Bruins Player from Massachusetts is the Face of Summer Reading
June 18, 2020
Matthew Perry
Outreach Coordinator
1-800-952-7403 x240
matthew.s.perry@state.ma.us
The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) is pleased to announce that Boston Bruins forward and East Weymouth resident Charlie Coyle is the featured player for the 2020 summer library program.
The MBLC has been working with the Boston Bruins to present the statewide summer library program since 2009. Since then, several Bruins players including captain Zdeno Charra, assistant captain Patrice Bergeron, and goalie Tuuka Rask have been featured on the annual READ poster available to residents through their local public libraries during the summer months.
“We appreciate all the Bruins players who have taken the time to encourage children across the Commonwealth to read every summer” said MBLC chair Roland Ochsenbein. “By featuring Massachusetts native Charlie Coyle this year, kids in Massachusetts will get to see one of their neighbors on the READ poster which is exciting for everyone.”
Charlie Coyle grew up in Weymouth and attended Weymouth High School and Thayer Academy in Braintree for high school before playing hockey at Boston University. He began his NHL career with the Minnesota Wild before returning to Massachusetts in February 2019 to begin playing for the Bruins. He was an integral part of the 2019 Stanley Cup run, and has continued playing well for the Bruins during this season.
The National Hockey League (NHL) has announced plans for the league to resume play in July after pausing play on March 12. This will mark the first time that summer reading will take place during the hockey season. The Bruins are currently in first place in the league.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, summer reading at public libraries is going to look different this year. As libraries begin to reopen, some will be able to offer in person programming, while others will be all online. In response, the MBLC has created virtual resources for Massachusetts residents.
- The Online Library Events Calendar shows programs from the Berkshires to Nantucket that are free and open for any Massachusetts resident to attend virtually.
- The Massachusetts Video Library has story times, craft projects, sing-a-longs, and more all recorded and contributed by Massachusetts librarians.
- The First Lady of the Commonwealth and Blades Summer Reading Challenge allows libraries to set a goal for their community that everyone can work together towards. Participating libraries and their goals are listed here.
More information about 2020 Summer Reading can be found here.
The statewide Summer Reading Program is made free to all public libraries and residents in the Commonwealth thanks to support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, the Massachusetts Library System, and the Boston Bruins. On average, 350 libraries offer statewide summer reading each year; in 2019 nearly 500,000 children, teens, and adults participated.
About MBLC
The Board of Library Commissioners (mass.gov/mblc) is the agency of state government with the statutory authority and responsibility to organize, develop, coordinate and improve library services throughout the Commonwealth. The Board advises municipalities and library trustees on the operation and maintenance of public libraries, including construction and renovation. It administers state and federal grant programs for libraries and promotes cooperation among all types of libraries through regional library systems and automated resource sharing. It also works to ensure that all residents of the Commonwealth, regardless of their geographic location, social or economic status, age, level of physical or intellectual ability or cultural background, have access to essential new electronic information technologies and significant electronic databases.