NEWS RELEASE

At its January Board Meeting, the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) certified the remaining libraries meeting all FY2025 requirements for the State Aid to Public Libraries Program. So far, 339 libraries have been awarded $9.8 million in state funding. The awards are roughly half of the total state aid funding these libraries will receive. Following the Commonwealth's disbursement schedule, additional payments to libraries are expected toward the end of the grant cycle in the spring.

Commissioners also reviewed waivers of the Municipal Appropriations Requirement (MAR) for eight applicants. The MAR is funding, required in statute, to be provided by the municipality to support the library. This and other State Aid requirements help create a strong foundation for reciprocal borrowing that allows patrons from certified libraries to borrow materials from any other certified library. Last year, residents borrowed more than 6.4 million items from libraries outside their own communities.

Of the eight libraries that applied for FY2025 MAR waivers, only one community had a budget reduction beyond the 5% considered the threshold for disproportionate cut. The Wales Public Library’s budget was cut by 6.11% and representatives from the community appeared before the Board to discuss the library’s funding. Of the remaining MAR waiver applicants, four communities had budget increases but fell short of meeting the MAR. Commissioners will vote on the MAR waiver applicants at the February Board Meeting.

MBLC Commissioners have made increased funding to State Aid to Public Libraries a priority in the FY2026 Legislative Agenda. Please visit the MBLC website for information about current policies and requirements. State Aid has been awarded to municipalities and their libraries since 1890 when The Acts of 1890, chapter 347, ‘An Act to Promote the Establishment and Efficiency of Free Public Libraries,’ established the Free Public Library Commission of Massachusetts, now known as the MBLC.