Tag: massachusetts board of library commissioners

Henry Stedman Nourse

By MBLC Preservation Specialist Jessica Branco Colati

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lancaster, MA remaining Civil War veterans

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get to Know the Founding Commissioners: Henry Stedman Nourse

Image of Henry Steadman Nourse
Henry Stedman Nourse, MBLC Commissioner from 1890-1903

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

1. How did Commissioner Nourse champion libraries in Massachusetts?

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

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

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

Image of Henry Stedman Nourse in civil war uniform

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

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

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

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

5. An MBLC Favorite Quote about Commissioner Nourse:

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

6. Fascinating Fact about Henry Stedman Nourse:

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

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

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

What Might a Future Recession Look Like for MA Libraries? * 

In my last post, I walked you through my discovery of library usage (in terms of circulation and attendance) increasing during the Great Recession, with the Great Recession defined as the fiscal years 2009, 2010, 2011 using Michael Mabe’s 2023 study. So, what can we do with that information? Given that this is a blog series where I try to help libraries fortify themselves, I’d like to use that information to extrapolate what could happen if we encounter another recession in near future and what that might mean in terms of our needs and services.  

Let’s start with the basics of what we learned in my last post when I discovered that MA-specific data aligned reasonably well with the study I used as a model for my inquiry. To recap: Massachusetts libraries saw an average increase in circulation of 12.5% and an average increase in attendance of 32.4% during the Great Recession as compared to the 3 years before the recession. If those percentages were extrapolated to see a potential model for the future, what would that look like?*  

Circulation 

For the fiscal years 2022, 2023, and 2024, the total average circulation activity for MA libraries was 176,330 items. This includes books, periodicals, eBooks, other nonprint items such as Library of Things, basically anything that was transferred from the library (physically or digitally) to the hands of a patron. This also includes interlibrary loans (ILLs; items exchanged between libraries). If we apply the percentage increase in circulation that occurred in MA during the Great Recession**, the total average circulation over the next 3 years would be 198,437 items, or a potential increase of 22,107 items in a year.  

What does this look like in terms of library service?  

The average total circulation number of 176,330 works out to the library circulating about 483 items per day. This assumes that the library is open 365 days a year, which as libraries are municipal departments, is virtually impossible. So let’s factor in the 12 state holidays that libraries will observe, plus the day after Thanksgiving, and an extra 2 days for libraries to be closed*** for snow/weather conditions, building issues (no electricity, flooding, extreme heat, construction, etc.) or other situations out of most people’s control that may necessitate a library not opening to its patrons that day. When including days where a library will not be open to patrons, this increases the daily circulation for a given library right now to be 504 items per day.  

An increase of more than 22,000 items in a year works out to an extra 61 items each day.  If we include the library being closed for 15 days as I did above to calculate the current numbers, that number tics up to 63 items circulating per day. So, adding the potential increase in daily circulation, libraries may result in circulating 567 items every day they are open in the event of a significant economic downturn.  

Attendance 

The other major metric Mabe’s study examined to indicate library usage is how many people visited the library. The average attendance at any given MA library over the course of a year using FY2022, 2023, and 2024 data was 69,471**** This includes anyone who walked into the library for any reason including but not limited to: picking up a hold, asking a question, using public computers or Wi-Fi, sitting and reading a periodical, seeking shelter from the elements, attending a program, etc. If we use the percentage increase in attendance that libraries experienced during the Great Recession to project a possible increase in attendance for the future, that number goes up to 91,983 over the course of a year. This is a potential annual increase of 22,512 library visitors each year. 

What does this look like in terms of library service?  

The average total of 69,471 visitors per year that libraries have most recently welcomed, works out to 190 people each day. If we factor in library closures (the same 15 days I used for calculating circs above) that number becomes 198 people visiting a library each day.  

When you count the extra 22,512 people that an economic downturn may bring in, that is an extra 64 people per day coming into the library. Almost 92,000 people visiting over the course of a year works out to 252 people visiting the library every day. Again, factoring in time for libraries to be closed, that number increases to 263 people visiting the library over the course of a day, should we end up in a recession. 

Are we prepared for that?  

In order to answer this question, we need to look at several factors and each library is going to have to ask itself:  

  • Do we have enough staff to accommodate these potential increases?  
  • Will our building’s current condition accommodate the increase in foot traffic?  
  • Is our internet (public computers, Wi-Fi) equipped to handle increased usage?  
  • Do we receive ILL deliveries often enough if our circulation increases?  
  • What infrastructure do we have that might be scalable to accommodate potential increases like this?  

All of these questions will have at least one overarching question in common: Will we have the funding to help potentially more people? Every library in MA is different in terms of how well funded it is within its municipality but now may be a good time share this information with your closest library advocates (Trustees, Friends, Foundation members) to give them a framework of possibilities to work from.  

In my next post, I’ll start digging into metrics from MA that weren’t considered in Mabe’s study, but we have the data for and can give us further insight into this thought experiment. I will use the same basic logic and framework from Mabe’s study to see what our past may be able to tell us about our future when it comes to funding and staffing.  

* DISCLAIMER: This is a thought experiment to hopefully give libraries a framework from which to advocate for themselves using a foundation of past data. I am not a financial analyst, nor do I have any ability to predict the future. I do need to use the data available to me, however; which means I’m limited by what’s available from our library statistics. That data ends (for now) with FY2024 . Because of that, I can only really extrapolate what that might mean in terms of averages for FY2025, 2026 and 2027. This does NOT mean that there is any certainty about whether there will be an economic recession during those years. For more background on what prompted me going down this particular rabbit-hole, please see my previous post.  

** Because I only have the information from the previous recession, that is the number I’m using to extrapolate. If we encounter another recession, I fully recognize that the percentage may be different and that using the same number indicates that circumstances will be the same in the future, which is unlikely. But this can give libraries a baseline of something to work with to anticipate change and create a nimble plan of action to adjust based on what actually happens, should a recession occur.            

***Again, I’m working with averages here. Some libraries may not need to close for extenuating circumstances at all over the course of a year, some libraries may close more days.    

~ Al Hayden, MBLC Library Advisory Specialist

Get to Know the Founding Commissioners: Anna Eliot Ticknor

Anna Eliot Ticknor, MBLC Commissioner from 1890-1896

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

  1.  How did Commissioner Ticknor champion libraries in Massachusetts?

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  1. An MBLC Favorite Quote about Commissioner Anna Eliot Ticknor:

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

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

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

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

The History of the MBLC Logo

Anna Eliot Ticknor, An Education and Public Libraries Pioneer

By MBLC Preservation Specialist Jessica Branco Colati

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

📰August 2025 Libraries in the News

Have a news story you’d like to share? Please email the link to MBLC Communications Specialist June Thammasnong (june.thammasnong@mass.gov), thank you! 

[PDF] Libraries in the News – August 2025Download

🗞️Local News 

📄MBLC Funds Statewide eContent – MBLC Press Release (8/7/2025)

At its August board meeting, the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) approved $500,000 in grants to Automated Networks to purchase eContent for the Library eBook and Audiobook (LEA) program. LEA gives Massachusetts residents access to eBooks, audiobooks, and more from 400 participating libraries from across the Commonwealth. This statewide system allows eContent to be shared in a similar way to physical materials, opening up access that was previously unavailable for eBooks and audiobooks. The LEA collection has grown 37% over the past three years and totals almost 1.5 million eBooks and Audiobooks.

Link to full MBLC Press Release

📄New library at 38 Avenue A in Turner Falls preferred over Carnegie Renovation – by Erin-Leigh Hoffman, Greenfield Recorder (8/15/2025) – This project is part of the MBLC’s Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program-

TURNERS FALLS — The property that once housed a Cumberland Farms and was later eyed for a mixed-use development may be starting a new chapter, this time as a library.

Link to full article from Greenfield Recorder

📄 Masters of their craft: Elizabeth Taber Library launches new makerspace – by Grace Ann Natanawan, Sippican Week (8/19/2025) – Elizabeth Tabor Library in Marion received an LSTA Creative Communities grant in 2024 to help support this project –

LUNENBURG — The Boston Bruins have teamed up with libraries across the state to encourage children and teens to keep reading over the summer.

The Lunenburg Public Library and the Thayer Memorial Library are two of just 12 public libraries selected to receive a special summer reading visit from Bruins’ mascot Blades.

Link to full article from Sippican Week

📄Where will Yarmouth build a new, modern library?  Here are 5 possible sites. – by Susan Vaughn, Cape Cod Times (8/21/2025) – This project is part of the MBLC’s Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program –

South Yarmouth and West Yarmouth libraries are too small to serve the town, library officials say. Now, a new building is planned for both.

Link to full article from Cape Cod Times

📝 The Future is Unknowable, but the Past Can Help Us Prepare – by Al Hayden, MBLC Blog (8/25/2025)

Welcome back to another edition of Fortifying Your Library! While I remain committed to being a policy nerd and will continue to offer policy-based content that hopefully helps your libraries, there are other ways to fortify your library. I wanted to spend some time addressing a question that has been on my mind: what happens to public libraries during an economic recession? As you may suspect, what prompted this inquiry was the large quantity of media speculation as to whether or not the US is heading towards a recession.

Link to full post on the MBLC Blog

📄Letter to the Editor: Funding Cuts and the Revere Public Library – by The Revere Public Library Board of Trustees, Revere Journal (8/21/2025)

Many of you may not realize that your public library is funded in several ways: through the City of Revere budget, the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC), and the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).  IMLS was recently defunded by Presidential Executive Order #14238 and this letter is about the impact on your public library of the loss of this agency and the funding it administered.

Link to full article from The Revere Journal

📄 Bruins Mascot to Celebrate Summer Reading at Local Libraries – by Cheryl A. Cuddahy, Sentinel & Enterprise (8/3/2025)

LUNENBURG — The Boston Bruins have teamed up with libraries across the state to encourage children and teens to keep reading over the summer.

The Lunenburg Public Library and the Thayer Memorial Library are two of just 12 public libraries selected to receive a special summer reading visit from Bruins’ mascot Blades.

Link to full article from Sentinel & Enterprise

📺 Bruins Mascot visits Wilks Library– by New Bedford Government Access (8/19/2025)

NEW BEDFORD — Boston Bruins mascot Blades visited the Wilks Library in New Bedford! New Bedford Cable Network captured all the fun here:

Link to full video from New Bedford Government Access

🗞️ National News

📄 How Libraries Became ‘First Responders’ for America’s Opportunity Gap – by Wilfred Chan, Carnegie Corporation of New York (8/25/2025)
Last year, the New York Public Library’s English classes were attended 200,000 times — and it still can’t keep up with demand. 

Link to full article from Carnegie Corporation of New York

📄 Attorneys General Beseech R.I. Judge to Protect IMLS – by Nathalie op de Beek, Publishers Weekly (8/25/2025)
As the calendar ticks toward September 30 and the end of fiscal 2025, at which time U.S. legislators will determine FY 2026 appropriations for public institutions, 21 states’ attorneys general have asked the U.S. District Court of Rhode Island to enter a summary judgment in State of Rhode Island v. Trump. They seek a permanent injunction to keep the Institute of Museum and Library Services, along with the Minority Business Development Agency and Federal Conciliation and Remediation Service, fully staffed and operational.

Link to full article from Publisher’s Weekly

📄 More Details Emerge About IMLS Dismantling; Plaintiffs in RHODE ISLAND Lawsuit Seek Permanent Injunction – by Kelly Jensen, Book Riot (8/26/2025)
More details emerge in what happened during the IMLS takeover by DOGE and what might happen in the federal lawsuits against the agency’s dismantling.

Link to full article from Book Riot

📄 New ULC Analysis Shows Downtown Libraries Are the Anchors Cities Need – Urban Libraries Council (ULC) (8/27/2025)
Office attendance has yet to rebound, but central libraries are bringing people and energy back to city centers, as our new data shows–
Public libraries have long been at the heart of American cities, and the large central libraries that serve as the flagship of most systems are among our most vibrant public spaces. Whether historic architectural landmarks or modern works of art, they collectively represent over 215 million square feet and serve nearly a third of the U.S. population – the indoor public space of America, where all offerings are free of charge.

View ULC’s new data and visualization based on analysis above

Link to full intro blog on ULC Analysis

📄 Braille libraries offer community.  What happens when funding cuts close them? – by Hannah Goeke, Christian Science Monitor (7/31/2025) – Includes an interview with Perkins Library Executive Director Kim Charlson-

Marci Carpenter reconnected with her love of reading through her fingertips. When her vision became more limited, learning braille gave her a new way to experience the world. She still remembers how the words of Robert Frost’s poems came alive again through soft bumps embossed on thick paper.

But it was the Washington Talking Book & Braille Library in Seattle that gave her a place to connect.

Link to the full article from Christian Science Monitor

📄More and more books are being banned.  SoCal libraries find a solution – by Annie Goodykoontz, Los Angeles Times (8/14/2025)

To combat book censorship, some Southern California public libraries, including Los Angeles, Long Beach and San Diego, are joining libraries nationwide to provide access to online library cards. Children as young as 13 can get a free e-card to access the libraries’ catalog of e-books and audiobooks, without parental permission and without any challenges they may face to get a book in their local library.

Link to full article from Los Angeles Times

📄 PLA celebrates Project Outcome success; transitions resources for free ongoing use – by American Library Association (ALA) Press Release (8/19/2025)

CHICAGO—The Public Library Association (PLA) today launched a suite of outcome measurement resources developed as part of the Project Outcome toolkit. The new webpages culminate a decade of work dedicated to sharing the impact of public library services and programs via simple surveys and an easy process to measure and analyze patron outcomes. The “Utilizing Outcome Measurement to Improve Library Services” webinar on August 28 will guide participants through the templates and tools.

Link to full press release from ALA

📄 At airport libraries, books fly off the shelves – by Hannah Simpson, The Washington Post (8/18/2025)

Airports all over the country have introduced book exchanges, to the delight of literary travelers.

Link to full article from The Washington Post

📄 Library of Congress acquires only known lyrics sketch of ‘Over the Rainbow’ – Chloe Veltman, NPR (8/25/2025)
The Library of Congress has acquired rare artifacts related to the beloved 1939 film The Wizard of Oz.

The treasures include 35 musical manuscripts from composer Harold Arlen and lyricist E. Y. “Yip” Harburg’s creative output, including the first handwritten drafts of music and lyrics from some of the most well-known The Wizard of Oz songs, draft song lists and correspondence from the director of the film, Mervyn LeRoy.

Among the artifacts is the only lyric sketch for “Over the Rainbow” known to exist.

Link to full article from NPR

Related: 📄Want to See the Original Lyrics for ‘Over the Rainbow’?  All You Need is a Library Card – Ella Feldman, Smithsonian Magazine (8/27/2025). Link to full article from Smithsonian Magazine

📄 How Portlanders have expanded Little Free Library’s ‘take a back, leave a book’ – by Crystal Ligori, NPR (8/23/2025)
In Portland, Ore., people have gone beyond the trend of Little Free Libraries, creating all kinds of sidewalk installations to spark joy.

Link to listen and full transcript from NPR

o*Links provided to external (non-MBLC) news stories are done so as a convenience and for informational purposes only; they do not constitute an endorsement or an approval by the MBLC. MBLC bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality, or content of the external site or for that of subsequent links. Contact the external site for answers to questions regarding its content.

MBLC Update – August 1

Good afternoon,

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!

Sincerely,

Maureen Amyot, Director

Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioenrs

Immigration Enforcement and Library Spaces

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.

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.

MBLC Update – July 11

Dear Colleagues:

It’s been a busy few weeks with both the state and federal budgets passed. I’ve included some key takeaways and actions needed below.

Now is the time for IMLS funding
Funding to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) will be decided in the next few weeks. It is critical to contact legislators now.

In the federal budget framework that was just passed, 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.

The House Appropriations Committee is currently reviewing and marking up the budget. The subcommittee overseeing funding for IMLS is scheduled for Monday, July 21.  Members of this committee can be contacted.
This article on BookRiot has valuable information about who to contact and what information to include.


The federal budget impacts the state budget.
Governor Healey signed the state budget last week. State legislators and officials are determining how federal budget cuts will impact the state. But the Governor has already been proactive. According to the Healey and Driscoll Administration, “Governor Healey is vetoing $130 million, resulting in a final budget that is more than $1 billion less than the H1 proposal and $130 million less than the final conference budget. The administration is also continuing an Executive Branch hiring freeze, halting a planned non-union manager pay raise scheduled for January, saving $17 million, and delaying payment on earmarked funds for local projects in the budget totaling approximately $125 million until later in the year when more is understood about their affordability.”

The state budget level funds all but two Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) budget lines—in this climate that is good news. However, it is tempered with a $21,341 cut to the Board of Library Commissioners Support and Outreach Services line (7000-9101). For FY2026, the MBLC requested an increase of $414,854 to this line. Given the federal uncertainty, this funding is even more critical for agency staff and operations and was funded below FY2025 levels at $2,052,927.

What is the status of IMLS?
In addition to funding hurdle, the reauthorization of the Museum and Library Services Act (MLSA) of 2018 needs to happen by September 30. This is done by Congresson a six-year cycle. The 2018 MLSA authorizes spending levels through October 1, 2025. It is critical to contact legislators about reauthorization.

The MBLC has had very limited contact with IMLS since much of the agency’s workforce was placed on leave. Last week the Supreme Court’s ruling on mass firings at federal agencies seems to support the Trump Administration’s reduction in workforce efforts. It’s unclear whether IMLS staff will be brought back while Massachusetts and other states pursue legal avenues.

As I’ve mentioned in previous updates, the way the IMLS funding works in Massachusetts is that the MBLC expends money and is then reimbursed by IMLS for those expenses. The lack of IMLS staff and the uncertainty about IMLS funding mean the risk of not being reimbursed remains high.

However, the MBLC continues to submit for reimbursements and some small reimbursements have gone through. It’s too soon to tell what that means for future reimbursements, especially with the significant hurdles that still exist for IMLS funding.  For more background the Center for Budget Policy and Priorities sums up the current circumstances well. Read the full article.

Thank you for your advocacy and your support as we navigate these difficult times together. Please continue to reach out with questions anytime.

Sincerely,

Maureen Amyot

Director, Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners

MBLC Update June 13

letter_from_senators_warren_markey_to_director_sonderling_on_the_gutting_of_the_institute_of_museum_and_library_servicesDownload

Dear Colleagues,

It has been a quieter-than-usual week on the federal front but I did want to share one important item. Yesterday, I received an email from the Regional Director for Senator Elizabeth Warren that said, in part:

“Wanted to share this letter Senator Warren and Senator Markey sent last night to the Institute of Museum and Library Services Acting Director Keith E. Sonderling demanding answers on funding cuts to museums and libraries across the country. You can also read a full article with more context from this WBUR article … We appreciate the work MBLC and others like it do to make Massachusetts the special place that it is and will continue to support you and fight for you as best we can.”

The letter that the Senators sent is attached to this email [see or download letter above]. It is encouraging to know that our Massachusetts Senators are such strong and vocal supporters of libraries. They gave June 24 as the deadline for Mr. Sonderling’s response. If he replies, I will share the information in a future update. Thank you for all you are doing to keep our state and federal legislators informed. It really makes a difference.

Sincerely,

Maureen Amyot

Director

Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners

MBLC Service Update – May 28, 2025

MBLC Service Update – May 2025Download

🕙 MBLC Monthly Board Meeting on June 5th (Remote)

Contact: Rachel Masse

The regular monthly board meeting of 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 

Contact: Celeste Bruno 

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 

Contact: Rob Favini 

The Senate Ways and Means released its proposed $61.3 billion state budget with $52,432,341 in funding to support libraries. As with both the Governor and House budgets, the Senate level funded across all budget lines for the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC). The full Senate Ways and Means, House, and Governor’s budgets for libraries are available on the MBLC website. More information about funding priorities for public libraries in the proposed senate budget is available at the MBLC website as well. 

📰 Sharon Celebrates New Library with Ribbon Cutting 

Contact: June Thammasnong 

On Monday, May 19, enthusiastic Sharon residents and public officials gathered at Sharon Public Library to celebrate the opening of the new library with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The construction project was partially funded with a $7.5 million grant through the Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program (MPLCP) from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC).  To read more about Sharon’s new library, visit the MBLC website. 

🗓️ State Aid Season Begins 

Contact: Cate Merlin, Jen Inglis 

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) 

Contact: Maureen Amyot 

Thursday, May 29 at 2PM – Registration & Zoom Link 

Friday, May 30 at 9AM – Registration & Zoom Link 

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. 

🗨️ Preservation Office Hours (Online)  

Contact: Jess Colati  

Tuesday, June 3 at 10AM – More Info & Zoom Link  

Tuesday, June 17 at 2PM – More Info & Zoom Link 

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) 

Contact: Ally Dowds 

Tuesday, June 3 at 2PM – Registration & More Information 

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. 

🤝 Library Trustee Orientation (Online) 

Contact: Al Hayden 

Wednesday, June 4 at 7PM – More Information & Zoom Link 

Wednesday, June 11 at 7PM – More Information & Zoom Link 

Wednesday, June 18 at 7PM – More Information & Zoom Link 

Wednesday, June 25 at 7PM – More Information & Zoom Link 

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. 

🤝 Library Advisory Office Hours (Online) 

Contact: Al Hayden 

Monday, June 9 at 9AM – More Information & Zoom Link 

Monday, June 23 at 2PM – More Information & Zoom Link 

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!  

🖥️ Librarianing for Social Flourishing (Online) 

Contact: Jack Martin (MLS) 

Friday, June 13 at 2PM – More Information & Registration 

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) 

Contact: Al Hayden 

Tuesday, June 17 at 2PM – More Information & Zoom Link 

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) 

Contact: Jaccavrie McNeely 

Wednesday, June 18 at 11AM – Registration & Zoom Link 

Wednesday, June 18 at 2PM – Registration & Zoom Link 

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. 

🖥️ ARIS Workshops (Online)  

Contact: Cate Merlin, Jen Inglis 

Wednesday, June 11at 1PM – More Information & Zoom Link 

Friday, June 13 at 10AM – More Information & Zoom Link 

Monday, June 16 at 1PM – More Information & Zoom Link 

Wednesday, June 18 at 10AM – More Information & Zoom Link 

Tuesday, June 24th at 10AM – More Information & Zoom Link 

Wednesday, July 9 at 10AM – More Information & Zoom Link 

‘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. 

💬 State Aid Office Hours (Online)  

Contact: Cate Merlin  

Wednesday, May 28 at 2PM – More Information & Zoom Link 

Wednesday, June 11 at 9AM – More Information & Zoom Link  

Wednesday, June 25 at 2PM – More Information & Zoom Link  

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) 

Contact: Ally Dowds 

Thursday, June 26 at 10AM – Registration & More Information 

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. 

💻 Introduction to Web Accessibility (Online) 

Contact: Jaccavrie McNeely, Kate Butler 

Thursday, July 10 at 2PM – More Information & Registration Registration is full, but a waiting list is available.  

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)

Contact: Rachel Masse 

The regular monthly board meeting of the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners is scheduled for 10AM on Thursday, July 10th, 2025.  Location: TBD. 

🏒 Bruins Summer Reading Materials coming your way 

Contact: June Thammasnong 

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!