News Releases 2021

December 21, 2021 - Grafton Celebrates New Library

On December 17, the Grafton Public Library celebrated the opening of the new library addition and renovation of the 1927 original Georgian building. “A library is what people can do when they pull together,” said Commissioner Karen Traub from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC), which aw...

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December 15, 2021 - MBLC Library Construction Recognized as Leader by Governor

Thanks to the innovative work being done by the Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program (MPLCP) the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners was recently awarded a Leading by Example award. The MBLC was one of eleven Massachusetts state agencies, public higher education institutions, municipalities, and p...

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December 08, 2021 - With MBLC Grants, Small Libraries join Networks

Being a part of one of the nine automated library networks has benefits for both the library and the residents it serves. For residents, it’s access to the eContent and print materials from all over the state. For the library, it includes critical library business functions, like patron registration, inventory co...

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November 12, 2021 - New Reuben Hoar Library Opens to the Public

On November 5, 2021, the new Reuben Hoar Library in Littleton opened its doors to the public and celebrated with a ribbon cutting ceremony. The $14.5 million project was supported by a $5.8 million grant from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program (MPLC...

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November 09, 2021 - Board Approves First Round of State Aid Grants

At its November Board Meeting, the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) approved 103 municipalities that met all requirements for certification in the FY2022 State Aid to Public Libraries program. State Aid program grants for FY2022 total $13 million, a $1 million increase over the amount given during FY...

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November 05, 2021 - Borrow the Internet from Your Local Library

Massachusetts residents conducted 15,000 internet sessions every day in public libraries during 2019. When COVID-19 hit and many libraries closed their doors, patrons were left without the internet access they needed to participate in remote schooling and telework.  Libraries stepped up with outdoor library Wi-Fi,...

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November 04, 2021 - New Roxbury Branch is Officially Celebrated

On October 23, 2021, Nubian Square in Boston was full of people celebrating the Grand Re-Opening of the newly renovated Roxbury Branch of the Boston Public Library. The $17.2 million project is being funded in part by a $5.6 million grant from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) Massachusetts Public...

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October 26, 2021 - Massachusetts Libraries to Receive Touchpoints Training

The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) and Massachusetts Library System (MLS) are working with the Brazelton Touchpoints Center at the Boston Children’s Hospital to become an official Touchpoints training site for Massachusetts libraries. Touchpoints training will allow libraries to have more eff...

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October 21, 2021 - MBLC Helps Hard Hit Libraries and Statewide Organizations

The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) is using ARPA funds to help libraries in communities deemed “hard hit by COVID” by Governor Baker’s office to provide programs and services that will help their communities recover from the COVID-19 pandemic....

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October 08, 2021 - Amid Growing Demand, MBLC Funds Statewide eContent

At its October 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 377 participating libraries from a...

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October 07, 2021 - Hadley Holds Ribbon Cutting for Library

On September 30, 2021, the town of Hadley cut the ribbon for a new public library, senior center, and fire substation, three municipal buildings that were built during the COVID-19 pandemic and had their openings delayed. The new Hadley Public Library was built with a $3.9 million dollar grant from the Massachusetts Pu...

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September 27, 2021 - Governor Appoints Karen Traub to Library Commission

Shutesbury resident Karen Traub has been appointed by Governor Charles Baker to serve on the nine-member Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC). The MBLC is responsible for library services across the Commonwealth including the Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program, federal Library Services and...

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September 22, 2021 - Library Construction Begins in Marlborough

On September 21, 2021 Marlborough residents gathered with state and federal officials to celebrate the groundbreaking of the new Marlborough Public Library. “Libraries have become even more important as the only resource that’s absolutely free to every resident,” said Senator Jamie Eldredge....

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September 21, 2021 - Over 5 million minutes read during Baker and Blades Library Challenge

The annual First Lady of the Commonwealth and Blades Summer Reading Challenge celebrated a successful summer 2021 with participants in library summer programs reading over 5.1 million minutes between July 1 and August 13, beating last year’s effort by more than 3 million minutes. As part of the challenge, librari...

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August 24, 2021 - Greenfield Breaks Ground on New Library

On August 19, 2021, residents of Greenfield gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking of the city’s new library. The $20 million construction project is supported by a $9.37 million grant from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program (MPLCP)....

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July 28, 2021 - Governor Signs FY22 Budget

On July 16, 2021, Governor Charlie Baker signed the FY2022 budget. The $47.6 billion bill includes increased funding to library line items at or above what was requested in the FY22 Legislative Agenda....

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July 08, 2021 - MBLC Elects Officers for FY2022

The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) elected new officers to serve for FY2022 at its Board Meeting on July 8, 2021....

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July 08, 2021 - MBLC Awards Federal LSTA Grants

At its July 8, 2021, Board meeting, the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) awarded $350,410 in 35 grants to public and special libraries across the Commonwealth under the Federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) which is funded through the Institute of Museum and Library Services....

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July 08, 2021 - Melrose Awarded Library Construction Grant

At its July 8, 2021 board meeting, the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) awarded a provisional construction grant to the Melrose Public Library in the amount of $7,993,290 through its Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program (MPLCP). Melrose is the second community to receive a provisional gr...

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July 07, 2021 - Libraries Challenge Themselves this Summer

Libraries across the Commonwealth are challenging themselves and their residents as part of the 2nd Annual First Lady of the Commonwealth and Blades Summer Reading Challenge, which is currently underway. The challenge began last year as an option for libraries that moved summer reading to fully remote during the pandem...

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June 22, 2021 - Norwell Celebrates New Library

On June 10, state and local officials joined Norwell residents to celebrate the new Norwell Public Library. “We’ve always had a great staff,” said Library Director Judy McConarty. “Now we have a space to match.”...

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June 18, 2021 - Librarians Trained to Support Teen Mental Health

The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) has partnered with Walker Cares to offer Youth Mental Health First Aid  to library staff.  “Frontline library staff work with teens, many of whom have been negatively impacted by COVID-19 and a year of social distancing.” said Lyndsay Forbes,...

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May 17, 2021 - MBLC Launches Small Library Construction Pilot

At its May 6 board meeting, the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners unanimously approved the launch of a new construction pilot program aimed at libraries in communities with populations under 2,000. Libraries in small communities have struggled to participate in the Massachusetts Public Library Construction P...

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May 11, 2021 - Pride joins Summer Library Partnership

The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) is pleased to announce that the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) team Boston Pride will be joining the Boston Bruins to encourage reading over the summer. Boston Pride are one of the four charter franchises of the NWHL and they recently became the first...

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May 07, 2021 - Windsor and Phillipston Receive Grant to join CW MARS

During the May 6, 2021 board meeting, the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) approved a Joining Networks grant which allows the Windsor Free Public Library, Windsor, and the Phillips Free Public Library, Phillipston, to join the CW MARS network. This grant provides for network first year joining fee an...

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May 06, 2021 - MBLC Resumes Library Construction Grants

With a $13,871,314 provisional grant award to Amherst at its May 6 meeting, the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) resumed Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program (MPLCP) grants that had been paused due to COVID-19. Amherst has until November 7, 2021 to accept the grant....

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May 05, 2021 - House Approves Increased Library Funding

On April 29, the Massachusetts House of Representatives unanimously approved their version of the FY2022 budget. This includes two funding increases above the requested amount in the FY22 Legislative Agenda. The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) line item was increased to accommodate earmark funding f...

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April 30, 2021 - MBLC and Boston Public Library Expand eContent

The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) is working with Boston Public Library (BPL) to expand statewide eContent. In its role as Library for the Commonwealth, BPL resources are available to all Massachusetts residents. Users from outside Suffolk county make up 66% of eContent checkouts and more than 149...

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April 20, 2021 - House Increases Funding for Libraries

On Wednesday, April 14, the Massachusetts House Committee on Ways and Means released its proposal for the FY2022 budget. The budget includes the increased funding for library lines that was ...

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April 01, 2021 - The MBLC condemns Anti-Asian violence and supports efforts to advance racial justice

The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners stands in solidarity with the American Library Association (ALA) and the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA), and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Asian American Commission in recognizing and condemning anti-Asian hate crimes. Any type of racism or xen...

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March 09, 2021 - Governor Baker Reappoints Comeau

The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) is pleased to welcome George T. Comeau, Esq. of Canton who has been appointed by Governor Charles D. Baker to serve on the nine-member board. Commissioner Comeau previously served as a Commissioner after being appointed by Governor Romney in 2004 and reappointed b...

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March 04, 2021 - Record Number of Libraries Certified in State Aid

At its March 4 meeting the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC), voted to certify waiver applicants and one additional library meeting full requirements in the State Aid to Public Libraries program. Combined with libraries certified last month, 347 have been certified in the FY2021 State Aid to Public Li...

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March 04, 2021 - MBLC Chair Statement on Municipal Funding and State Aid Certification

The Board of Library Commissioners recognizes that the FY2021 State Aid to Public Libraries grant round has taken place in an atmosphere of continuing fiscal uncertainty as a result of the COVID 19 pandemic. Despite these fiscal constraints 295 municipalities have met the Municipal Appropriation Requirement (MAR). Anot...

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February 11, 2021 - Libraries Awarded Grants for Remote and Virtual Programming

Libraries Awarded Grants for Remote and Virtual Programming...

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February 09, 2021 - Libraries Certified in State Aid

At its January Board Meeting, the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) approved 294 libraries that met all requirements for certification in the FY2021 State Aid to Public Libraries program. State Aid program grants total $12 million, an increase of 33% since FY2018 when the MBLC made it a priority in it...

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February 08, 2021 - MBLC and MLS Support School eContent

The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) and the Massachusetts Library System (MLS) are collaborating to bring more eContent to the statewide school eBook and audiobook program called Commonwealth eBook Collections: the OverDrive K-12 Shared Sora Collection, more commonly referred to as “Sora.&#822...

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February 02, 2021 - Governor holds Library Funding Steady for FY2022

On Wednesday, January 27, Governor Charlie Baker released his proposal for the FY2022 budget. The budget includes level funding for library lines that received a recent increase in funding from the final FY21 budget....

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January 29, 2021 - MBLC Supports Libraries with Community Memory Collections

The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) has awarded $33,600 to eight libraries across the Commonwealth for formal assessments of their community memory collections under the Federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) which is funded through the Institute of Museum and Library Services....

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January 20, 2021 - State Aid Changes Aim to Help Libraries in 2022

On January 7, 2021 Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) unanimously voted to adjust policies to the State Aid to Public Libraries program. This is in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the Commonwealth’s municipal libraries, staff, Trustees, and patrons....

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January 19, 2021 - Outdoor Library Wi-Fi Provides Access for Many

When COVID 19 forced schools and business to switch to remote learning and working, it became clear that not everyone across the Commonwealth had access to high-speed internet in their homes or their communities. For the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC), this wasn’t new information. Since the 1...

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January 19, 2021 - New Benchmark helps Libraries Stay Certified

At its January board meeting, the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners took action to help libraries stay certified in the State Aid to Public Libraries Program this year. They adjusted the benchmark of what is considered a disproportionate library budget cut from 5% to 10%....

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January 06, 2021 - FY2021 Budget Finalized

The Massachusetts House of Representatives and Senate overrode Governor Charlie Baker’s budget vetoes finalizing the FY2021 budget for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and restoring funding to the MBLC budget lines to the highest level in nearly two decades....

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January 05, 2021 - The MBLC Welcomes Commissioner Vicky Biancolo

The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) is pleased to welcome Vicky Biancolo of Pittsfield who has been appointed by Governor Charles D. Baker to serve on the nine-member board....

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For More Information & Press Inquiries

Celeste Bruno, Communications Director
617-725-1860 x208
857-488-6206 (Mobile)
celeste.bruno@mass.gov

June Thammasnong, Communications Specialist
617-725-1860 x240
857-488-7004 (Mobile)
june.thammasnong@mass.gov