NEWS RELEASE

MBLC Awards 2024 Federal LSTA Grants

The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) awarded Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Direct Grants to Libraries at its July 13, 2023, board meeting. Federal LSTA grants are funded through the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

“Libraries across the Commonwealth are committed to meeting the local needs of the communities they serve,” said Robert Favini, Head of Library Advisory and Development at the MBLC. “LSTA grants allow libraries to address those local needs directly, whether its programming to meet the challenges of food insecurity and rising food costs, preserving and protecting Indigenous history, or developing creative technology spaces accessible for everyone.”

Twenty libraries received grants for a total amount of $360,949 awarded. Grants are open to libraries of all types that meet the eligibility requirements.  Members of the MBLC’s State Advisory Council on Libraries review and evaluate grant applications and make funding recommendations to the MBLC.

The complete list of grant recipients is below along with highlights from a selection of this year’s projects. 

In Ashburnham, the Stevens Memorial Library will provide community members with the skills, tools, and knowledge needed to foster improved nutritional habits and empower them to grow their own food. Ashburnham community members experience many types of food literacy challenges including rising food costs, lack of access to information and local resources and insufficient local support and resources for community members to grow their own food.  Stevens Memorial Library will collaborate with different local partners and regional organizations to meet the growing needs of the community as they become more informed consumers and improve their quality of life by developing better food literacy skills and strategies.

Goodnow Library in Sudbury’s project aims to “unearth” sources of information on Sudbury’s Indigenous history. The project will collect sources from archives in Sudbury and other towns and record oral histories from Indigenous elders. The materials collected through this project will compose a new Sudbury Indigenous History Special Collection (SIHSC) housed in the Goodnow Library’s Local History Collection. This SIHSC will be available to the public and benefit educators, researchers, historians, and anyone curious about local Indigenous history. It will also benefit the local Indigenous community.

Mashpee Public Library’s Stay and Play project will allow the Children’s Room to adapt to the evolving needs of the community by creating a welcoming and inclusive play space for children and families to experience unstructured, interactive play that engages the senses and strengthens the imagination. Stay and Play will include rotating themed installations to inspire creativity and encourage original storytelling that connects to everyday experiences in the community. Materials for the collection will be purchased to create a series of circulating Home and Away Play Kits for toddlers and preschoolers that can be explored and shared at home with family members and caregivers to enrich daily routines.

In addition to the Direct Grants to Libraries program, the MBLC uses LSTA funds to support statewide programs and services including summer reading programs, research databases, the statewide eBook program, the Commonwealth Catalog and the Massachusetts Libraries website which has information and resources for residents.  LSTA is administered on the federal level by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and in the Commonwealth by the MBLC. More information about LSTA can be found on the Board's website at www.mass.gov/mblc.

IMLS is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s approximately 123,000 libraries and 35,000 museums. Their mission is to inspire libraries and museums to advance innovation, lifelong learning, and cultural and civic engagement. IMLS’ grant making, policy development, and research help libraries and museums deliver valuable services that make it possible for communities and individuals to thrive. To learn more, visit http://www.imls.gov.