NEWS RELEASE

The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) is pleased to announce the FY2026 Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant round. The MBLC uses federal LSTA funding to provide grants to libraries that allow them to offer innovative services in their local communities. For this year, the MBLC is piloting a new approach to grants to make them more accessible to libraries of all sizes and staffing levels. "Our hope is that more libraries from across the Commonwealth will benefit from these changes and participate in the program to respond to the local needs and challenges facing their communities," said Lyndsay Forbes, MBLC Grant Manager.

New for FY2026, grants are organized based on scope of time and effort as follows:

• Explore grants provide libraries with funding for activities that are foundational steps in improving services, collections, and programs. These grants may act as a first step for future projects and involve less management and reporting requirements. There are two grant offerings: ESOL/Citizenship Corners with a grant amount of $4,000 and Preservation Assessment with a grant amount of $7,500.
• Libraries use Impact grants to respond to local needs and community initiatives. MBLC staff are available to assist libraries with idea development that may focus on a variety of topics including workforce development, civic literacy, STEM learning, community archives and more. Grant amounts range from $5,000 to a maximum funding amount of $25,000.
• Inspire grants target larger scale projects that may extend to two years to complete. These grants require greater staff commitments and include significant involvement with community partners. Grant amounts range from $15,000 to a maximum funding amount: $50,000.

How to Apply and Upcoming Workshops

All types of libraries: school, academic, public and special, are eligible to apply. The MBLC website has full eligibility requirements. Letters of intent for Impact and Inspire grants are due December 5, 2024 with grant applications due April 8, 2025. Applications for Explore grants open on December 16th with applications due January 16, 2025.

To learn more about these new federal funding opportunities, the MBLC is holding workshops where MBLC staff will discuss the new grant program and provide information about what options are available in the current grant round. In-person workshops will be held November,19 and 20 and the online workshop is November 21. Please see the MBLC calendar for more details.

Federal funding in Massachusetts Libraries

In addition to direct library grants, the MBLC uses federal LSTA funding to support statewide library services and resources including the Commonwealth Catalog, preservation and disaster recovery in cultural institutions, online research databases in conjunction with the Massachusetts Library System, statewide eBook and audiobooks, and the statewide library resource website for residents. Federal funding also assists small libraries in participating in one of the state's nine automated library networks that improve technology in local libraries and make automated library services efficient and affordable.

The MBLC's LSTA program is developed in accordance with the LSTA five-year plan and reviewed by MBLC staff working in collaboration with the State Advisory Council on Libraries, a council of library users and librarians from public, academic, school, institutional and special libraries, as well as libraries serving persons with disabilities. More information about LSTA is available on the MBLC website. LSTA funding is made possible through the Institute of Museum and Library Services.