NEWS RELEASE

The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) is pleased to announce Robert Favini as the new Head of Public Library Advisory and Development. He will work with library trustees and friends, and will head up the Library Services Technology Act (LSTA) grants and programs. “Rob’s diverse experience in all types of libraries and as a trustee gives him a perspective that will benefit libraries and patrons across the state. It is with great pleasure that we welcome him to the Board,” said MBLC Director James Lonergan.

Mr. Favini has extensive experience in library services; starting his career as Head of Reference at Peabody Institute Library and most recently as Member Relations Liaison at OCLC, work that took him all over the country. “I’m happy to be able to focus on Massachusetts, again” said Mr. Favini. “Outreach, connecting with librarians, and advocating for libraries have always been what’s mattered most to me and I’m looking forward to making that central to my work at MBLC.”

Previously, Mr. Favini was Program Director and Library Discovery Services Consultant at NELINET  where he was responsible for the coordination, scheduling, and management of educational events delivered to NELINET member libraries. In the academic field, he was Dean of the Libraries at Becker College in Worcester, Adjunct Faculty at Bentley College of Continuing Education and Reference Librarian at Bentley and Suffolk Universities. He also put his skills as a librarian to work in the marketing and advertising field at The Donovan Group and at Hill,Holliday,Connors,Cosmopulous Inc.

As a current trustee at Fitchburg Public Library, Mr. Favini knows the responsibilities trustees face including what may be a steep learning curve, especially for trustees who come from outside the library profession. He also understands what it takes to provide library services in a climate of evolving technologies, changing patron demographics, and changing community needs that lead to new roles for libraries but not necessarily more funding. “Last summer we participated in the City’s Summer Food Services Program serving lunches to children right along with all our traditional summer programs,” said Mr. Favini. “It’s not what people typically think libraries do, but our staff did it happily and it demonstrates the way a library’s role expands to meet the needs of the people it serves. Funders need to understand how important libraries are to a community.”

A Massachusetts native, Mr. Favini graduated from Fitchburg State University with a B.A. in history and also holds a Masters of Library Science from Kent State University and a Masters of Business Administration from Bentley University.