NEWS RELEASE

The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) is pleased to announce Maureen Amyot as its new Director. "It is with great pleasure that we welcome Maureen to the MBLC," said MBLC Chair Debby Conrad. "With challenges to intellectual freedom, gaps in equitable service, unfair eBook practices, and library staff on the frontlines, this is a critical time for libraries, one that requires both steady leadership and vision that leads to innovation and meaningful change. We are confident that Maureen embodies these qualities, and we look forward to working closely with her."

Ms. Amyot comes to the MBLC from her most recent role as Director at Westborough Public Library. She was selected after a monthslong search yielded 45 applicants and a pool of 16 qualified candidates from Massachusetts and other states. She is the third woman to be named Director of the MBLC in the agency's 134-year history.

"I want to thank the Commissioners and staff for this incredible opportunity to lead the MBLC into the future. I'm honored to be the next Director and will work hard every single day to keep libraries moving forward. I know there are many challenges facing libraries, now and down the road, and I am looking forward to finding solutions together," said Ms. Amyot.

Founded in 1890, the MBLC is the oldest state library agency in the nation. As MBLC Director, Ms. Amyot will work with the nine-member Commission appointed by the governor, staff, library agencies, and the library community to improve library services across the Commonwealth. MBLC programs include library construction, local aid for public libraries, and a federal direct grant program as well as support for resource sharing, online access, and the utilization of technology by libraries. The MBLC also works with the Talking Book Libraries at Perkins and Worcester to provide specialized library services to blind and physically handicapped residents.

Ms. Amyot's depth of experience comes from working in all types of libraries: small rural, suburban, large urban, and at the Central Massachusetts Regional Library System. In each role, she focused on removing barriers to library use and providing programs and services to reach underserved populations. For Ms. Amyot, libraries are essential community connectors and equity of access to services and resources has been at the core of her work, a belief that aligns closely with the MBLC's core principles.

Working with libraries of all types and sizes has given Ms. Amyot a keen understanding of not only the unique challenges different libraries face, but also the ways in which partnerships, collaboration and bringing people together are key elements in strengthening all libraries: public, school, academic, and special. She is currently a member of the Massachusetts Library System Board of Directors and serves on the Massachusetts Library Association (MLA) Legislative Committee. Previously she served as MLA President, Vice President and Secretary and as a member of former American Library Association President Camila Alire's Frontline Advocacy work group.

Ms. Amyot holds a Master of Library Science from the University of North Texas and is a graduate of Saint Francis University in Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Communications. She is also a graduate of Suffolk University's Local Government Leadership and Management certification program. She will start her new position on July 8, 2024.