There are two IMLS related happenings this week: The first is that the federal House budget markup has been pushed back, which means there is still time to contact legislators about IMLS funding.
In the federal budget framework that was recently passed, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is funded at $6 million to essentially close down the agency. BUT that is not a done deal. While IMLS is part of the federal budget, Congress, not the President, determines how much funding IMLS will get.
This article on BookRiot has valuable information about the timeline, process, and who to contact. From Book Riot article: “Contacting the members of the Labor-HHS-Education subcommittee is not inappropriate. Be frank about why you are contacting them (i.e., their role on this particular committee) and be aware that you will likely not hear a response from them as they prioritize their own constituents. But before you reach out to members of the Subcommittee, reach out to your own Representative and urge them to demand their colleagues include restoration of IMLS funding in their markup.”
The second is reported from Education Week and seems to indicate that advocacy efforts are paying off: Senators—Including Republicans—Reject All of Trump’s Proposed Education Cuts. The article talks mainly about the Department of Education, but does mention IMLS, “The Senate version of the budget differs on nearly all the priorities Trump laid out. In addition to all the education-specific funding allocations, the bill includes funding for several programs and agencies the Trump administration has already moved to unravel, including AmeriCorps and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.”
Thank you for your advocacy on IMLS funding. Your efforts are important and are working!
🕙 MBLC Monthly Board Meeting on August 7th (Hybrid) Contact: Rachel Masse
The regular monthly board meetingof the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners is scheduled for 10AM on Thursday, August 7th, 2025, at the Marlborough Public Library.
📝NEW BLOG POST:Immigration Enforcement and Library Spaces
Conserv, MBLC’s environmental monitoring program partner, offers a brief overview of mold risks and monitoring methods in library and archival collections. Open to all. Registration required. This webinar will be recorded.
Learn advanced Word skills to make your documents accessible! MBLC staff will be discussing and working through hands-on exercises for accessible headers, document templates, alt text, and more.
Governor Maura Healey recently signed the $60 billion FY2026 state budget which includes $52,411,000 for libraries. The budget level funds all but two Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) budget lines: the Board of Library Commissioners Support and Outreach Services line (7000-9101) which was reduced by $21,341 and Technology and Resource Sharing line (7000-9506) which received a $3,210 increase. The full budget chart is available on the MBLC website. To read more about FY2026 state funding to libraries, visit the MBLC website.
The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) elected new officers to serve for FY2026 at its Board Meeting on July 10, 2025. The elected positions of Chair, Vice Chair and Secretary form the Executive Committee of the MBLC. The Executive Committee is elected every July by the board for a term of one year. Commissioners can serve for two successive one-year terms in any office and after one year off the committee are eligible for election again. To read more about the newly elected Executive Committee, visit the MBLC Website.
MassArt at the Library is returning for another summer of connecting people to art through workshops at public libraries. The program, sponsored by The Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt) and the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC), places MassArt faculty and student ambassadors in public libraries so that children and teens can experience the benefits of art creation, learn about the creative process, connect with MassArt faculty and students, and explore art as a possible career path. To read more about this summer’s MassArt Workshops, visit the MBLC website.
State Aid ARIS & Financial Report season continues! The FY26 ARIS survey will close on Friday, August 15th, and the FY26 Financial Report will open on Monday, August 4th and close on Friday, October 3rd. Financial Report workshops begin this month, and Waiver workshops will begin in September- view all upcoming trainings here. Sign up for the State Aid Listserv for updates and information. Don’t hesitate to reach out to the State Aid team if you have any questions or concerns. More information and dates can be found at at the MBLC website.
Drop-in with any and all questions about the ARIS survey before it closes on Friday, August 15th at 5pm (with signed signature pages emailed to Uechi.Ng@mass.gov)! No registration needed; use the same Zoom link for all Open Hours.
🖥️ Environmental Monitoring: Identifying and Monitoring for Mold(Online)
Conserv, MBLC’s environmental monitoring program partner, offers a brief overview of mold risks and monitoring methods in library and archival collections. Open to all. Registration required. This webinar will be recorded.
Learn advanced Word skills to make your documents accessible! MBLC staff will be discussing and working through hands-on exercises for accessible headers, document templates, alt text, and more.
💬 State Aid + Financial Report Weekly Drop-in Hours(Online)
For August and September, Wednesday State Aid Office Hours are now also Financial Report Drop-in Hours- and they’re weekly at 9am! Make sure your budget, materials spending, and hours open fully meet State Aid requirements, and bring your Financial Report and/or Waiver questions, big and small. Registration is not required, and session and chats will not be recorded or saved. Use the same Zoom link each week.
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.
Review the FY26 Financial Report and questions. Workshop information (meeting ID, etc.) will be emailed to registered participants as the date of the session approaches. Financial Report Workshops (and Waiver Workshops) continue in September- see them all here. Registration is required.
📅 Get to Know Your Local Trial Court Law Libraries (Online)
Join staff from the Massachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries to learn about legal resources available to the general public and library staff. Services like Ask a Law Librarian and Document Delivery Service and informational access to Massachusetts and Federal legal forms, treatises, and case law research support legal research needs across the Commonwealth and may equip you with skills and tools to use during your next reference-based interaction. Registration is required.
Open to all Directors, Trustees, Library Friends, and Foundation Members. They are designed to be an open-ended, safe space for questions and interaction among participants. Sessions will NOT be recorded, and chats will NOT be saved. Registration is not required; stop by anytime during the hour!
🕙 MBLC Monthly Board Meeting on September 4th (Hybrid) Contact: Rachel Masse
The regular monthly board meetingof the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners is scheduled for 10AM on Thursday, September 4th, 2025, at the Holyoke Public Library.
By Ally Dowds, MBLC Consultant, Services to Special Populations
Libraries serve as vital community hubs and value their institutions as welcoming spaces that take proactive steps to protect patron rights and intellectual freedoms. Current federal immigration enforcement activities throughout Massachusetts and the broader United States have left library staff and stakeholders grappling with how best to support vulnerable community members and remain committed to missions rooted in diverse and inclusive practices. Below are suggested pathways to support staff and sustain our place as trusted institutions for all patrons.
Clear policies and procedures
As both a community and very public space, libraries may develop institutional procedures to feel better prepared to respond to ICE inquiries. This could include designating points of contact, outlining clear communication channels, or facilitating regular staff workshops on bystander training, patron privacy or emergency response to reduce uncertainty and support effective response. One place to start is to review the MA Library System’s collection of policy samples.
Ultimately, librarians cannot dispense legal advice, but we can provide access to information, and this includes material related to an individual’s constitutional and statutory rights. Review the rights and legal framework for ICE stops, arrests, and inquiries found within Know Your Rights guidance from the Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General or refer patrons to local resources on Boston Public Library’s expansive Legal Services Referral list.
Lastly, check to see if your city or town has developed its own laws around federal civil immigration enforcement. The Massachusetts Municipal Association has shared this official statement signed by leaders from 13 cities and one town on ICE activities in their communities.
Know Your Rights and Theirs
A good place to start is ALA’s How to Respond to Law Enforcement Requests for Library Records and User Information. This comprehensive guide on patron privacy may help you prepare for and respond to requests from law enforcement while upholding First and Fourth Amendment freedoms, professional ethics and state laws. If legal advice or expert opinion is needed, please do consult with the library’s local municipal attorney as they often have the final say on town legal matters.
A good place to start is ALA’s How to Respond to Law Enforcement Requests for Library Records and User Information. This comprehensive guide on patron privacy may help you prepare for and respond to requests from law enforcement while upholding First and Fourth Amendment freedoms, professional ethics and state laws. If legal advice or expert opinion is needed, please do consult with the library’s local municipal attorney as they often have the final say on town legal matters.
Sometimes all we can be in the moment is a good bystander. Someone to bear witness, relay information, or make a phone call. Page 3 of the Attorney General’s Know Your Rights guidance outlines these rights. Read it. Decide how and if this fits into your role, and remember, “Bystanders are not required to answer questions about their own immigration status or the status of another person.”
Post-event staff support
If your staff, your patrons, or your colleagues experience immigration enforcement in your library space, it is important to address and assess the impact this experience has on the individual or group. Review procedures, be an ally, provide staff training, host listening sessions, or connect employees and colleagues to Employee Assistance Program services.
Community engagement and education
Why should libraries concern themselves with immigration enforcement? Look to your library mission, which often encourages a library to be the mirrors and windows to the community it serves. Some of the basic ethical underpinnings of libraries is to offer free, nonjudgemental spaces for people to access lifelines to information. Libraries do this regardless of immigration status.
Collaborate with partners like the MIRA Coalition to support immigrant communities on topics like bystander training, Family Preparedness, or legal clinics. Engage with local resources to ensure you are providing safe and accurate information to your patrons and staff. Display informational flyers in multiple languages that highlight immigration hotlines, Know Your Rights basics, or Citizenship Assistance and empower patrons through informational access.
And finally, continue to build trust through collections that showcase diverse voices, programs that bridge the differences of our languages, and staff that welcome all through your doors.
The regular monthly board meetingof the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners is scheduled for 10AM on Thursday, June 5th, 2025. This meeting is fully remote.
📰 MBLC Maintains some Databases, Support for eBooks, and ComCat
At the annual Massachusetts Library Association conference, MBLC Director Maureen Amyot addressed the impact of ongoing federal uncertainty caused by the executive order and spoke about the MBLC’s efforts to preserve as many federally funded statewide services as possible. Director Amyot announced the FY2026 plan for statewide research databases, the statewide eBook program, and the Commonwealth Catalog.To read more about FY2026 databases, visit the MBLC website.
📰 Libraries Level Funded in Proposed Senate Budget
State Aid ARIS & Financial Report season are upon us! The FY26 ARIS survey will open on July 1st and close on Friday, August 15th, and the FY26 Financial Report will open on August 4th and close on Friday, October 3rd. We are offering six ARIS trainings this month and into early July, and please don’t hesitate to reach out to the State Aid team if you have any questions or concerns. More information and dates can be found at at the MBLC website.
ℹ️ Database Library Community Information (Online)
On Tuesday, May 20, the “State of the State” presented by MBLC Director Maureen Amyot at the Massachusetts Library Association conference included announcement about statewide services that have been impacted by the uncertainty caused by Executive Order 14238. These services include statewide databases, the Commonwealth Catalog, and the statewide Library eBooks and Audiobooks (LEA) program powered by Libby. For those unable to attend MLA, please register for an information session.
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.
📅 Unlocking MassHealth: What You Need to Know to Help Your Patrons (Online)
Join Community Engagement and Education staff for an informative webinar designed to help Massachusetts residents, caregivers, and service providers better understand MassHealth—the state’s Medicaid and CHIP program. Whether you’re applying for the first time, assisting someone else, or just want to stay informed about recent updates, this session will give you the tools and resources you need to increase understanding and access for your library community. This session will be recorded and registration is required.
Libraries need active and engaged trustees now more than ever. If you are a new trustee hoping to learn more about your role or a more seasoned trustee looking for a deeper understanding of the basics, you are invited to the MBLC’s Library Trustee Orientation. This is a 4-session course where you will learn more about your role and responsibilities as a Library Trustee. Registration is required.
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!
Please join us on Friday, June 13th from 2-3:30pm for the interactive webinar “A Library is Not a Computer: Librarianing for Social Flourishing,” led by Dr. Margo Gustina. In this 90-minute interactive webinar, Dr. Gustina will introduce how librarians build neighborhood pathways toward wellbeing based in years of continuous community-based research. This event is co-sponsored by Simmons University School of Library and Information Science, the Massachusetts Library System (MLS) and the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC).
📈 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. Registration is required.
💻 Introduction to the Statewide Patron Portal (Online)
Join us on June 18th for an introduction to the Statewide Patron Portal at libraries.state.ma.us! This walkthrough and information session will introduce our revamped site, including the Library of Things search and the statewide events calendar. We’ll also discuss tagging events and updating your library’s information. Register for the 11am morning session or the 2pm afternoon session.
‘Tis the season for ARIS (Annual Report Information & Statistics) trainings! Review the Annual Survey and learn about the new questions that will appear. Workshop information (meeting ID, etc.) will be emailed to registered participants as the date of the session approaches. Registration is required.
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.
📅 Supporting Library Patrons with Re-Employment Needs—An Overview by MassHire (Online)
Join this informative session designed to equip library staff with tools, resources, and knowledge to support patrons navigating unemployment, layoffs, and re-employment opportunities. There are over 25 MassHire Career Centers across that state and a Rapid Response Team that provides early intervention re-employment services to employees affected by layoffs and closings.
Join us for the first webinar in a new series discussing digital accessibility topics and building tech skills to support your website’s accessibility. We’ll discuss the Department of Justice ADA Title II ruling and how it affects libraries as well as some accessibility basics to get you started.
Have specific questions? Accessibility office hours will be starting this summer, schedule TBA!
🕙 MBLC Monthly Board Meeting on July 10th (Hybrid)
The regular monthly board meetingof the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners is scheduled for 10AM on Thursday, July 10th, 2025. Location: TBD.
Thank you for submitting your orders for Bruins summer reading materials featuring Jeremy Swayman! Expected time for delivery to your library is about 2 weeks from now. All materials are available to print and download at the MBLC Awarehouse as well, please be in touch with any questions!
The regular monthly board meeting of the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners is scheduled for 10AM on Thursday, May 1st, 2025. This meeting is fully remote.
On Wednesday, April 16, 2025, the Massachusetts House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee released their proposal for the FY2026 budget. Except for slight differences in the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners’ (MBLC) agency line (7000-9101) and Technology and Resource Sharing (7000-9506), the House proposal funds all MBLC budget lines at FY2025 levels which aligns with the Governor’s budget released in January. The full budget chart is available on the MBLC website. To read more about FY2026 level funding for libraries in Massachusetts, visit the MBLC website.
On April 15, 2025, Melrose residents were joined by state and local officials to celebrate the grand opening of the new Melrose Public Library. “The construction of any library, no matter the size, affirms the principles and freedoms we stand on,” said Commissioner Jessica Vilas Novas from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC). The project was partially funded with a $8 million grant through the MBLC’s Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program (MPLCP).To read more about Melrose’s new library, visit the MBLC website.
In the wake of President Trump’s Executive Order 14238 that targeted the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the notice that the entire IMLS staff was put on administrative leave on March 31, the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) announced cuts to library services and grants at its monthly board meeting. To read more about cuts due to federal funding uncertainty, visit the MBLC website.
A grand opening celebration will be held a tthe new Sharon Public Library at 1 School Street at 2PM on Monday, May 19. The event will include a ribbon cutting ceremony, a tour of the new library, mural unveiling in vesituble and the mural artist will speak in the new Community Room. Parking will be available at the library and at the High Street lot. To learn more about the Sharon Public Library project, visit the Town of Sharon’s website.
Connect with literacy coordinators and library staff to exchange ideas, collaborate on projects, and build a supportive community. Whether you’re an experienced educator, a new ESOL coordinator, or a librarian developing services and collections, this roundtable provides a forum to come together for meaningful discussion and resource sharing. Bring your questions, challenges, and successes!
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.
🧊 Libraries as Cooling Centers: Every Library Can Be One! Presented by the Northeast Summit for Climate Adaptation for Library Facilities (Online)
The Northeast Summit on Climate Adaptation for Library Facilities is pleased to announce this last webinar for the 2024-2025 season. The session will begin with a brief overview of what the term cooling center means. You may be surprised to find that your library is one, even if you weren’t using that term! There will also be a keynote speaker, Jared Ulmer, from the Vermont Department of Health and a panel discussion. This event is part of the Northeast Summit on Climate Adaptation for Library Facilities, a collaboration of the State Libraries from Maine to Maryland. This webinar was planned by the Rhode Island Office of Library & Information Services and the Vermont Department of Libraries.
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.
📅 Rapid Response Federal Layoff Information Sessions, Presented by the MassHire Rapid Response Team (Online)
MassHire is hosting a series of Federal Layoff Information Sessions to provide statewide, early intervention re-employment services to employees affected by layoffs and closings. Topics covered will include unemployment insurance eligibility, MassHire Career Center services and more. View or download the flyer to share information about these sessions and to register to attend. The MBLC will partner with MassHire in the near future to bring these sessions in person across the state. More information to come!
️➡️ Get to Know Your Government: The Massachusetts Office on Disability (Online)
Join us for a conversation and Q&A with the Massachusetts Office on Disability (MOD) to learn more about this state agency, the guidance and support it provides to disability-related civil rights and architectural access, and a space to share feedback on how MOD can better serve both library staff and patrons. Registration is required.
Do you want to do more to advocate on behalf of your local public library? Are you considering running to be a Library Trustee? Join us to learn more about what your library does for your community, the role of a Library Trustee, what responsibilities you’ll encounter should you become a successful candidate. This program is a basic primer designed for people who are considering becoming a Library Trustee in their community, though new Trustees may find valuable information and are welcome to attend as well.
As the FY26 budget cycle continues, learn about the process (and paperwork) required to apply for a waiver of the MAR, so you and your municipalities can be prepared.
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!
📈 Census Data for Libraries – Data on a Deadline (Online)
In this session we will explore census.gov and learn where to find and how to use a variety of data access tools that can quickly provide a snapshot of your community or state. Through short live demos you will gain insights about tools and resources such as QuickFacts, data.census.gov, Narrative Profiles, OnTheMap, Interactive Maps and more. Attendance at the previous two sessions is not required to join this session. All registrants will receive a Zoom link for the webinar the day before the event.
Tuesday, May 13 at 2PM – More Information & Zoom Link
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.
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.
MBLC has partnered with the Department of Mental Health to help libraries serve their communities with the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Helpline, a statewide service that connects individuals directly to clinical help, when and where it is needed.
Free, confidential, and no health insurance is required.
Real-time interpretation in 200+ languages.
Deaf or hard of hearing? Contact MassRelay at 711 or use your video relay or caption provider of choice.
📆 Save the Date! *June 18* Introduction to the Statewide Patron Portal (Online)
Join us on June 18th for an introduction to the Statewide Patron Portal at libraries.state.ma.us! This walkthrough and information session will introduce our revamped site, including the Library of Things search and the statewide events calendar. We’ll also discuss tagging events and updating your library’s information. Register for the 11 am morning session or the 2 pm afternoon session.
Reading the Revolution is a collaborative, statewide reading list to celebrate the 250th anniversary of American Independence. The Massachusetts Center of the Book and the MBLC invite you to share your suggestions for book titles, articles and online resources of untold and unsung histories in Massachusetts from the past 250 years. This is in partnership with Massachusetts250, a two-year campaign organized by the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution.
The regular monthly board meeting of the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners is scheduled for 10AM on Thursday, June 5th, 2025, at the MBLC Office, 90 Canal Street, Boston.
🕙 MBLC Monthly Board Meeting on April 3rd(Hybrid) Contact: Rachel Masse
The regular monthly board meetingof the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners is scheduled for 10AM on Thursday, April 3rd, 2025, at the MBLC Office, 90 Canal Street, Boston.
📢 PRESS RELEASE: Reed Leads Bipartisan Effort to Preserve Support for Public Libraries & Museums
Reading the Revolution is a collaborative, statewide reading list to celebrate the 250th anniversary of American Independence. The Massachusetts Center of the Book and the MBLC invite you to share your suggestions for book titles, articles and online resources of untold and unsung histories in Massachusetts from the past 250 years. This is in partnership with Massachusetts250, a two-year campaign organized by the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution.
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.
🌈 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. Registration is required.
📅 Library Summit on Social Cohesion: April 11, 2025 from 10AM to 3:30PM at Devens Common Center
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.
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!
📈 Census Data for Libraries – A Deeper Dive (Online)
In this workshop you will learn how to find population and demographic data for various geographies, using data.census.gov, the Census Bureau’s premiere online data platform. Understanding community characteristics can help inform and prioritize the need for library services, funding, and programs. You will learn how to customize a search to find data tables on community population, demographics, socio-economic, and housing data. We will provide a live demonstration of data.census.gov and show you how to use maps, charts, and access various data tables that can be downloaded and shared.
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.
📈 Introduction/Overview of the State Aid Program (Online)
These sessions are geared towards new and/or acting directors to provide an introduction to and overview of the State Aid to Public Libraries program, and the requirements that need to be met in order to qualify for State Aid to Public Libraries funds. This is not a workshop about how to fill out the surveys/forms- ARIS and Financial Report workshops will be held beginning in the early summer.
💙 Participate in the Empowered by Libraries Campaign!
Connect with literacy coordinators and library staff to exchange ideas, collaborate on projects, and build a supportive community. Whether you’re an experienced educator, a new ESOL coordinator, or a librarian developing services and collections, this roundtable provides a forum to come together for meaningful discussion and resource sharing. Bring your questions, challenges, and successes!
🖥️✏️Fortifying Your Library Blog Series with Al Hayden: Patron Rights & Responsibility
Having well-defined policies is more crucial than ever to ensure libraries serve their communities effectively. In the latest installment of Fortifying Your Library , MBLC Library Advisory Specialist Al Hayden takes a deep dive into the policies that protect patron rights. To read more, visit the MBLC Blog.
🕙 MBLC Monthly Board Meeting on May 1st(Hybrid) Contact: Rachel Masse
The regular monthly board meetingof the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners is scheduled for 10AM on Thursday, May 1st, 2025,at the MBLC Office, 90 Canal Street, Boston.
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.
