library Construction Sustainability podcast that will be available soon.

The Construction Team has scheduled a virtual meeting to check in with libraries involved in the Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program (MPLCP). Check with Lauren or Andrea for details.
Summary of MPLCP happenings:

All public libraries are currently closed
All active construction sites are shut down or are in the process of shutting down, as the result of explicit clarification from the Governor’s Office classifying public library construction as “non-essential” – those still in the process of shutting down are required to follow strict social distancing guidelines
Planning, including design work and construction documentation, continues as architectural and OPM firms work from home or in accordance with social distancing guidelines
Monthly reporting requirements have been suspended, but some libraries are still submitting monthly reports and we are able to receive and log them
Final reports for projects scheduled to receive their final payment in this Fiscal Year are still due by April 30
Disbursement requests for payments on current projects are being received and processed as usual.
We have received no information on FY21 funding or the pending Capital Bond Bill
We are still planning for new Provisional Grant awards in July or August of 2020; the number of grants will depend on the amount of our Annual Cap as set by the department of Administration & Finance, and we have been told that the soonest we will know this figure is sometime in May

Contracts/Business Office
Contact: Tracey Dimant
The MBLC business office has on-boarded a new MBLC staff member: Aparna Ramachandran, MBLC’s new IT Systems and Data Analyst. The final payments to the networks will be processed this week. They are also continuing to process contracts, funding requests from affiliates, and invoices from vendors, as well as handling daily operations.

Preservation and Disaster Recovery
Contact: Evan Knight
Evan is working with folks from Boston Public Library, Northeast Document Conservation Center, Massachusetts Library System, and the Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts, and the Philadelphia Free Public Library to work out details, FAQs, and develop guidelines and considerations for the many types of lending practices in our respective constituent libraries.

Evan was interviewed for American Libraries’, Dewey Decibel podcast called Libraries Respond to Covid-19; Conversations with librarians about the pandemic. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/.

Evan is also part of the Massachusetts Libraries Respond to Emergencies with COSTEP MA (Webinar), run by MLS, this Friday at 10.30 am.
More info Registration

Promotion/Summer Library Program
Contact: Celeste Bruno
Matthew Perry
Rachel Masse (summer and the Bruins)

New Statewide Summer Reading Challenge! The MBLC has worked with MLS, a public library focus group, the Boston Bruins, and First Lady Lauren Baker to come up with a fun way to have “summer reading” even with social distancing.
Description
Register and order materials
Poster
Goal tracker
Summer Reading Fairy Tale Masks for kids to color: We’ve created masks to support the summer reading theme, Fairy Tales. There’s a unicorn, dragon, fancy mask, and knight.
State Aid To Public Libraries
Contact: Liz. Babbit
Uechi Ng
Mary Rose Quinn

1) Three State Aid Q&A sessions via Zoom filled up quickly and will take place later this week. We will be creating an FAQ document/webpage for questions that have general appeal. Additional sessions will be scheduled in the next couple of weeks.

2) A question was added to the COVID19 Public Library Closures/Status Google Docs about library staff affected by lay-offs or furloughs while the building is closed to the public. Liz Babbitt continues to update the Google Docs for both libraries and the public.
Links to the documents:
For Patrons
For Librarians
Changes and updates can be submitted through the LibWizard form
for both libraries and the public.

Trustees and Friends
MBLC’s Library Advisory & Development and State Aid staff will be hosting a virtual MBLC Service Update for Trustees about MBLC’s programs and activities as they have been impacted by COVID-19. This session will provide an update about the State Aid Program including policy changes for FY2020/2021, Open Meeting Law Changes, Strategic Plans updates, and will end with opportunities for questions from attendees.

Session dates and registration:
Thursday April 23, 2020 11:00am – 12:00pm
and Wednesday April 28, 6:30pm – 7:30 pm

MBLC Service Update 4-15-2020

MBLC Service Update
April 15, 2020

As we work together to get through the current reality, the MBLC will provide regular updates on MBLC services and other statewide library 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.

Internet Access: a report from Director Rosie Heidkamp in Wendell, MA
From early morning through late evening the Wendell Library parking lot has a steady stream of 4 to 10 cars with individuals trying to “work remotely” or participate in school assignments. Unfortunately the Library wifi bandwidth has not been enough to meet the demand. Last week our tech guy shifted the bandwidth normally reserved for public computers in the library out to the parking lot wifi. This has helped but more is needed. Today the town is working on establishing a second temporary wifi connection for the public. It’s looking positive but it may take another few weeks before it’s installed.

LSTA (Federal funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services)
Contact: Lyndsay Forbes
Shelley Quezada
Rob Favini
The deadline to apply for the FY21 LSTA direct grant round was April 7. The MBLC was pleased to receive 42 applications totaling close to $500,000.
The State Advisory Council on Libraries (SACL) now begins the review process. This year, the reviews will begin with small virtual groups which will lead up to a full SACL virtual meeting on May 6. SACL makes its recommendations for grant awards to MBLC commissioners at the July monthly board meeting.

Preservation and Disaster Recovery
Contact: Evan Knight
Digital Commonwealth’s 2020 Conference was held on April 7th and was the most attended conference they’ve ever had. Originally scheduled as an in-person event, the Conference Committee, Conference Coordinator, and all the speakers and panelists worked hard to transition the event to a totally virtual conference, which allowed for national and international reach: registrants numbered over 700. The slides from the presenters are available here, with recordings and transcriptions forthcoming: https://digitalcommonwealth.wildapricot.org/2020-Conference

Promotion
Contact: Celeste Bruno
Matthew Perry
New Video Library
The MBLC is working with First Lady of Massachusetts, Lauren Baker, to build a video library with educational and entertaining videos for kids.
Here’s what’s good about our site:

Super easy: if your video is already up somewhere else just email me the link and we’ll add itor if you’re creating a new video you can upload it right from your device to https://www.mavideolibrary.org/upload/
Unique URL: the site gives you a unique URL you can post anywhere
NO Advertisements
Reviewed and transcribed: Each video will be reviewed before it’s posted and it will be professionally transcribed, increasing accessibility.
Easy access for residents to more resources.
Promotion: The video library will live on the public website, libraries.state.ma.us. This site will be promoted through paid advertising.
Ideas for videos include: storytelling, songs, music and movement, science experiments, art projects, and other activities that kids can follow along with. Please keep in mind copyright rules regarding reading published books and choose a public domain story.

State Aid To Public Libraries
Contact: Liz. Babbit
Uechi Ng
Mary Rose Quinn

1) State Aid will be hosting two Q&A sessions via Zoom on Wednesday, April 22 from 10-11 a.m, repeated from 1-2 p.m. The content will be the same at each session and each session is limited to 100 participants.

We plan to go over the emergency preamble to the FY2020/2021 State Aid policies that the Commissioners voted on at their April meeting (hours, materials, MAR, and waivers). That should take about about 15 minutes. Then, we’ll open up the session to questions from the library community about how COVID19 may affect your State Aid application this fall. All discussion will take into account what we know/surmise/guess based on current information about the COVID19 situation.

You can register through the MBLC Calendar and the Zoom meeting information will be sent closer to the event. Register for April 22 10-11am. Register for April 22 1-2pm.

2) Liz Babbitt continues to update the Public Library Closures/Status Google Docs for both libraries and the public.
Links to the documents:
For Patrons
For Librarians
Changes and updates can be submitted through the LibWizard form

Statewide digital library – libraries.state.ma.us
Contact: Kate Butler (website issues)
Matt Perry (content additions)
New Statewide Calendar for Virtual Library Programs
The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners is teaming up with Burbio (https://www.burbio.com) to create a statewide calendar of virtual library programs. Libraries do not have to take any additional action to have their programs included in the calendar. Burbio automatically harvests almost all public library calendars, and will identify for inclusion programs with the following words in the title: virtual, online, live, Facebook live, remote, zoom, vimeo.
The new calendar will be located on our consumer portal, libraries.state.ma.us, making it easy for residents to find and participate in the educational and entertaining virtual programs that libraries are offering during the coronavirus crisis. We hope to have it live by the end of the week and will send out the link.

Training, workshops, and conference opportunities
Teen Services: MBLC and MLS staff are working together on a webinar: Connected Learning (part of the national initiative to transform teen services) on Tuesday April 21^st at 11:00am
Register

For small and rural libraries: The MBLC and MLS are providing scholarships for up to six Massachusetts public librarians to attend the Association for Rural and Small Libraries (ARSL) annual conference in Wichita, Kansas, September 30-October 3, 2020. Deadline to apply is this Friday, April 17.
More information

Checkout the many trainings and workshops, the Massachusetts Library System (MLS) is offering.

2020 Census
Contact: Maura Deedy
Census update from U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and U.S. Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham
The official census tracking map tracks self-response rates from around the country.
Resources are available to help you get the word out.
MBLC LibGuide: https://guides.mblc.state.ma.us/census

MBLC Service Update 4-8-2020

MBLC Service Update
April 8, 2020

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.

State Budget
Due to technical difficulties, the Ways and Means (virtual) Hearing about revised revenue projections that was scheduled to take place on April 7 has been moved to next week. Director Lonergan and Mary Rose Quinn plan to participate. The House and Senate will use these revised figures to develop their FY 2021 budget proposals. House Ways and Means typically releases their budget in April and Senate Ways and Means releases theirs in May. The next fiscal year begins on July 1, 2020.

MBLC Monthly Board Meetings
Contact: Rachel Masse
On April, 2, for the first time in its 130 year history, the MBLC held its monthly board meeting virtually-via Zoom. The MBLC will continue to address board business in this way until in-person meetings are again possible. Board meetings are the first Thursday of every month.
MBLC Chair Roland Ochsenbein opened the meeting with some thoughtful observations of our current circumstances.

Construction-The Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program (MPLCP)
Contact: Lauren Stara
Andrea Bunker

Library construction not considered essential
MBLC management has been working to get clarification on public library construction activity in light of the Governor’s narrowing of the definition of “essential” construction found here: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-essential-services#public-works-&-infrastructure-support-services-.
On Monday, the Chief Secretary and Director of Personnel and Administration in Gov. Baker’s office, stated “In our intention of the order and the reading of the order, Library construction, if not part of a State College Campus or being performed under the care and oversight of The State Division of Capital Asset Management, is deemed non-essential work at this time.”

Contracts/Business Office
Contact: Tracey Dimant
The MBLC business office is preparing to send out the final payments to the networks, as soon as the final allotment for the 7000-9506 line comes in. They are also continuing to process contracts, funding requests from affiliates, and invoices from vendors, as well as handling daily operations.

LSTA (Federal funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services)
Contact: Lyndsay Forbes
Shelley Quezada
Rob Favini
Strategic Planning Guidance
The MBLC has important information for libraries regarding the October 1, 2020 deadline for filing strategic plans. Due to the tremendous disruption and uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, libraries with expired strategic plans as of October 1, 2020 will be given a one year extension. Libraries under this extension will still be eligible for LSTA direct grants if they file an updated action plan that will be due on December 1, 2020.

We recognize that the shutdown of libraries and all non-essential businesses makes the collection of community and stakeholder input into the strategic planning process nearly impossible. In addition it is clear that the COVID-19 pandemic will have a long lasting impact on libraries and the services they provide. With this extension of strategic planning deadlines, libraries will have the ability to gather input when they re-open and are better able to engage their communities in the process.
If you have any questions please contact Rob Favini, Head of Library Advisory and Development.

Libraries get even more creative with their LSTA grants
In addition to the many online story hours and virtual book groups that have been scheduled, Shelley Quezada (MBLC Consultant to the Unserved) attended an first hour long zoom strength-based training session for seniors that the Shutesbury library held as part of their LSTA outreach grant. There were 14 people including one Shutesbury resident who zoomed in from Puerto Rico. They will be holding thee zoom sessions twice a week. Shelley reports, “The class was a lot of work but this is a novel way for us as program monitors to do a virtual site visit.”

Networks
Contact: Paul Kissman
Kate Butler
The Taylor Memorial Library in Hancock received assistance from a Library Services and Technology (LSTA) grant given by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) for joining the CW MARS Automated Network in FY20. They are one of seven small libraries that have joined CW MARS in the last five years with grant assistance; the others include: Ashburnham, Blandford, Charlemont (which also serves Hawley), Tolland, Oakham, and Lanesborough.
learn more

Preservation and Disaster Recovery
Contact: Evan Knight

The MBLC recently approved four LSTA Preservation Assessment Grants. These grants fund an outside consultant to conduct institutional preservation assessments that include a site visit and the delivery of a written report.
The following grants were approved:
Porter Memorial Library, Blandford – $4,200
Griswold Memorial Library, Colrain – $4,200
Hamilton-Wenham Public Library, Hamilton – $4,200
Wellesley High School, Wellesley – $4,200
learn more
Evan has created a COSTEP site that is being continuously updated with the latest info and provides a wealth of resources and guidance for personal and institutional preparedness and response.
Important reminder about the valuable webinar from IMLS and the CDC: Mitigating COVID-19 When Managing Paper-Based, Circulating, and Other Types of Collections.
The webinar recording can be accessed here.
Follow-up questions for the CDC, may be submitted to imlsinfo@imls.gov.
The materials and links mentioned in the webinar have been added to the IMLS coronavirus page under “Official Government Information and Resources.”

Promotion
Contact: Celeste Bruno
Matthew Perry
Staff are using MBLC social media channels to connect users and librarians to digital resources.
The team has also created promotional posts for libraries to use on their social media channels:
Digital Library social media posts
New databases social media posts
Database promotion
The MBLC has developed database promotion for social media that takes users directly into the databases and gives the local library the usage statistic:
Databases Dogs
Databases Wellness
Databases Kids
Databases: Home Improvement
Databases Healthy Aging

State Aid To Public Libraries
Contact: Liz. Babbit
Uechi Ng
Mary Rose Quinn

State Aid requirements relaxed
In an effort to support libraries participating in the State Aid to Public Libraries Program as they cope with this emergency, the Board of Library Commissioners approved changes to the State Aid Program Standards Policies at their monthly Board meeting on April 2, 2020. There will be other updates as we assess the ongoing crisis and determine how best the MBLC can support you, your staff, your libraries, and the communities you serve.
Rather than address the changes individually in each of the ten policies for both 2020 and 2021, the modifications are reflected and were approved through an Emergency Preamble to the State Aid to Public Libraries Program Policies which has been added to the State Aid Policies section of the website and as a preface to the printed versions of the policy documents going forward.
Press release regarding changes
Tracking library status/closures
Liz Babbitt continues to update the Public Library Closures Google Docs for both libraries and the public.
Links to the documents:
For Patrons
For Librarians
Changes and updates can be submitted through the LibWizard form
Liz has been meeting with other State Data Coordinators and IMLS about extending the deadlines for submitting FY2020 data by libraries. There is also discussion about the definitions of some of the programming questions and possibly adding a few snapshot questions that will help libraries capture some additional data due to this year’s unusual situation. More to come on this.

Statewide digital library – libraries.state.ma.us
Contact: Kate Butler (website issues)
Matt Perry (content additions)
MBLC staff have been updating our public portal, libraries.state.ma.us, with free resources both from libraries and from other outside groups. We’re calling it: We’re in this together digital library. The entire state has been given access to TumbleBooks collections for free until August 31, 2020, and EBSCO has also granted free access to some of their eBooks until June 30, 2020: EBSCO and Tumblebooks. Always free statewide resources are also included. This one-stop place makes it easy for residents to find library resources and other free resources.
Please email Matt if you have content you’d like us to add.

MSLA’s new website the Virtual School Librarian highlights the statewide databases and other statewide resources from BPL in addition to connecting users with a school librarian.

Summer/Bruins
Contact: Celeste Bruno
Rachel Masse
Matt Perry (materials and orders)
MBLC Staff has worked with our partners the Massachusetts Library System, the Boston Bruins and First Lady of the Commonwealth Lauren Baker to create a simple and fun Summer Reading Challenge that may help kids and families stay connected to public libraries over the summer as typical summer programs may not be possible. MBLC Staff will email further information about the challenge later this week.
While it remains unclear when Blades visits can happen, the MBLC will still conduct the drawing for Bruins prizes in May.

Trustees and Friends
Contact: Maura Deedy
Rob Favini
Trustee Orientations are moving to a virtual format. Stay tuned for more information. In the meantime don’t forget to take advantage of the resources available to trustees on the MBLC website: https://mblc.state.ma.us/for/trustees.php . Here you will find links to the MBLC Trustee Resource Guide and the Library Trustee Handbook.
Maura has also put together a list of Open Meeting Law directives about remote participation and resources http://guides.mblc.state.ma.us/c.php?g=43533&p=7408550

2020 Census
Contact: Maura Deedy
April 1 was Census Day: ten minutes for ten questions to help shape the next ten years. Here’s how to get started: https://my2020census.gov/

The official census tracking map tracks self-response rates from around the country.
Resources are available to help you get the word out.
MBLC LibGuide: https://guides.mblc.state.ma.us/census

Remarks from MBLC Board Chair Roland Ochsenbein

Remarks given as the Board Chair Report at the April Meeting of the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners

Twenty-eight days ago, on March 5, we held our monthly MBLC board meeting at the Boston Public Library. BPL President David Leonard welcomed us and we conducted our business that day in the usual fashion, together in the Commonwealth Salon. Afterward, we toured the digitization labs. It was a normal, bustling day at the BPL.

The next morning, I spoke at a legislative breakfast hosted by the Bigelow Free Public Library in Clinton, one of the last of the breakfasts leading into the FY 2021 legislative budget season. The breakfast was well attended, the mood upbeat and enthusiastic. Representative Natalie Higgins, the House Library Caucus Co-Chair, also spoke, as did Senator Harriett Chandler and Representative Harold Naughton, all of them articulate library supporters. Coming off a year in which our total funding exceeded our request (for possibly the first time ever!), there was by contrast a hint of caution in their comments regarding next year. Important needs in education, transportation infrastructure, and other areas would compete for any increases the state would see in its revenue collections. Mind you, this was before the spread of the corona virus was fully understood. Libraries will be okay they assured us, but just know that there is some pressure next year. As of a few weeks ago, that was where we were going into next year.

Since then, and with stunning speed, the world has completely changed.

Beginning on March 13, Governor Baker began issuing increasingly severe emergency orders in response to growing concerns over the spread of the corona virus. On that day, he issued an order prohibiting large gatherings. Two days later, he ordered public schools closed, prohibited gatherings of 25 or more, and prohibited on premises consumption of food and drink at bars and restaurants. Four days after that, he activated the National Guard. In another four days, on March 23, he ordered non -essential businesses to cease in-person operations, and he issued a statewide stay-at-home advisory. And just two days ago, he announced that the DCU Center in Worcester is being stood up as a field hospital, and that an arena at Fitchburg State is being outfitted as a temporary morgue if needed…an arena to serve as a temporary morgue.

As we meet today, remotely via Zoom video conference, it is a very different world compared to that of last month’s board meeting in the marvelous surrounds of the Boston Public Library. Today, all public library buildings in the Commonwealth are closed to the public, as are nearly all academic and special libraries. That is an extraordinary statement. The only other time this has occurred was not during the Great Depression or a World War, it was during the influenza pandemic of 1918, when an estimated 675,000 people in the U.S. and tens of millions worldwide succumbed to the disease.

I am extraordinarily impressed with the response of the MBLC leadership and staff and those of our affiliates during this difficult time. The number of communications that have come out this past week or so as things have developed so rapidly– updates, advisories and announcements, including the comprehensive MBLC Service Update from yesterday– are excellent and so needed at this time. I was also pleased to see articles from publications such as the Boston Globe and the Atlantic describing how the availability of library services, many of them digital, are playing an even more important role at a time when buildings are physically closed—eBooks, audiobooks, databases, online courses, virtual story times, outside-the-building WiFi access, phone assistance and outreach, and more. The MBLC, the affiliates, and others have been working to expand the already wide access to electronic offerings. At a time when most are staying home and schools are closed, these services are enormously beneficial, possibly even life saving. I’ve seen any number of communications from libraries around the state, on social media and elsewhere, offering service updates that are resourceful, creative, and uplifting even in this heavy time. Libraries at their best. I am proud to be associated with this community.

We will eventually recover. I personally think it will take a long time to fully recover. There are many long-term consequences that are not yet understood. That said, public libraries and the role they play in society will be, I am certain, critically important to recovery efforts in too many ways to list here. And I think this may well be the focus of our message over the coming months, as we, at the appropriate time, turn our attention to regaining full operations.

The budget fallout may also be significant. The FY 2021 state revenue forecasts will certainly be revised as a result of the economic disruption we are experiencing, and that in turn will inform a new look at FY2021 and beyond. We will need to communicate our needs and our value often and clearly to lawmakers. Further, it is unclear what impacts, if any, there may be on the construction program in terms of passing the bond bill, raising the cap, and whether or to what extent projects may be delayed or reconsidered at the local level. I think there is also concern building on the municipal level about next year’s local budget picture. Local tax receipts will be directly affected by the temporary closure of businesses, loss of sales/meals/room taxes, and the compounding effects of job losses. But then there may also be some positive countervailing consequences from the various stimulus measures.

Looking ahead, there are at this moment more questions than answers but what IS clear is that the future looks very different today than it did just a few weeks ago, and our role in supporting libraries and helping make things better for people may never be more important than it will be over the coming months and possibly years.

Finally, I’d just like to say that, according to health officials, it seems clear we are in for a very difficult few weeks or months immediately ahead. I pray for all of our good health.

MBLC Service Update 4-1-2020

MBLC Service Update
April 1, 2020

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.

State Budget
Director Lonergan has been in touch with leaders of the Library Legislative Caucus. The Governor released his budget recommendation in January. However, it is uncertain whether the House and the Senate will be able to adhere to the normal budget schedule. House Ways and Means typically releases their budget in April and Senate Ways and Means releases theirs in May. The next fiscal year begins on July 1, 2020.

The legislature remains active and have passed or are considering several bills addressing the current crisis. Passed bills include moving the tax filing deadline to July 15 and allowing municipalities to delay municipal elections.

Federal Budget
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announced that the President has signed the CARES Act, which designates $50 million in coronavirus response funding for IMLS. Following passage in the House of Representatives, both chambers of Congress approved of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, a $2 trillion response to the growing pandemic. The IMLS press release has more information. The MBLC anticipates further guidance on how much funding Massachusetts will receive and how these funds may be used.

MBLC Monthly Board Meetings
Contact: Rachel Masse
The MBLC held an emergency board meeting, via conference call, on March 19, 2020. The Board is holding its April 2, 2020 meeting via Zoom and will continue to address board business in this way until in-person meetings are again possible. Board meetings are the first Thursday of every month.

Construction-The Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program (MPLCP)
Contact: Lauren Stara
Andrea Bunker

There has been no further movement on the bond bill, H4154; now H4039, that contains funding for the Massachusetts Public Library Construction (MPLCP) program.
The requirement for monthly reporting is suspended. MBLC staff will keep you posted as to when reporting will resume and what will be required.
For active construction sites
Governor Baker’s new guidance for all public construction projects statewide requires adherence to the “safety stand down” guidelines provided to the construction industry last week. This temporary order requires a halt to public construction projects (effective 3/27/2020), and applies to all projects managed or sponsored by the state or a state agency, including the library construction projects funded through the Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program (MPLCP), while contractors review site-specific issues, develop mitigation strategies and communicate to workers about new state guidelines for construction work during the coronavirus pandemic.

Those new state rules require, among other things, all workers to self-certify before each shift that they are not sick and that certain construction workers have their temperatures taken daily. Also last week, the Governor’s chief legal counsel sent a letter (https://www.mass.gov/doc/march-25-2020-construction-guidance/download) to city and town executives with the new guidance and instructions that all construction projects should continue operations during the Governor’s state of emergency but with social distancing measures incorporated. The guidance imposes a zero tolerance policy at work sites. If a worker is sick, they are to remain home. If a worker begins to feel sick on the job, they are to go home. And if a supervisor sees a worker who appears sick, they are to send the worker home.

Please keep us updated as you are implementing the guidelines required in the Governor’s directives and let us know of difficulties or challenges you face in the implementation of those guidelines.

Contracts/Business Office
Contact: Tracey Dimant
The MBLC business office sent out the second State Aid payments last week and continues to process contracts, funding requests from affiliates, and invoices from vendors, as well as handling daily operations.

LSTA (Federal funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services)
Contact: Lyndsay Forbes
Shelley Quezada
Rob Favini
Official statement regarding the current direct grant round

The LSTA team is working with libraries as they get ready to submit proposals that are due April 7 , 2020
LSTA staff are working with libraries finishing their current grants to rework their schedules due to COVID-19 disruptions.
There is a new LSTA-funded opportunity: Scholarships to attend the ARSL small libraries conference in November. Learn more
Shelley has been working with the Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and sent a announcement out on all regions, pubdir etc to request help in getting out information about serving this community—librarians were very responsive (no surprise, there!).
Shelley is also been trying to keep up with what’s happening in prisons. Prison librarians are not going into the jails as it is a safety issue for them.

Networks
Contact: Paul Kissman
Kate Butler
MBLC convened a meeting with automated resource sharing network administrators and MLS last week to share current practices and planning around the pandemic. Networks discussed eBook and audio content handling and purchasing, requesting and borrowing parameters, such as changes in overdues, patron notifications, amnesty periods, and how patron-placed holds are affected. In particular networks discussed possible plans for managing the backlog of materials when libraries begin to reopen to the public and the statewide delivery system comes back online.

Preservation and Disaster Recovery
Contact: Evan Knight
MBLC Preservation Specialist Evan Knight, in collaboration with COSTEP MA board members and subscribers (“Coordinated Statewide Emergency Preparedness in Massachusetts”), has developed guidelines for response from the perspective of collections preservation. The page, “Public Health Emergencies: COVID-19,” was published March 13, and recently updated March 26 to reflect the dynamic situation. Two national organizations have recently cited the page for wider distribution: the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services, a division of the American Library Association, at “Handling Library Materials and Collections During a Pandemic,” and the American Institute for Conservation, at “Collections Care Amid COVID-19.” Thanks to Evan on this resource, which will be continuously updated, and please feel free to reach out to him with questions and concerns regarding your collections.
Evan also shares this valuable webinar from IMLS and the CDC: Mitigating COVID-19 When Managing Paper-Based, Circulating, and Other Types of Collections.
The webinar recording can be accessed here.

If you have follow-up questions for the CDC, you may submit them to imlsinfo@imls.gov.

The materials and links mentioned in the webinar have been added to the IMLS coronavirus page under “Official Government Information and Resources.”

State Aid To Public Libraries
Contact: Liz. Babbit
Uechi Ng
Mary Rose Quinn

In light of the current global situation, the Board will be reviewing the State Aid policies for FY2020 on April 2. Updates will be sent to libraries, trustees, networks, etc. following the meeting.
Second State Aid payments for FY2020 went out and Library directors will soon be getting an email with a breakdown of the total amount into LIG, MEG, and NRC amounts.
Liz Babbitt continues to update the Public Library Closures Google Docs for both libraries and the public.
Links to the documents:
For Patrons
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1FeAKwGWmgQqrxwFSV12bko3lgrqwp3XACbRwctFeC6w/edit?usp=sharing
For Librarians
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jxcw4bwx3Z0ma0MR478qIE1WfBNoIcQczKogg3JyPpI/edit?usp=sharing

Changes and updates can be submitted through our LibWizard form: https://mblc.libwizard.com/f/covid-19

Statewide digital library – libraries.state.ma.us
Contact: Kate Butler (website issues)
Matt Perry (content additions)
MBLC staff have been working to increase ease of access to digital resources. The consumer portal libraries.state.ma.us has been updated and expanded to include free-for-now resources as well as unique opportunities from authors, illustrators and educators. The resources can be seen at https://libraries.state.ma.us/pages/free-resources Always free statewide resources are also included. This one-stop place makes it easy for residents to find library resources and other free resources.

Summer/Bruins
Contact: Celeste Bruno
Rachel Masse
Matt Perry (materials and orders)
Staff has been in touch with our partners at the Boston Bruins. Many Bruins staff have been furloughed, including the staffer who works with us on the summer program. Right now , it is unclear whether Blades visits will occur this summer. Bruins summer materials have all been developed but the MBLC is holding off on orders for now. MBLC staff is working to confirm if the new for 2020 First Lady and Blades Summer Reading Challenge can still move forward. Staff has taken orders for the national CSLP poster but getting them out to the libraries is an issue due to closures.

Trustees and Friends
Contact: Maura Deedy
Rob Favini
Our Spring schedule of Trustee Orientations is currently paused in compliance with Governor Baker’s social distancing protocols. We will resume trustee orientations as soon as we can.
But in the meantime remember that Maura and Rob are available to answer any questions that you have regarding new trustee onboarding, best practices, or the latest MBLC information regarding library services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020 Census
Contact: Maura Deedy
Maura’s reminder: being home is the perfect time to take the census online or by telephone.

New resources that can help you get the word out: https://2020census.gov/en/how-to-help.html?utm_campaign=20200330msc20s1ccallrs&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

MBLC LibGuide: https://guides.mblc.state.ma.us/census

The MBLC Welcomes Andrea Bunker!

Andrea Bunker started at the MBLC on December 6 as our new Library Building Specialist. She will be working closely with Lauren Stara to administer the very successful Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program.

Andrea comes to us from Woburn Public Library, where she was Director since 2016. She’s been spending most of her time on the WPL’s addition and renovation, which is slated to reopen in February. Her experience will be especially helpful to libraries planning renovations to historic buildings – the Woburn Public Library is a National Historic Landmark and was the first library designed by HH Richardson, who became well known for public libraries. Prior to Woburn, she participated in a space planning project for the Newburyport Public Library where she served first as the Teen Librarian and then as Senior Librarian for Reference.

She holds an MLIS from the University of Rhode Island and a BA in English and Secondary Education from Northeastern University.

Andrea “looks forward to working with libraries throughout the Commonwealth in creating spaces that foster lifelong learning, assist residents in pursuing their goals, and strengthen connections within communities.”

Please join us in welcoming Andrea to this crucial role!

Library Valentines Show Libraries Aren’t Just Loved, They’re Necessary

By Celeste Bruno, Communications Specialist at the MBLC

Valentines are a way we show how much we care. So why not use them as a way to show how much libraries are loved? That’s exactly what the MBLC has done. For two years, the MBLC has run Library Lovers, a campaign that provides a way for residents to write valentines to their libraries. The MBLC collects the valentines and delivers them to legislators to help them better understand how much residents value libraries. Last year 4,000 valentines were delivered to Massachusetts legislators. This year we’re still counting.

More important than the quantity of valentines is what residents say. It’s truly heartfelt (pun intended.) It’s not just that they love their helpful librarians (they do, in droves!) or that there’s amazing books, programs and resources. It’s that libraries play a role in residents’ lives that no one or no other institution can.

Have a look at just a few of the thousands we received. Please note: with the exception of Perkins Library at Perkins School for the Blind, all identifying information has been removed:

The Library has been an integral part of my life, for my entire life. I learned how to read in the Children’s Room and wrote my college applications on the computers upstairs. It’s hard not to love the Library’s kind and caring staff, and the love of reading that they share with patrons. Recently, I was able to utilize the Library in a new fashion-- professional research.

The Director of the library helped me with research for a television show I was working on. Despite the fact that I now live in New York, there was no one I’d rather have spoken with; she, along with the rest of the Library staff, are incredibly well-informed, with excellent knowledge of the resources at their fingertips.

My local library is very small but its benefit to the community is enormous. The library is very important to me. I work from home and am very isolated. Our town is rural, so I don’t get to see a lot of people. The library has been so helpful in getting me out into my community, learning what is going on within it, meeting other residents, and creating a social civic life that I feel fully engaged in.

The library is the only place I’ve always belonged, no matter what.

My library supported me! I emailed them with an idea to start an environmental themed book club, and they helped me brainstorm which books we should choose for the program, took care of all the advertising and scheduling, and now I have this awesome book club to look forward to every month! I get to meet people in my community who care about the same things I do too. As a recent college graduate, finding ways to connect with my community after being away for 4 years is really important to me. I’m so happy I was able to continue learning new things with other like-minded people at my local library.

The Perkins Library has served me throughout my entire life. First as a student at Perkins, and then as a wife mother and homemaker. And the books that were made available to me, and all of the subjects pertaining to the occupation in my life then, were of invaluable help. 
 Later on, my work in community theater benefited from the Library's wide selection of helpful material. But, when I became a caregiver to my daughter during her long battle against Glioblastoma brain cancer, the constant flow of books from my beloved library provided me with the information about the disease, escape, and sometimes humor which I needed to get through those impossible twelve years. 
 Now, Perkins Library still walks beside me through sleepless nights and empty days, helping me get through my grief. Perkins Library has done what even well-meaning friends could not do and I shall be forever grateful. 
 I love you Perkins Library!

Listening to recorded books I've received from the Perkins Talking Book Library it is a lifeline for me, it allows me to be connected to the world, to learn, to be entertained, to feel companionship. It gives meaning and hope for me. Thank you so much.

I love our local Library because it brings our community together. It allows us to meet each other in person and share experiences…My library helps to make my retirement years meaningful.

Perkins Library became part of my life 18 years ago. It's right up there with the air I breathe.

My library opens up my world. It allows me to travel to new places, to meet new people, to cook new foods, and to hear new music all with one little card (and without spending a dime). I am forever grateful for the resources available and the friendly staff that make these experiences possible. This is TRUE LOVE!

Love the opportunities to meet with other teens and play Minecraft! What a great group. Thank you Library.

Dear Library, I loved you but I left you... I want you back! I miss you so much! Here in Maine there’s no SAILS network, no New Release DVD’s, no amazing Juvenile DVD’s, no coupon sharing, no dropping off items at any network library location ...You don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone!

Please support our libraries - they are an essential continuing education resource and invaluable to those who do not have access to a computer at home, especially those who are looking for work.

I love the staff and the access to such a wide variety of resources through the consortium. It’s so good to see all these institutions working together. I’ve lived lots of places and no other state or commonwealth does this as well. I was even able to take grad classes in history at Harvard without spending a fortune on books because of interlibrary loans. Please keep them funded!

I love my library because it still can instill a love of reading in children.

Libraries are essential in providing access to digital media that many may not have access to otherwise. They play a critical role in leveling the “digital divide” playing field. Libraries are worthy of our support and worthy of tax payer support.

Our library is more than just a place to borrow materials...it is a hub of our community with a community room that is used every day of the year by over 150 different groups. It is a place where people come together to discuss common interests, meet up with friends, see/hear fabulous authors talk,etc.…It is also an essential resource for those of us whose work relies on access to accurate and up-to-date information; I use my local library’s services on a weekly basis, including interlibrary loan services, and would be hard-pressed to do my job as effectively without it.

For more information on the Library Lovers campaign, contact Celeste Bruno at the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.