MBLC Blog

MBLC Service Update                                                                              
April 29, 2020

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

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-qzGy3a6H0UFwhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TbUPnDUkCo

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

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!

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                                                                             
April 22, 2020

Past Updates
April 1, 2020
April 8, 2020
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 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.

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.

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

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.

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

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
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
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