massachusetts libraries

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:
H5	E-books: Adult
H6	Downloadable audio: Adult
H7	Downloadable video: Adult
H16	E-books: Young Adult
H17	Downloadable audio: Young Adult
H18	Downloadable video: Young Adult
H27	E-books: Children’s
H28	Downloadable audio: Children’s
H29	Downloadable video: Children’s
Subscriptions:
H48	Electronic serial subscriptions
H49	Local research database & online learning platform subscription
Number of databases:
H100	Network databases & online learning platforms
H101	Local databases & online learning platforms
H102	State databases & online learning platforms
Circulation Questions Removed
Usage of databases & online learning platforms:
C35		Usage of local databases & online learning platforms
C35		Usage of network databases & online learning platforms
C36		Usage of state-wide databases & online learning platforms
Circulation Questions Added
new C34		E-serials circulation: Adult
new C35		E-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
AU1	Did your library offer automatic renewal for any physical materials during the reporting period?
Electronic Holdings/Materials Questions Added
Electronic Books:
EH1		Did the library provide access to e-books purchased solely by the library?
EH2		Did 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
EH4		Did the library provide access to e-serials purchased solely by the library?
EH5		Did the library provide access to e-serials purchased via a consortium/network?
EH6		Did 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:
EH7		Did the library provide access to e-audio purchased solely by the library?
EH8		Did the library provide access to e-audio purchased via a consortium/network?
EH9		Did 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:
EH10		Did the library provide access to e-video purchased solely by the library?
EH11		Did the library provide access to e-video purchased via a consortium/network?
EH12		Did 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:
EH13		Did the library provide access to research databases purchased solely by the library?
EH14		Did the library provide access to research databases purchased via a consortium/network?
EH15		Did 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:
EH16		Did the library provide access to online learning platforms purchased solely by the library?
EH17		Did the library provide access to online learning platforms purchased via a consortium/network?
EH18		Did 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.

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_services Download

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

Public Comment Policy

If your Library Board is considered a public body, you are obligated to follow Open Meeting Laws (OML) to keep Board proceedings as transparent as possible. If your Library Board is running as the Board of a nonprofit or association library, you are not officially obligated to follow OML. However, to maintain your status as a certified public library in the Commonwealth, you will likely be funded at least in part by municipal funds (usually, though not exclusively in the form of staff salaries, benefits, etc.). Best practices suggest that even though you are not compelled by the state to follow Open Meeting Law, you still should consider doing so. Because you are using some tax dollars as part of your library budget and, as you’ve heard me mention, libraries should always show that they are good stewards of tax dollars and following open meeting laws keeps up transparency to demonstrate that.

Some boards, particularly those who are not obligated to follow OML, tend to be conflicted about allowing public commentary during their meetings. While many Board meetings are run without incident, even when public commentary is invited, contentious meetings often get a lot of publicity and have even been the subject of lawsuits. Understandably, this can make any board reluctant to keep public commentary as part of their meeting, but Boards can adopt a policy that, if followed precisely each meeting, can keep meetings running smoothly with minimal incidents.

Public Commentary

Public commentary is a period during an open meeting where the Board welcomes members of the audience (virtually or in person) to express their opinions about a matter that is relevant to the Board. There is no law that requires public meetings to have a public comment period. However, having a public comment period is generally considered best practice. Including one in your meeting agenda indicates to the public that your Board welcomes feedback from the community that your library serves. You create trust between the community and the Board when you demonstrate that you are open to hearing opinions that you may not have previously considered in your deliberations.

Setting Boundaries

If you decide that you want to welcome public participation in your meetings, you’ll need to set boundaries and stick to them. This lets the public have reasonable expectations when they come to participate and are clear about your expectations regarding their input. And, as we’ve discussed, setting expectations and boundaries are one of the ways in which policies can be most effective. I recommend looking at other policies in neighboring libraries and libraries of similar sizes and seeing what they are doing. This doesn’t mean that you need to mimic their policies, but having a sense of the “norms” around you can inform your decision so you can balance both the Board’s needs and what your community may be expecting. Here are some boundaries you may want to consider setting:

Time limit for total commentary – Public comments do not have to dominate your entire meeting, especially since inviting them is a courtesy and not a requirement. You are well within your rights to set a total amount of time in which people who would like to make comments are allowed to do so.
Time limit for individual commentary – Just like the comments do not need to be the focus of your meeting, one person’s perspective doesn’t need to be the focus of the public comments. If you are putting a limit on the total time during which the public can comment, you may want to also put a limit on the amount of time one person can speak as well. Balancing this can be tricky; you want to ensure that a person speaking has enough time to clearly state what they came to say while also discouraging rambling or repetition and ensuring that you can fit as many people into the allotted public comment time as possible.
Advance requests – Some Boards will not consider public commentary unless they have been notified in advance. Largely this is to enable the Board to acknowledge those who wish to comment by their name and so names may be entered into the record. How far in advance your Board requires notification that someone would like to speak is up to the Board. Some Boards require 24-hour notification in order to get on the list of Public Comment speakers. Others have a sign-up sheet at the meeting where community members can list their names when they arrive. If this is something you plan to require, you should take steps to ensure that you are not excluding any groups of people. For example, if you have a hybrid meeting, but are only allowing public commentary via an at-meeting signup sheet, this can exclude anyone participating remotely. Ensure that there are equitable means for someone to request to make a comment. Otherwise, you are not truly getting your community’s perspective.
Termination of time – You will also want to set an expectation of when the Board will consider someone Out of Order. Generally speaking, any true threat of violence, inciting imminent lawless conduct, or being physically disruptive or threatening are reasonably considered actions in which a person can be called Out of Order. If you wish to put additional limitations on your public comments, I strongly recommend consulting your municipal counsel or an attorney on the Board to ensure that any limitations you place can be upheld by law. How your Board wishes to handle someone becoming Out of Order is also up to you, but many Boards will terminate the remainder of that person’s speaking time and/or ask that person to leave. *

Not a dialogue

While your Board may be meeting in view of the public, your Board meeting is not a meeting of the public. The Board is there to discuss their business in an open forum, not create a back-and-forth on that business in the moment. Public comment is an opportunity for your library’s community to provide input on a library’s policy or other decision within the Board’s purview, and for the span of time that the commentary period runs, this input goes one-way. During the public comment period, the job of the Board Chair (or designee) is to ensure that any participants in public comment are following the rules, but otherwise the chair should remain silent. If you’ve established that you want public commentary as a part of your meetings and someone (or multiple people) have taken the effort to attend the meeting and prepare their statement, as a Board, you need to ensure that you are following through on your end of the bargain and listening to what they have to say.

You are also within your rights to state in your policy, if you so choose, that you will not engage in dialogue. Some examples of this may include:

Public comments shall be confined to subject matters within your library’s jurisdiction, an item on the current agenda and/or an item that has appeared on an agenda over the last 60 days
Board members will listen to remarks, but will not engage in discussion, answer questions, or debate with a speaker
Board members may decide to address the matter with a vote by adding the matter to a future agenda with expected public notice

Many library Board members became so because they care about the library and the issues affecting libraries. This motivation can make following the “not a dialogue” part of the procedure particularly difficult to follow. But remember, consistency is one of the key ways a body earns public trust, so it is as important to follow this section of your policy as it is any other portions of the policy that may come more naturally.

Maintaining your authority

To keep public commentary as orderly as possible, the Board should maintain that they are the primary conduits for the meeting. Many Boards reiterate their public comment policy at the beginning of their meeting or at the beginning of the public comment period. This can keep confusion and expressions of “but I didn’t know” at a minimum. You are also well within your rights to mention in your policy any of the following, deciding whether or not they apply to your situation:

Speakers may only speak if they are recognized by the Chair.
Audience members are not permitted to interrupt recognized speakers
Policy may be subject to exception at the discretion of the Board (and/or Library Director if applicable)
Speakers will be recognized/scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis
Speakers may not give their comment time to other speakers to extend an individual’s time to comment

By and large it is the Board Chair, or presiding officer in the Chair’s absence, that will make these determinations and follow through on most of this policy. However, all members of the Board should be fully up to date on the current public comment policy, so as not to subvert the authority of the Chair or the Board and maintain consistency with the public’s expectations.

While the Board’s authority should be made apparent whenever possible, it is neither productive nor trust-building to be abrupt, curt or visibly irritated during the public comment period. The Chair and other Board members should be dispassionate and polite. Thanking the commenter for their time and opinion can go a long way to establishing a good relationship, even if the board and that commenter happen to disagree. Remember that there is a level of vulnerability to making a public comment and commenters may be inexperienced with the forum. Treating everyone well increases the comfort level of those participating in their local government, which can, in turn, encourage more participation. Being understanding adds a layer of trust which can maintain civility in future interactions, even when the subject matter is something that is subject to strong opinions.

Other channels for public feedback

A public comment period does not need to be the only way in which the public can interact with or express their opinions to a Board. The Board should have other methods that give members of the public the option to communicate with them, especially if they are elected to the Board. Not everyone is comfortable speaking in public for a variety of reasons, so there should be at least ways for the public to contact the Trustees via mail and/or emails. Many libraries are the official mailing address for the Board with any mail coming in given to the chair (or presiding officer) by the Library Director (or designee in the Director’s absence). Trustees may choose to have email addresses that are made available to the public, but they may also choose to have a single email address that is regularly checked and that anyone in the public can send correspondence to (ex. LibraryTrustees@emailsource.com). These should also be acknowledged at a meeting, though they are not part of the public comment period and do not need to be read aloud during the meeting. This is another way the Board shows their community that they are responsive to their needs and can build trust not just in the Board, but in the library overall.

As I’ve stated before, policies are at their best when they set clear expectations and follow through with those expectations at every meeting. This level of consistency and clarity builds public trust and ensures that everyone is treated fairly. Public commentary in particular can be a touchy subject, but having this policy in place encourages people to be respectful and understand their limits before choosing to participate in a meeting.

*Before setting any of the particular boundaries, I strongly recommend reading a summary of Barron Vs Kolenda (this one from the Boston Bar Association is a helpful summary though other reliable ones are available) and, as always, conferring with your municipal counsel to ensure that any limitations you set, actions you choose to take, or boundaries you enforce can be upheld by the law.

MBLC Service Update – May 28, 2025

MBLC Service Update – May 2025 Download

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

Contact: Rachel Masse

The regular monthly board meeting of the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners is scheduled for 10AM on Thursday, June 5^th, 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!

Meeting Room Use Agreements

Last week I discussed meeting room policies and many of the possible considerations you might want to undertake if your library offers meeting room space to the public. What should be kept in mind, however, is that, unlike with a library program, you have little control over the content of the meeting beyond what is outlined in your policy. Because of this, it can be extremely helpful to have something in writing that the patron/group that is booking the room fully understands their responsibilities to the library in order to use that room. A meeting room use agreement can serve this purpose. It can also provide a record that a user has fully read and agreed to abide by your policy and gives you the opportunity to request more information or review any expectations that may have been overlooked, usually in the form of missed or partially answered question(s) on the agreement form. If you decide to have a meeting room agreement as part of the process for reserving and using a room in your library, here are some things you may want to consider:

Policies are generally at their best when they encourage accountability on both the patron’s side and the library’s side.

Format

If you decide to require patrons who want to use your meeting room to fill out an agreement form, you’ll first want to decide what format you prefer for the agreement: digitally, in writing and/or in person. Online forms have the benefit of requiring answers to all the questions you consider to be most important, including a question that requires the requester to acknowledge that they have read your policy in full and agree to abide by it. The downside to a digital form is you won’t get a “wet” signature, so you may want to check with your town counsel as to whether requiring a statement such as “by writing my name below I agree on behalf of myself and my organization…” counts as a binding agreement. You will also want to consider those who have limited or no digital access and make sure you have printed copies of any digital form available for patrons to use as a substitute. Asking for something in writing means there will be a legal “wet” signature, but there is less oversight, and you may need to go back and forth with the applicant to cover any important questions that they missed, which can be time-consuming. This can be rectified by requiring the applicant to sign in person, but that can be a barrier to access if the person needing to fill out the agreement has trouble physically coming to the library. For many libraries, a digital agreement offers the best combination of access and accountability, but you’ll want to ensure that you’ve considered your options and decide on the one that best suits your needs and those of your community.

Sponsors & Contacts

Many libraries ask that any group using the room either be based in the community the library serves or have a community member as a sponsor. One of the benefits to this requirement is the library is able to ensure that they are, again, being good steward of tax dollars. By offering the room for community use, particularly if the room is offered free of charge* you are ensuring that the benefit of room use is staying within your library’s community. If this is a requirement you outline in your policy, you may want to ensure that your agreement not only has the information for the community member sponsoring the group, but also the primary contact information for the person running the meeting. In many instances, these may be the same person, but in the event the sponsor does not plan on attending, you will need contact information for a person responsible for the meeting in the event the library closes unexpectedly (inclement weather, power outages, etc.), the room is needed for in-library use, or other unexpected circumstances that make the room unavailable at any previously agreed-upon date and time.

Defining expiration

I mentioned in my last post that many libraries restrict the number of times a group or organization can use the library’s meeting room over the course of a year, to allow for more equitable access to the entire community. If this is something you are going require of the group, you’ll likely want to have a way to keep groups accountable to this and to other limitations that may appear in your policy. You’ll also want to allow yourself a bit of flexibility to update your meeting room policy as necessary, which means notifying anyone who has agreed to your policy that the terms have changed. In addition to keeping records of this (another benefit to using a digital form that will drop all the information into a spreadsheet), you may want to consider a time limit on the agreement itself. In other words, you may want to request that anyone requesting the use of your meeting room will need to sign a new agreement every year (or two, etc.). You can do this on a rolling basis (i.e. the agreement is “good” for 12 months after it has been signed, submitted and approved) which will give the requester the most time to take advantage of the room, but it will require you to check every month to see whose agreement may be expiring. Or you may want to consider a hard deadline for a new agreement. The requester may only get a couple of months’ “use” out of the room before they need to sign a new agreement, but you’ll only have one month when you’ll need to contact those whose agreement is expiring.

If you decide to follow the hard-deadline route, you’ll want to make a couple of things clear to minimize confusion when someone uses the room. You’ll want to decide on a date that is effective every year (or whatever time span you decide works best for you) and follow through when that date rolls around. For some, a calendar year may work best, meaning groups or individuals wanting to use the room will have to sign a new agreement every January 1st. For some libraries it may make sense for a fiscal year date (new agreement every July 1st). Whatever date you decide, make sure that date is clearly communicated in your policy, in any preamble you have to your agreement form and that you also clearly state that the agreement on file must be current in order for rooms to be booked.

Responding

If you are going to commit to holding people accountable for the use of the meeting room and following the policy that you’ve outlined, it’s only fair for you to be accountable in the timeliness of responding to their request. If you are using an agreement, prior to permitting any meeting room use, it will be helpful to the requester to give a minimum time frame for submitting the agreement. Do your best to accommodate the requesting person/organization, but make sure you give a minimum timeline that is also realistic for you to consistently complete or even ahead of the deadline. For example, you may want someone submitting an agreement no fewer than 14 days** in advance of their event. To communicate that you take their submission and your accountability seriously, you may want to consider indicating a response timeline; for example, “After submission, requesters can expect a response within 5 days.” If this is something you choose to do, you’ll want to make sure this is a timeline that, even under strenuous circumstances, is achievable for you. If you are usually able to get back to someone with approval or a request for more information in a day or two, it’s perfectly OK to build a buffer of an extra couple of days into your response timeline for those times when staffing is tight, reporting deadlines are looming, or unexpected circumstances pop up.

Speaking of tight staffing conditions, I recommend choosing someone to take care of keeping track of meeting room agreements and booking meeting rooms should you be unable to attend to request for any period of time (vacation, sick leave, conferences, etc.). For Directors, this is usually an Assistant Director or Head of Reference or similar position. If your library has limited staffing to begin with and you perhaps are only open a few days a week, you may want to consider having a chain-of-command type of responsibility matrix with 2 or 3 people who will be able to take over if you and your designated backup be unable to attend to responses for a period of time.

Policies are generally at their best when they encourage accountability on both the patron’s side and the library’s side. This way, all expectations are clearly laid out and each party involved knows what to expect from the other. This is particularly important with meeting room policies and any accompanying agreements you may use. Unlike a library-run program or general behavioral policies, libraries rarely have sufficient staffing to check in when an outside group is using the meeting room. In the best of circumstances, expectations have not only been clearly laid out but have also been fully met. Should that not happen and, for example, the meeting room’s condition after it’s been used doesn’t meet your expectations or you receive patron complaints, you are likely to find out after the meeting has ended, sometimes not until a day or more after the event. Ensuring that you have someone who is responsible for following through on the policy and knowing that the person (be they a sponsor or the person running the meeting) was fully apprised of your policy (and therefore, your expectations) before that meeting took place, eases the burden on your staff to monitor the meeting and give you recourse and a contact person to review the expectations and what was or was not met.

*Many libraries provide the use of their meeting rooms free of charge to the community. There are others who offer use of the meeting room for a nominal charge. Reasons and conditions under which a library will charge for meeting room use vary, but make sure your Trustees review their bylaws and any documentation surrounding any trusts that may have established the library before considering a charge for any kind of room use.

** Providing a number of days tends to be a clearer way to express deadlines. If you were to request a minimum timeline of 2 weeks, for example, it leaves room for possible confusion: did you mean from the day the agreement was submitted (which could be any day of the week)? Did you mean from beginning of the week it was submitted? What do you consider the beginning of the week: Sunday or Monday? If your library isn’t open daily, you may want to clarify “business days” or “calendar days” to ensure your expectations are clear to the person submitting the agreement.

MBLC May 9 Update

Dear Colleagues,

Yesterday, President Trump fired Carla Hayden, the Librarian of Congress who has been a champion of intellectual freedom. Hearing this news early today was both upsetting and infuriating. My colleague Karen Mellor, the Chief of Library Services at the Rhode Island Office of Library and Information Services framed the situation eloquently when she said, “The country is poorer now for the irrational removal of a respected and thoughtful leader of one of our nation’s leading institutions.” Dr. Hayden was the first woman and first African American Librarian of Congress. She was appointed by President Obama and confirmed by Congress in 2016, and served under the Obama, Trump, Biden, and Trump’s current administrations. Her entire career has been focused on equity in library services, patron privacy, outreach, and building diversity within the library workforce.

Dr. Hayden’s abrupt termination is a stark reminder that our freedom, including our freedom to read, is being challenged across the country. Hereat home we need to continue efforts to pass legislation that protects that right — and protects the librarians who work to ensure that all voices are part of library collections.

We received notice this week that a federal judge has granted a preliminary injunction halting the further dismantling of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) that began on March 14 when President Trump signed Executive Order 14238 eliminating IMLS to “to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law.” The preliminary injunction comes as part of the lawsuit filed by attorneys general in 21 states, including Massachusetts. This is separate from the lawsuit filed by the American Library Association and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) which as I reported out in last week’s update, was granted a temporary restraining order to block the dismantling of IMLS.

These are solid wins. In the long game they may move us closer to a return to reliable federal funding for libraries. But right now, the MBLC is facing difficult decisions that are based on what we do know: federal uncertainty persists. We cannot sign contracts or move ahead with services for FY2026 based on what we hope will happen with federal funding.

We’ve been asked if there’s a possibility that the flow of federal funding will return for FY2026. There’s always that possibility. And should the funding requirements align with the values we’ve held since our founding in 1890, we’ll gladly accept them and put them to work serving the people of the Commonwealth.

Please continue to reach out with questions. We appreciate your support.

Sincerely,

Maureen Amyot

Director

Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners

MBLC May 2 Update

Dear Colleagues,

I’m glad to be able to start this update with some good news. Last night, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia granted a temporary restraining order to block the dismantling of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) that resulted from President Trump’s Executive Order 14238. We’re working to determine how this will impact our ability to access IMLS funds.

In the meantime, with FY2026 rapidly approaching, the MBLC continues to navigate and plan for staff and services in a rapidly changing environment. Some states have received IMLS reimbursements (including us—more information below) and there are reports that funds for FY2026 are coming. On the surface these sound like positive developments. However, with little to no staff at IMLS (the majority of IMLS employees were placed on a 90 day leave at the end of March) and what appear to be new requirements to receive funding, questions remain about IMLS as a reliable source of funding.

Some quick background: Prior to President Trump’s Executive Order, IMLS required the MBLC to submit a five-year plan that sets broad strategic direction for the use of federal funds, and after five years there is an evaluation. Plans and evaluations are on the MBLC website.

Now, compliance with other executive orders filed by President Trump may be part of the process to receive IMLS funding. In late April, the MBLC received the email below from IMLS Acting Director Keith Sonderling asking the MBLC for the following information:

From the Sonderling email:
Pursuant to 20 USC § 9134 and your obligations under the Grant Award Guidance and Statement of Assurances and Certifications, please provide IMLS with the following information:

Whether and how federal taxpayer dollars provided to you under the Grants to States program have been used, or are still being used, to subsidize programs that conflict with government policy as found below:

Executive Order 14151, Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing, and

Executive Order 14253, Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History, and

Executive Orders 13899 and 14188, Combating Anti-Semitism and Additional Measures To Combat Anti-Semitism, and

Executive Order 14168, Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government, and

Executive Order 14202, Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias, and

Executive Order 14190, Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling, and

How federal taxpayer dollars provided to you under the Grants to States program are being used to facilitate access to resources that cultivate an educated and informed American citizenry, and
How you plan to involve your agencies in the upcoming celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States of America?

The MBLC is responding with the requested information. That said, the MBLC remains committed to serving everyone—it’s what we have done since 1890 and it’s what we will continue to do.

In terms of reimbursements, as a sort of trial run, the MBLC submitted a small reimbursement to IMLS on April 6. Nearly a month later, we received notice that reimbursement is being processed. Before President Trump’s Executive Order, turnaround time for reimbursements was a few days. This lag time may be indicative of the ongoing challenges of trying to run IMLS with little to no staff.

Both the instability at IMLS and the Sonderling email serve as indicators that at this point, federal funding remains uncertain. This places the MBLC in the position of planning for FY2026 without federal funding. The broad effect of President Trump’s Executive Orders, impacting more than libraries, and creating funding challenges across the state, means that the state budget cannot make up the total loss of the $3.6 million in IMLS funds the MBLC receives.

At yesterday’s MBLC board meeting, I called the situation dire. For example, the state House Ways and Means budget, which level funded all MBLC budget lines, leaves us short in our agency line, 7000-9101. Without the increase of $415,000 to this line as requested in the FY2026 Legislative Agenda, and in spite of cutting absolutely everything possible from that line, the MBLC cannot cover the basic costs for the agency – salaries and the lease on our office space. There isn’t any place else within our budget lines that funding for agency operations can come from.

In terms of MBLC staff, we’re already lean—having gone from a staffing high of 38 in previous years to 23 current staff members. To provide the services required in Massachusetts General Law Chapter 78, we need every single person we currently have on staff. If we cut staff, we will have to cut services, and that would put us out of compliance with state law.

For FY2026, we continue to work on plans and are in constant communication with the Massachusetts Library System (MLS) and vendors as we figure out funding levels that would allow us to continue as many services as possible with the funds we have left.

Our efforts now turn to the Senate which will release its budget proposal this month. It is crucial that progress is made towards the funding requested in the FY2026 Legislative Agenda, especially budget line 7000-9101, Board of Library Commissioners.

Sincerely,

Maureen Amyot

Director, Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners

Clear policies and procedures

Know Your Rights and Theirs

Post-event staff support

Community engagement and education

Public Commentary

Setting Boundaries

Not a dialogue

Maintaining your authority

Other channels for public feedback

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

📰 MBLC Maintains some Databases, Support for eBooks, and ComCat

📰 Libraries Level Funded in Proposed Senate Budget

📰 Sharon Celebrates New Library with Ribbon Cutting

🗓️ State Aid Season Begins

ℹ️ Database Library Community Information (Online)

🗨️ Preservation Office Hours (Online)

📅 Unlocking MassHealth: What You Need to Know to Help Your Patrons (Online)

🤝 Library Trustee Orientation (Online)

🤝 Library Advisory Office Hours (Online)

🖥️ Librarianing for Social Flourishing (Online)

📈 Census Bureau Data 101: Resources and Services (Online)

💻 Introduction to the Statewide Patron Portal (Online)

🖥️ ARIS Workshops (Online)

💬 State Aid Office Hours (Online)

📅 Supporting Library Patrons with Re-Employment Needs—An Overview by MassHire (Online)

💻 Introduction to Web Accessibility (Online)

🕙 MBLC Monthly Board Meeting on July 10th (Hybrid)

Format

Sponsors & Contacts

Defining expiration

Responding

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