Tag: massachusetts libraries

How Does a Recession Affect Programming Attendance?

Welcome back, and thank you for sticking with me! To explore how libraries behave during a recession, I’ve utilized metrics that align with the time frames in Mabe’s study, using data from the Annual Report Information Statistics (ARIS) submitted by libraries annually. Although ARIS has evolved over the years, the data available from 2006 onward allows us to make consistent year-to-year comparisons. While your library might have additional data, I’ve limited my analysis to data points that have remained consistent since 2006.

Basic Calculations

Let’s examine programming attendance—how many people attended library programs—before and during the Great Recession. For the years 2006, 2007, and 2008, the average program attendance was:

  • 2006: 5,200
  • 2007: 5,550
  • 2008: 6,294
  • Total: 17,044
  • Average: 5,681

For 2009, 2010, and 2011, the figures were:

  • 2009: 5,994
  • 2010: 6,112
  • 2011: 6,336
  • Total: 18,442
  • Average: 6,147

(I highly recommend putting any of your data into a spreadsheet and using the =SUM and =AVERAGE formulas to do the math for you.)** Right away, you can see that the data for both total attendance and state averages is higher during the recession. Massachusetts libraries saw, on average, 466 more people (6147-5681=466) attending programs each year when the economy was in a downturn.  

Let’s see what the percentage change across that time period is. To calculate that number, you can use this formula: Percent change = (6147-5681)/5681. (There’s likely a spreadsheet formula to do this, but I didn’t find it. Feel free to let me know if you do!) We end up with a positive number 8.2% meaning that libraries saw 8.2% more people attending library programs than they did prior to the recession.  

If we think about the basic implications of this information, it follows similar logic found in my previous posts. In an economic downturn, people are looking for ways to save money; they’re looking for options to help them get back into the job market; they want to refine skills to progress in their current positions or to start a new career; they’re trying to make more productive use of their time. The library can accommodate all of these needs through a variety of programming options, so it would make sense that communities take advantage of library programming more during a recession.  

What About More Recently?

Let’s look at more recent averages for Massachusetts libraries:

  • 2022: 1,434
  • 2023: 7,733
  • 2024: 9,436
  • Total: 18,603
  • Average: 6,201

This more recent data available provides some extremely interesting insights. First, let’s talk about the low number from 2022 and the elephant in the room- the pandemic. In FY22, which included 6 months of 2021, many libraries were barely open, let alone programming, so while this number in isolation is very low, it’s actually pretty impressive in context, especially given at least some of those programs were likely virtual which was new to everyone- including libraries.  

Next, let’s take a look at those high numbers for 2023 and 2024: the lower of which is nearly 1,500 people higher than the highest number from the Great Recession, and the higher of which is 1700 people higher than the previous year. Without any potential extrapolation, these numbers are already telling us that library programming attendance has continued to increase beyond the recession, has rebounded in a big way after the pandemic, and is increasing year over year. So, while the 3-year average is only slightly higher than the Great Recession average (54 more people on average) the pandemic data is bringing that average way down. For the sake of curiosity, if we take the average of just 2023 and 2024, we get 8,585 people, an average increase of 2,438 people attending library programs over the Great Recession data.  

Time to Project

Now let’s add extrapolation into the mix. To estimate what your programming attendance might look like in the event of a future downturn, take the average of your most current three years, multiply it by the percentage difference between pre- and Great Recession averages and add that number to your current 3-year average. For libraries across MA, that looks like:

(6201*.082) + 6201 = 6710.

This means the estimated average for program attendance in libraries across MA would increase by 509 people creating a total average of 6,710 people attending programs annually.

Given the outlier of the pandemic year, I think in this particular case,*** it would be worthwhile to calculate an approximate low-end and high-end estimate, as long as it is very clear which numbers we are using. So, if we consider an 8.2% increase for higher average program attendance of 8,585, there could be a potential increase in program attendance of 704 people, putting the total potential average program attendance at 9,289.  

Implications for Libraries

Let’s take a look in what those numbers could mean for libraries in the event of a future economic downturn. The basics remain essentially the same as they did in my previous posts in this series. Libraries will face having to do more with less. In this case, they will be shouldering more people attending programs. Whether they are seeing an increase in attendance for programs they are already running or if, as they often do, libraries rise to meet the needs of their communities and create additional, new programming that people attend, or some combination of the two, they will have less funds and fewer staff to accomplish this.  

Invisible Work in Library Programming

Much like the summer reading statistics from my last post, this assessment doesn’t take the full picture of invisible work into account. Programming is often done at all staff levels (from part-time paraprofessionals to full-time, MLIS holding department heads and, occasionally, library administration), and any loss in staffing will essentially take away institutional and specialized knowledge that may not be so easily transferred to another staff member.****

Loss of a staff member often means loss of a program (or programs) and leaves the remaining staff scrambling to fill in the gap. Programming is also, and I cannot stress this enough, hard work. I know from experience. It is largely a labor of love born of passion, enthusiasm, and the unique intersection of community need and cultivated skill. I know very few programming librarians who are not revived by the creation of a new program or finding out they have (or have always wanted to learn, usually on their own time) a skill that can be beneficial to their community. But I also know very few programming librarians who are not routinely tired.^  

What Library Programming Is

Library programming is a great deal more than what patrons see for the 40 min – 1 hour when they come for a lecture, discussion, cooking class, story time, resume building, crafting klatch, etc. Any program involving an outside speaker or performer requires negotiating dates (and often speaker fees), attending to the performer’s needs and preparing the venue for the speaker’s requests. There is the prepping beforehand of materials, samples, supplies, etc., many of which the programming library will have to acquire themselves, that will be used during many programs. There is the coordination among other librarians to ensure that the library’s spaces are not being scheduled for different programs at the same time. They will have to keep track of registrants, ensuring that fire codes and any outside programmer specifications have been followed. Much of this will all be undertaken months in advance because they will need to publicize the event, including the creation of flyers, social media posts, making sure front line staff are aware of the program, adding the event to library calendars, etc. And since many libraries do not have a line item dedicated to library programming, many library programming staff will be tasked with figuring out how to pay for a program, whether this involved requesting donations, making an entreaty from the library’s Friends or Foundation, applying for a grant, or getting creative with the supplies the library already has on-hand.^^  

The above paragraph describes the effort that goes into just the preparation for one library program. Now consider that most library staff members who program, run several programs at a time, mixing weekly programs with monthly programs with special events, and must keep track of all of those programs and run through the paragraph of abbreviated considerations I just listed out for each one of them while also going through their own specialized checklist depending on the particular needs of the programs they are running. I’ll spare you the redux of what staff need to attend to during and after a program. Library staff members who program are often a combination of event planners, contract negotiators, grant writers, performers, marketers, graphic designers and party hosts – and that is just for their programming duties. Many programming staff may also be front-line library workers, managers, catalogers and otherwise hold different roles within their regular duties.  

An increase of 8.2%, which is a smaller percentage increase than most of what we’ve looked at in these posts, amounting to about 509 people attending programs over the course of a year may seem less significant than some of those larger percentages I’ve discussed before. But taken in context with the invisible work that goes into programming and the likelihood that libraries will be taking on these additional attendees with fewer staff, fewer funds, and fewer hours open, thereby condensing the amount of people, the broader picture becomes one of an overstretched staff struggling to meet their community’s increased needs with fewer resources with which to do that.  

*Refer back to my first post for a refresh on what those years were.  

** Fun fact: if you take the average of all 6 years and if you take the average of the 2 averages for each 3-year block you get the exact same number. I wasted my time checking on that so you don’t have to!  

*** The reason I’m making the exception for this particular data set is because the extremely low number for 2022 is not mirrored in the other statistics I talked about in my previous posts. On balance, for all of the other data points that I considered, the 2022 numbers were reasonably close to the 2023 and 2024 numbers; they were not so glaringly different when compared to the 2 later years as they are for programming and therefore did not have the same adverse impact for the 3-year average.  

**** You may be surprised to find out just how much specialized knowledge is involved in running a baby story time or that not every personality type is well-suited to offering technology help sessions.  

^ To be fair, I know few library workers in general who are not routinely tired, but for now, I’ll stay focused on the subject matter at hand. 

^^ Hence, why so many crafts, especially in children’s departments, involve toilet paper rolls.  

~ Al Hayden, MBLC Library Advisory Specialist

How do Branches and Bookmobiles Fare During a Recession?

In the past few blog posts I’ve largely focused on libraries as a whole: all departments, all locations, funding distributed throughout a library, staffing in all parts of a library’s location. While they are not especially common in Massachusetts, library branches and/or bookmobiles (hereafter referred to as outlets) can play a large role in ensuring community access to library services. So, let’s take a dive into how an economic downturn might affect the services offered outside of a main or central library and see how they compare to some of my previous posts’ discoveries.  

Library Outlets

Library outlets hold a special place in my heart. My first library job was running a neighborhood branch of a fairly large library. I saw firsthand how people mostly visited on foot or bikes (as opposed to driving or public transit), how heavily it was visited by families and people who have been in the area for generations, how personalized the services could be because it was a smaller space with a high proportion of regulars. It was a true definition of a community gathering space where neighbors would catch up after bumping into each other at the circulation desk and kids would meet after school to do homework together. Not every library branch or bookmobile will look precisely like this and that’s the point. The branch that I ran was the type of space I just described because of the makeup of its neighborhood.

That’s the beauty of library outlets; they take on the distinctive characteristics of the area that surrounds them and the people that visit them. They are a unique opportunity for a library to provide services to people who may not otherwise have access to library services. They serve a smaller group than a main or central library and have fewer staff and funds as a result. But outlets know how to use their limited resources to tailor their collections and services to the portion of the community they serve. I give this background because not every community has bookmobiles or branches. Some communities are so small that their main library takes on the qualities of a branch library. Some larger communities are centrally located with accessible public transit and/or parking. And some communities may benefit from expanding services to an outlet but are unable to afford the undertaking. According to ARIS (from FY24, our most recent data for now), there are 98 library outlets in MA across 38 municipalities. So only about 11% of municipalities in the Commonwealth have bookmobiles and/or branches with many of those cities and towns having multiple locations within their borders.  

With such a small number of MA libraries having outlets at all, why look at their data? Even in the well-established and much-loved community branch I worked at, the moment budget difficulties were on the horizon, someone inevitably floated the idea of closing down a branch to save costs. These ideas never went anywhere beyond that, largely because the community members of the branch were vocal about their support. However, in the event of another recession, if budget shortfalls are severe enough, outlets may find the idea of their closure taken a bit more seriously. So, let’s take a look at the potential value outlets offer their communities.  

Outlet Circulation and Visitors

Let’s start with circulation and visitors since those were the first metrics I discussed and those used in the original study that inspired this series of data-dives.* The average number of circulations pre-recession in library outlets compared to the average number of Great Recession circulations uncovered a 27.4% increase in circulations. Looking at the pre-recession vs Great Recession visitor numbers, there was a 52.3% increase in foot traffic into the outlets. Let’s compare that to the numbers for libraries overall. Recall that:  

  • Pre- to Great Recession circulation in libraries increased by 12.5% 
  • Pre- to Great Recession visitors in libraries increased by 32.4% 

This means that for library outlets, the circulation in the outlet location more than doubled compared to libraries as a whole, and the increase in outlet visitors was higher by about 20% compared to libraries overall during the Great Recession.  

If we extrapolate these percentages, assuming they will apply in the event of another economic downturn, library outlets are looking at an additional 12,584 circulations per year, which works out to 242 more circulations every week. Put another way, outlets could circulate more than 34 extra items per day which could total 58,447 circulations annually. For visitors, outlets could be looking at an additional 18,401 people each year, which adds an extra 351 people every week. So, foot traffic could increase in outlets by more than 50 people every day. Practically speaking, outlets are not open as many days as a central, main or single library is which means that these numbers, on any given day are likely to be higher, adding an additional strain on resources that are designed to be somewhat smaller than their larger counterparts.  

Outlet Open Hours

Now let’s take a look at how outlets compare to main or central libraries in terms of how often they are open.  On average, outlets are open about 63% of the hours that a central or main library are open. This is pretty consisted regardless of the time frame. This consistency is helpful and makes me more comfortable in comparing the outlets’ individual data with the overall library data as it limits the variability involved at least somewhat.  Let’s examine, then, how much the average outlet’s hours changed between on their own between time periods:  

  • Pre-recession = Average outlet open 1,632 hours annually (about 31 hours weekly) 
  • Great Recession = Average outlet open 1,517 hours annually (about 29 hours weekly) 

This difference of about 2 hours each week is similar to the libraries overall; however, when you’re dealing with smaller numbers, the percentage of hours affected goes up. Library outlets had 7.1% fewer open hours during the Great Recession than they did pre-recession. Put another way, the community members relying on their local branch or bookmobile for library services had 7.1% fewer opportunities to do so. This is in comparison to the 2.7% reduction in libraries overall between those two time periods.  

If we look to a potential future that may include a recession, a 7.1% decrease in open hours would bring outlets down to 1,508 hours each year (compared to the 1623 hours they have been open on average during the past 3 FY). Once again, this works out to about 2 fewer hours each week, but as we saw in the numbers above, these  compressed hours, already lower than what their more robust counterparts offer, could be trying to accommodate 242 more items circulated and 352 additional people through their doors during those shorter time spans.  

Reference Transactions

The last reliable metric we have for outlet data going back far enough are the reference transactions they averaged across time periods. Again, because an outlet serves a smaller portion of the community than its main library or the library system as a whole, the number of reference transactions are going to be smaller than what I discussed in the previous blog post. I would operate under the assumption, however, that these statistics are also widely underreported. Here are the numbers:  

  • Pre-recession = Average outlet fielded 5,301 patron questions 
  • Great Recession = Average outlet fielded 8,016 patron questions 

This means that during the great recession, reference transactions increased by 51.2%. This is a pretty large jump in the number of questions that patrons asked, especially considering that reference transactions in libraries overall went up by 14%.  

There is a large uptick in the number of reference transactions in the last 3 years. Outlets have seen an average of 18,985 patron questions every year. That is a 137% increase in patron questions from the average number of questions during the Great Recession. ** The recent past has seen an average of 18,085 patron questions each year. Extrapolating percentages above into a possible future in which an economic downturn occurs, outlets could be looking at an increase of 9,264 patron questions each year, or an extra 178 questions per week. This means that staff could be fielding an additional 25 questions every day.  

I think it would be reasonable to argue that when people rely more on libraries overall during an economic downturn, they rely even more on the community outlets that provide those personalized services.

The Bigger Picture

The fact that the percentages for outlets were considerably higher than for libraries overall can seem startling but put in context it makes a certain amount of sense. While library branches are smaller in staff, funding, building size, often just about every library parameter we can measure, their proportional impact is considerable. This is likely a function of the nature of outlets; they are tailored to their communities. While library systems need to keep the broadest range of patrons in mind, outlets need to use the smaller amount of resources they are allocated to focus  on what their community needs the most and spend those resources (whether it is staff time, funding, space, etc.) accordingly. They also have a smaller population of people to interact with, which means they can make more personalized recommendations and tailor their questions more specifically because they know who they are working with. That impact could potentially be greater in the event there is a recession in the future. Remember, library outlets by their nature operate with fewer hours and smaller staff sizes than main or central libraries. We are looking at a potential increase in all the patron metrics while simultaneously seeing a decrease in operations metrics. If your municipality has an outlet, consider how your experience may differ with more visitors, a busier public services desk and fewer opportunities to have that experience in the first place.  

I think it would be reasonable to argue that when people rely more on libraries overall during an economic downturn, they rely even more on the community outlets that provide those personalized services. Given this data, it’s reasonable to wonder, if library outlets are offering a higher return on investment than library systems, which already have an astounding ROI. If your library has an outlet, it would be worth mentioning these statistics to your advocates and those making financial decisions. In the event of an economic downturn, if someone wonders whether the municipality can afford to have more than 1 library location, the counter argument may be that the community the outlet serves cannot afford its loss, especially given the potential increase in usage.  

*Same parameters for years apply: Pre-recession = FY2006-08; Great Recession = FY2009-11. However, for some reason, the outlet data for FY2009 was not available on the MBLC’s statistics website. Given the patterns from the 2009, 2010 and 2011 data in other categories, I believe using the 2010 and 2011 is a reasonable approximation for the Great Recession averages. The 3 years that I am using to determine the most recent numbers for extrapolation are FY2022, FY2023 and FY2024.  

** There could be a number of reasons for this including, better and more rigorous ways to reliably report patron’s questions on the ARIS, more patrons asking questions at their local branches, increased trust in the outlets, etc. I don’t have enough data to say for certain what the cause of this increase is, but considering the average of the past three years had each year consistently higher than the Great Recession, I would still consider this data to be accurate and not an anomaly.  

~ Al Hayden, MBLC Library Advisory Specialist

How Were Library Open Hours, Children’s Services, and Patron Questions Impacted by a Recession?

In the last few blog entries I’ve done some extrapolations about what library services could look like if we head into an economic downturn. There are a few more metrics I’d like to explore as I think they can paint a broader picture of not only what libraries may face in the future, but also highlight what libraries are currently doing. It’s never a bad idea to have current information at hand for your library advocates.  

What story do library open hours tell us?

Pre-recession, * MA libraries were open an average of 2,536 hours every year, which works out to libraries being open 49 hours each week. During the Great Recession libraries were open an average of 2,467 hours every year, or 47 hours each week. This is a 2.7% reduction in open hours or 2 hours less each week that the library was available for services. At first glance, this doesn’t seem like a very large difference, especially considering that the differences among other metrics were considerably larger. So, what does this mean in terms of the bigger picture?  

Let’s look at those stats in terms of usage. If circulations went up by 12.5% and attendance went up by 32.4% but hours were reduced by 2.7%, that means there were 2 fewer hours for the library staff to accommodate the additional 518 visitors per week and 315 more items they were circulating every week.** Remember that staffing during the Great Recession went down by 2.3%. Having the library open for fewer hours, even if it’s 2 fewer hours each week, is still more of a burden that library staff will have to bear in terms of helping more people in a shorter amount of time. Again, these percentages are not high, but even small numbers trending downward can be impactful in terms of how libraries can accommodate the services their patrons rely on and the potential uptick in patrons needing those services. 

The average of open hours for the most current 3 years we have data for is 2581 hours per year or 50 open hours each week. If we extrapolate the 2.7% reduction in hours experienced in the past recession, that brings the average open hours per week down, once again, by 2 hours per library. I’ve already estimated the increase in circulation would add 441 items and 455 visitors per week, in addition to the circulation and foot traffic that libraries are already receiving. If staffing also goes down 2.3% as it did during the last recession, then we are once again looking at potentially fewer people available during fewer hours to offer services to an increasing number of people who may need an increasing number of items. Are libraries prepared for that? Based on the funding numbers I looked at in my last post, and considering the rising costs of popular items like ebooks, maybe not.  

What about the children?

Let’s take a look at children’s services in MA libraries and the effect the Great Recession had on them. We have few statistics that go back to 2006, but there are 2 interesting metrics we can track back that far: children’s circulations and summer reading participation. Let’s start with the circulation statistics for just juvenile items.*** 

  • Pre-Recession, libraries averaged 50,575 children’s circulations  
  • Great Recession, libraries averaged 57,268 children’s circulations 
  • Currently, libraries average 58,682 children’s circulations 

During the great recession, children’s items circulated on average, about 13.2% more than they did pre-recession. That’s a slightly higher percentage than all library items (including children’s) circulating as a whole. This works out to an extra 134 items every week circulating through children’s departments during the recession.  

Current circulations for children’s items average 168 items per day. Add an additional 13.2% of circulation items on this adds another 22 totaling 190 children’s items circulated each day. Framing that in the weekly terms I used above, circulation desks will experience an uptick of an additional 155 items every week in children’s items alone.

Summer reading statistics were probably the most personally surprising of the statistics I looked at.   

  • Pre-recession MA libraries averaged 319 summer reading participants 
  • Great Recession stats averaged 433 summer reading participants 

The average number of children participating in summer reading increased by 114 participants, an increase of 35.6%. As someone who ran a children’s department for several years, I can tell you, summer is chaos for children’s departments in libraries. A 35.6% increase of summer reading participation is simultaneously the stuff librarian dreams are made of and also an exceptionally daunting amount of work. “Summer reading” is not just encouraging students to fill out a book list. It is school visits, coordinating prizes, booklist creation to complement that year’s theme, reminding caregivers and kiddos that the summer reading list is optional, and they can read whatever they want. The labor involved in coordinating programming is an additional level of complexity and none of the work I just mentioned starts at the end of the school year. Many librarians start working out the details of summer reading in January/February. And all of this work involves consumables, staff time, program presenters, prizes and more; in other words, money and resources.  

Today, there are considerably fewer summer reading participants than even pre-recession levels. There could be any number of reasons for this; the pandemic comes to mind as a big one, but I’m sure there are other factors at play.**** But even with the low summer reading participation numbers (MA libraries averaged 154 participants over the past 3 years), adding 35.6% to those numbers is still has an additional 55 kids participating in summer reading and the costs, work, and time that go into prepping a summer reading program may need to be scaled up accordingly.  

Got Questions?

Having worked in various positions in libraries I can tell you unequivocally that reference transactions are chronically underreported. That observation makes what I found looking at reference transaction patterns even more intriguing. 

What is a reference transaction? In layman’s terms, it’s any interaction that library staff have with patrons that involves the staff member answering a patron’s question of substance. It does NOT include: 

  •  “Where is the bathroom?”   
  • “Can I get a library card?”  
  • “Can you print this?”  

It DOES include:  

  • “Which bus line should I take to get to x?” 
  • “Can you recommend a good book?”  
  • “Can you tell me more about this program?” 
  • “How do I to this task on the computer?”  

For the purposes of this post, I’ll use reference transactions and patron questions interchangeably.  

The breadth of reference transactions is vast, and the nature of library work is often so hectic that it’s incredibly easy to forget how many people you’ve interacted with in a span of time. So, when considering these numbers, keep in mind that they are probably much smaller than any particular library’s reality. 

Here’s the breakdown we’re looking at: 

  • Pre-recession – MA libraries averaged 13,802 reference transactions 
  • Great Recession – MA libraries averaged 15,735 reference transactions 

This was an increase of 14%, a higher percent than the increase in circulated items. Put another way, each library average almost 2,000 additional patron questions over the course of each year. This makes a certain amount of sense. In an economic downturn, everyone is faced with more uncertainty, there are fewer jobs, fewer resources, and people are often looking to a trusted source to find information to stretch the resources they have. Considering that libraries are among the most trusted public institutions in the country, and considering that libraries are uniquely positioned to:  

  • help someone create a resume 
  • turn a hobby into a new passion project/career 
  • connect people with resources to help them during tough times 
  • offer distractions from said tough times 
  • provide resources that help struggling patrons stretch a dollar further 

and so much more, it seems logical that the number of patrons asking question in a library would increase.  

Libraries are either not fielding or not recording as many reference transactions in recent years (most likely a combination of both); the average number of reference transactions that have been reported in the last 3 years is 8,934. If we increase that number by 14%, library staff will still be fielding 1251 more questions over the course of a given year. Also keep in mind that while some questions patrons ask can be answered fairly quickly, others can become a bit of a project, including possible follow-ups with the inquiring patron. It would be a mistake to think that a patron question is a matter of taking up a library worker’s time for a minute or two, every time. Again, if we’re looking at potentially fewer open hours, the time patrons can come into the library will be condensed. If we’re looking at fewer staff working, that means the number of people patrons can come to with their questions will also be condensed. All of this equals a busier public services desk, which can potentially lead to more underreporting of statistics because library staff don’t have the time or the bandwidth to to log their reference interactions.  

What might the future hold?

With the statistics I described above, combined with what I’ve explored in the past few posts, a potential picture of MA libraries during an economic downturn is emerging. It is one of a library that is open fewer hours, has fewer staff members, and is likely not funded enough to keep up with rising costs, but is still expected to accommodate an influx of patron visits, patron questions, patron participation, and circulated items.  

None of these tasks come without work that is largely invisible to the general public, and usually stays invisible for good reason. Libraries employ professionals, experts who are highly skilled to get to know their communities, offer exceptional customer service, and tailor their services to their community’s needs. They are trained to make the public-facing work look effortless because that is part of being a professional. This is behind-the-scenes work that isn’t meant for public notice, but it doesn’t lesson the fact that an extraordinary amount of work is being put in to ensure that communities have the services that are most relevant to their members. In order to keep doing that work to the best of their ability, libraries and library workers, need the support that will help keep those services running smoothly. Without that support (support measured in more than just money), the quality of service that patrons are used to will likely suffer and, in some cases, some of the services that patrons are used to will be unsustainable, leading to their elimination. 

How do we avoid, or at least minimize this potential outcome? Talk to your library advocates and let them know what stands to be lost and gained by keeping their library well supported in any season, but especially in the event of a recession. If the data I’ve explored so far demonstrates anything, it’s that people tend to rely more on libraries in tougher economic times and library staff do their best to provide services to their communities, regardless of the circumstances.  

*I will be using the same time frame definitions as my previous posts have used, modelling the Mabe study that inspired the research for these posts:  

  • Pre-recession = FY2006, 2007, 2008 
  • Great Recession = FY2009, 2010, 2011 
  • Current = FY2022, 2023, 2024 (FY24 is the most recent data I have to work from so far) 

** These numbers were based on the daily totals found in this post <insert link when available> multiplied by 7, so: 

  • 45 extra circs per day x 7 days = 315 increased items circulated weekly 
  • 74 extra visitors per day x 7 days = 518 increased foot traffic weekly 

*** I’m using the term juvenile here to refer to children only, not teens. Every library in MA is going to have their own age range they use to make these determinations, but infants to 5th grade (put another way: birth through elementary school) are common limiters. There are separate statistics for teen usage, but they do not go back far enough for me to analyze.  

**** Unfortunately, I don’t have the data to delve into that side-quest (yet….) 

~ Al Hayden, MBLC Library Advisory Specialist

Service Update – September 24, 2025

PDF MBLC Service Update – September 2025Download

🕙 MBLC Monthly Board Meeting on October 9th (Hybrid)
Contact: Rachel Masse

The regular monthly board meeting of the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners is scheduled for 10AM on Thursday, October 9th, 2025, at the Nevins Library in Methuen.

✨Nominate a Library Champion for the MBLC Commissioner Awards by October 1!

Contact: Celeste Bruno, Rachel Masse, June Thammasnong

This year, the MBLC is celebrating 135 years by honoring the individuals whose work has carried forward the legacy of our founding Commissioners with the Commissioner Awards. We invite you to nominate a librarian, public official, and/or state legislator who has made outstanding contributions to libraries and residents in the Commonwealth. Please submit your nominations by October 1st at tinyurl.com/2025-comm-awards

📰 Big Turnout for Gloucester’s New Library

Contact: Celeste Bruno

Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) members Joyce Linehan and Jessica Vilas Novas joined Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, State Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, State Representative Ann-Margaret Ferrante, and local and state officials to congratulate the Gloucester community on the opening of the new Sawyer Free Library. To read more about Gloucester’s new library, visit the MBLC website.

🤝So You Want to Be a Library Trustee? (Online)

Contact: Al Hayden

Wednesday, September 24 at 7PM – More Information & Registration

Do you want to do more to advocate on behalf of your local public library? Are you considering running to be a Library Trustee? Join Rob Favini, Head of  Library Advisory & Development/Government Liaison and Al Hayden, Library Advisory Specialist from the MBLC as they provide information about what your library does for your community, the role of a Library Trustee, what responsibilities you’ll encounter should you become a successful candidate, and what supports and resources the MBLC offers to the library community and its advocates. This program is a basic primer designed for people who are considering becoming a Library Trustee in their community, though new Trustees may find valuable information and are welcome to attend as well. This session will be recorded and slides will be shared with all who register, regardless of whether or not they are able to attend live. To encourage frank questions and open discourse, the Q&A session will NOT be recorded.  

📝-NEW BLOG POST- The History of the MBLC: Henry Nourse Stedman

Contact: Jessica Branco Colati

We’re delighted to announce the launch of a new blog series, The History of the MBLC, by MBLC Preservation Specialist Jessica Branco Colati. This recurring series will highlight and explore key figures and events that have shaped the MBLC since 1890. The first group of posts will focus on our founding Commissioners in recognition of the agency’s 135th Anniversary. The latest post profiles Henry Nourse Stedman, one of the founding Commissioners who was also a Civil War veteran, state legislator, author and historian.   To learn more about Commissioner Nourse, visit the MBLC Blog.

🗓️Financial Report Closes on Friday, October 3rd

Contact: Cate Merlin, Jen Inglis

State Aid season continues! The FY26 Financial Report survey will close on Friday, October 3rd. Waiver applications are due on Friday, November 7th. Sign up for the State Aid Listserv for updates and information. Don’t hesitate to reach out to the State Aid team if you have any questions or concerns. More information and dates can be found at at the MBLC website. 

💬 State Aid + Financial Report Weekly Drop In Hours (Online)

Contact: Cate Merlin

Tuesday, September 30th at 3pm – Zoom Link

Wednesday, October 1st at 9am – Zoom Link

Thursday, October 2nd at 3pm – Zoom Link

Drop in to ask last minute Financial Report, State Aid, and Waiver questions. Make sure your budget, materials spending, and hours open fully meet State Aid requirements. Registration is not required, and session and chats will not be recorded or saved.

💻 E-Rate: Form 470

Contact: Jaccavrie McNeely, Kate Butler

Wednesday, October 1 at 10AM – Registration & More Information

In this second of our series of funding year 26 (FY27 – July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027) E-Rate webinars, Aleck Johnson from EdTech Strategies will cover:

  • Basics of the Form 470
  • Step by step walkthrough of filing the form 470

Later trainings will include bid evaluation and vendor selection, Form 471, the application review process, Form 486, and invoicing. Feel free to suggest additional topics if you have questions!

💻 Web Accessibility Office Hours

Contact: Jaccavrie McNeely, Kate Butler

Friday, October 3 at 11AM – More Information & Zoom Link

Wednesday, October 15 at 3PM – More Information &  Zoom Link

Need help making your web content accessible?  MBLC staff are here to help!  Join our office hours every first Friday at 11AM or third Wednesday at 3PM.  View all upcoming Web Accessibility programming under the Internet, Technology, and Access category on our calendar.

🤝Library Advisory Office Hours (Online)

Contact: Al Hayden

Monday, October 27 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!

📅 Social Services in Libraries Roundtable (Online)

Contact: Ally Dowds

Wednesday, October 15 at 11AM – Registration & More Information

Explore how libraries can enhance community support through social services. Connect with librarians, social workers, and social service providers to share insights, success stories, and practical tips.

Event Highlights:

  • Discussions on integrating social services in libraries.
  • Real-life examples and best practices.
  • Networking opportunities with professionals, community organizations and community members.

October’s topic for discussion: How are you or your library working toward creating a culture of safety?

📅 Save the Date! Demystifying Mental Health: A Community Forum

Contact: Ally Dowds

Saturday, October 18 11AM to 4PM – Registration & More Information

Join the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health, Office of Behavioral Health Promotion and Prevention, and William James College for the Demystifying Mental Health Community Forum. A time for real talk about inclusive, culturally rooted approaches to mental well-being for everyone. The forum is free of charge and takes place at Union United Methodist Church in Boston. Visit the MA Dept. of Mental Health website for more information and to register to attend.

🤝Annual MLTA Trustee Conference

Contact: Al Hayden

Saturday, November 1, 10AM to 1PM – Registration & More Information

The Massachusetts Library Trustee Association (MLTA) will hold their annual conference this year on Saturday, November 1 at the Shrewsbury Public Library, 609 Main St., Shrewsbury, MA 01545. Please register in advance as space is limited and lunch will be provided.

The MLTA conference is a great opportunity for trustees across the state to interact with each other, learn new approaches to advocate for their library, have conversations about challenges you’re facing, and trade stories about successes. 

🕙 MBLC Monthly Board Meeting on November 6 (Hybrid)
Contact:Rachel Masse

The regular monthly board meeting of the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners is scheduled for 10AM on Thursday, November 6, 2025, at the State House.

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

📰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.

The Future is Unknowable, but the Past Can Help Us Prepare

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 for several months and the results of that inquiry. The results of the inquiry, while not particularly surprising, were very informative, nonetheless. And I wanted to share that information with all of you in the hope that you will be able to use it to prepare your library.

The Question

The question I wanted to address was: 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. As it turns out, there are no universally agreed upon indicators that can predict an impending recession. The definition of an economic recession comes from the independently run National Bureau of Economic Research‘s Business Cycle Dating Committee, but they only define it once data has come through that shows that the US has met those markers for a specific period of time (i.e. they confirm the country is in a recession once a recession has already begun). Which confirms that we cannot know what the future holds. That said, the media talk of the possibility of an impending economic recession is still out there. If that happens, the lack of available funds can strain budgets and libraries should have a strategy of what to do in that case, whether the potential for a recession is weeks or years away.

Libraries and the Great Recession – The Data

We can’t predict the future, but we can look at trends from the past. Fortunately, there’s a peer-reviewed study on that! In 2023 Public Library Quarterly published an article by Michael R. Mabe titled, Impact of Great Recession on Library Use: Does a Negative Economy Impact Library Use? Mabe discovered that public library usage and circulation both increased by a statistically significant amount when the economy turns downward. I highly recommend reading the study in its entirety, as it provides background for the anecdotal evidence that has been a part of library lore for decades that prompted his inquiry in the first place and it describes how he arrived at his conclusions. But for context, here are the key takeaways that were most relevant to answer my question:

  • The study demonstrates that library usage increased in a statistically significant way during the Great Recession when compared to the years leading up to the Great Recession
  • Circulation increased 13.3% on average, nationally
  • Library attendance increased 26.8% on average, nationally
  • Public use of the library increased regardless of whether the library received proportional budgetary support

What about Massachusetts?

Mabe used national data to arrive at his conclusions, but we here in MA are lucky to have statistics that every library reports annually: ARIS (Annual Report Information Survey). Many thanks to all of you who have gone through the process of collecting and submitting these statistics. Much of the information I collected to replicate Mabe’s findings were from the ARIS. I used Mabe’s definitions of pre-recession and Great Recession, which is a pretty narrow scope. One could easily make an argument that the economic effects of the Great Recession lasted beyond 2011 and we could certainly get a fuller pre-recession picture looking back a bit further. However, to keep the parallels between my inquiry and the study’s statistically significant data, I’ve stuck to his definitions to make the best apples-to-apples comparison possible. Therefore, pre-recession is defined as the years 2006, 2007, and 2008; Great Recession is defined as the years 2009, 2010, and 2011. Yes, we do have MA library data going back to 2006! You can find all of the ARIS reports and data spreadsheets on the MBLC’s Library Statistics page. I compiled the statewide average for each year listed for each metric (circulation, attendance), then I (or, more accurately, the spreadsheet) calculated the average of the 3 pre-recession years and the 3 Great Recession years.

Here’s what I found out about Massachusetts:

There were generally about 370 libraries that submit the ARIS, so for each metric, I had about 370 data points to work with. Our usage pre- and during the Great Recession did, indeed increase over those times.

  • For the 3 pre-recession years, MA libraries averaged 156,815 total circulation (this includes circulations direct from each library AND inter-library loans [ILLs]) and had an average of 81,872 visitors each year.
  • For the 3 Great Recession years, MA Libraries averaged 176,475 total circulation (direct and ILL) and had an average of 108,403 visitors each year.

Which means that in Massachusetts libraries:

  • Circulation increased 12.5% during the Great Recession
  • Attendance increased 32.4% during the Great Recession

By comparison, these numbers are pretty close to the national average of 13.3% increase in circulation and 26.8% increase in attendance that Mabe found in his study.

What does this mean?

My conclusion from this MA-specific information is that I’m comfortable enough with the proximity of our data to the national data that I would consider* this information statistically significant as well. Which also means that we now have data to indicate that in a time of economic downturn, MA residents relied more on their libraries.

I also looked at one of the other points that Mabe took into consideration about library usage, which was not related to the budgetary support the library received. You can find the data I used for MA by using the municipal pie. Library funding increased between pre- and Great Recession by 4.37%. This percentage is clearly not equivalent to the increases MA libraries saw in usage. Another interesting point that came out of the municipal pie was that pre-recession, the percentage of their municipality’s General Fund that went to libraries averaged 1.30%. The average percentage of the General Fund that went to libraries during the Great Recession was 1.28%, so while libraries got a modest increase in funding from their municipalities in terms of dollar amounts, they did not get as high a percentage of the overall funds available from their municipality during the economic downturn, despite library usage increasing.

Great? Now what?

While the future is still unknowable, we can look back to where we’ve been, and where we’ve been is an increase in library usage when the economy declines. Whether or not we are immediately headed for another recession, I’d like to posit that we can extrapolate our numbers of the past and see what the potential could be for future library usage if patterns stay the same. Which is precisely what I’ll be exploring in my next post…

* For clarity, the years I define for MA are fiscal years because that is how our data is collected. Mabe did not specify whether or not he was using fiscal years for his study.

** Full disclosure, anything I may have learned in my college statistics classes promptly fell out of my head the moment I finished the finals.

~ Al Hayden, MBLC Library Advisory Specialist

Data Collections through Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)

Contact: MBLC State Aid Specialist Jen Inglis, MBLC Head of State Programs Cate Merlin

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) works with State Data Coordinators in all 50 states and U.S. territories to collect information about libraries.

In Massachusetts, we collect the data we report to IMLS through the Annual Report of Information Statistics (ARIS).

IMLS also works with an independent data research company to ensure overall data accuracy, reliability, and consistency. The changes we are implementing now are a result of research that began four years ago.

They are completely unrelated to the Trump Administration.

Here’s how the IMLS data collection system works. Research about the data is conducted by an independent research company. Results and recommendations are brought forward to State Data Coordinators and Chief Officers of State Library Associations who then vote on any potential changes. Questions being added and/or removed every year is standard practice.

The changes below were voted on in 2023.

The MBLC made the decision to make the changes in phases to allow for a smooth transition, training, and full implementation.

Below is detail of what was added and what was removed for IMLS reporting for FY2026.

Holdings Questions Removed
E-Holdings:
H5E-books: Adult 
H6Downloadable audio: Adult
H7Downloadable video: Adult
H16E-books: Young Adult 
H17Downloadable audio: Young Adult
H18Downloadable video: Young Adult
H27E-books: Children’s
H28Downloadable audio: Children’s
H29Downloadable video: Children’s
Subscriptions:
H48Electronic serial subscriptions 
H49Local research database & online learning platform subscription
Number of databases:
H100Network databases & online learning platforms
H101Local databases & online learning platforms
H102State databases & online learning platforms
Circulation Questions Removed
Usage of databases & online learning platforms:
C35Usage of local databases & online learning platforms
C35Usage of network databases & online learning platforms
C36Usage of state-wide databases & online learning platforms
Circulation Questions Added
new C34E-serials circulation: Adult
new C35E-serials circulation: Young Adult
E-serials circulation: Children’s  

It is important to note that there are local databases that libraries purchase for use by their own local patrons and there are statewide databases that the MBLC and Massachusetts Library System (MLS) purchase for use by any person who lives, works or studies in Massachusetts. LOCAL database stats will no longer be collected. The MBLC will still collect data on statewide database usage that references the current and historical data collection hosted on the MLS website (https://guides.masslibsystem.org/databases/statistics)

IMLS as an agency has been affected by the Trump Administration. On March 14, 2025 President Trump signed Executive Order 14238 which eliminates the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) “to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law.” IMLS is the single largest source of critical federal funding for libraries. The MBLC receives $3.6 million from IMLS.

Due to the federal uncertainty caused by this executive order, the MBLC made several rounds of cuts unrelated to data collection:
April cuts
May cuts

Regardless of the fate of the IMLS, the MBLC will continue its annual data collection via the Annual Report of Information Statistics (ARIS) and Financial Report surveys. Completion of these surveys remains a requirement for the State Aid to Public Libraries program, and statewide data collection will become even more critical to Massachusetts libraries if national data collection ceases.

A note: For IMLS data, these are the questions added/removed last year—based on the 2023 vote.

Changes to the FY25 ARIS Questions
Auto Renewals Added
AU1Did your library offer automatic renewal for any physical materials during the reporting period?
Electronic Holdings/Materials Questions Added
Electronic Books:
EH1Did the library provide access to e-books purchased solely by the library?
EH2Did the library provide access to ebooks purchased via a consortium/network?
EH3  Did the library provide access to e-books provided by the state library agency or another state agency at no or minimal cost to the administrative entity?
Electronic Serials
EH4Did the library provide access to e-serials purchased solely by the library?
EH5Did the library provide access to e-serials purchased via a consortium/network?
EH6Did the library provide access to e-serials provided by the state library agency or another state agency at no minimum cost to the administrative entity?
Electronic Audio:
EH7Did the library provide access to e-audio purchased solely by the library?
EH8Did the library provide access to e-audio purchased via a consortium/network?
EH9Did the library provide access to e-audio provided by the state library agency or another state agency at no or minimal cost to the administrative entity?
Electronic Video:
EH10Did the library provide access to e-video purchased solely by the library?
EH11Did the library provide access to e-video purchased via a consortium/network?
EH12Did the library provide access to e-video provided by the state library agency or another state agency at no or minimal cost to the administrative entity?
Research Databases:
EH13Did the library provide access to research databases purchased solely by the library?
EH14Did the library provide access to research databases purchased via a consortium/network?
EH15Did the library provide access to research databases provided by the state library agency or another state agency at no or minimal cost to the administrative entity?
Online Learning Platforms:
EH16Did the library provide access to online learning platforms purchased solely by the library?
EH17Did the library provide access to online learning platforms purchased via a consortium/network?
EH18Did the library provide access to online learning platforms provided by the state library agency or another state agency at no or minimal cost to the administrative entity?


In the ARIS, the MBLC does include questions that are not for IMLS. They are based on local interest and need.

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.