Board Approves First Round of FY2024 State Aid Grants
November 21, 2023
June Thammasnong
Communications Specialist
1-800-952-7403 x208
june.thammasnong@mass.gov
At its November Board Meeting, the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) approved 131 municipalities that met all requirements for certification in the FY2024 State Aid to Public Libraries Program. State Aid program grants for this initial round total $2.8 million. Libraries use state aid funding to support local library services including purchasing computers, new furniture and assistive technology. Funding to support the State Aid to Libraries Program has increased 46% since 2021 and provided more than $17.6 million for FY2024.
A second group of municipalities meeting all requirements will be presented to the Board for approval during the December 2023 board meeting. At the January 2024 meeting, Commissioners will review waivers for municipalities that do not meet the Municipal Appropriation Requirement (MAR). The MAR is funding from the municipality allocated to support their library. Any library with a disproportionate cut to its budget will go before the Board during the January 2024 board meeting to present information on the budget cuts and how the library will be funded in the future.
Once approved for State Aid, certified libraries receive half of their grant awards following the Commonwealth’s disbursement schedule, with the remaining amount released toward the end of the grant cycle in late spring.
Funding from the State Aid to Public Library Program directly supports public library services in towns and cities across the Commonwealth. The reciprocity that comes with library certification in the State Aid program is often what library visitors value most. It allows library patrons to use any State Aid certified library in the Commonwealth and gives them access to more than 59 million items available through the shared library system.
More information about the benefits of the State Aid to Public Libraries Program is available on the MBLC website.
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.