NEWS RELEASE

The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) is pleased to announce that Andrea Bono-Bunker, Library Building Consultant in the Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program (MPLCP), is the winner of the prestigious Manuel Carballo Governor's Award for Excellence in Public Service.

The award is presented to employees who selflessly reflect a deep commitment to serving the people of the Commonwealth and exemplify the highest standards of public service. It was established in memory of Manuel Carballo, who served as a Secretary of Health and Human Services. This year, the award will be presented to five individuals who demonstrate exemplary leadership, innovation, dedication, and creativity.

"Andrea's leadership of the MPLCP has been extraordinary," said MBLC Director Maureen Amyot. "She works closely with communities throughout the construction process and is an invaluable resource when questions or challenges arise. Her work truly changes lives across the Commonwealth. Her dedication and passion for her work cannot be overstated. We at the MBLC know what a treasure she is and we are thrilled that she is being recognized with this award."

Ms. Bono-Bunker, who has been with the MBLC since 2018, has taken an innovative and inclusive approach to improving the MPLCP by incorporating sustainable building practices and developing new program regulations that reduce cost, streamline the process, and prioritize community need, informed in part by her own experience as a grant recipient.

Over two years of feedback and input from the library community, architects, state and local officials, were used in part to develop new MPLCP regulations that guide communities through the construction of functional, flexible, sustainable, and lifecycle-conscious libraries that meet the needs of the people they serve.

The new MPLCP is competitive, requires less upfront expenditure but more official municipal support earlier, and reduces the overall timeline by approximately two years. Projects welcomed into the program receive support throughout the planning and design phase and do not have to apply for construction phase funding. The program reduced waitlists by building size tiers maximizes funding for library projects and mitigates cost escalation impacts. In addition to these changes, the new regulations also create a clear pathway for small rural communities to participate through the new small population grant type for municipalities with fewer than 2,500 residents.

While more than 30 projects were completed in large communities in the last decade, only two libraries were built or renovated in communities with populations under 2,500. For the 2024-2025 grant round, the first governed by the new MPLCP regulations, Blandford and Otis, were awarded MPLCP planning and design grants, demonstrating that the regulations succeed in opening access to small communities.

Under the standard grant type for municipalities with resident populations at or exceeding 2,500, thirteen other communities were also awarded grants.

Since 2008 the MPLCP has championed green building practices since 2008. However, under Ms. Bono-Bunker's direction, the MPLCP went further and began integrating the goals of Executive Order 594 into the MPLCP in 2021 and included them in new program regulations to support the construction of highly efficient public libraries across the Commonwealth. Projects underway or recently completed in Gloucester, Melrose, Sharon, Deerfield, Swansea, Amherst, Fitchburg, and Westford are designed to use little or zero fossil fuels. The MPLCP's updated regulations for the Green Library Incentive provide additional funding to grantees with projects that achieve net-zero buildings through one of three available pathways.

The MBLC received a Leading by Example award, because of this work. It was one of eleven Massachusetts state agencies, public higher education institutions, municipalities, and public sector individuals recognized by the Baker-Polito Administration for their leadership in promoting initiatives that reduce environmental impacts and associated energy costs of state operations.

Prior to joining the staff at the MBLC, Ms. Bono-Bunker was Director at the Woburn Public Library during its MPLCP construction project. She, along with former director Kathleen O'Doherty and trustee Richard Mahoney, worked closely with architects, local leaders, and the community to ensure the design met community needs while highlighting the original Richardson library building. In 2023, the Woburn Public Library was awarded the Prestigious AIA/ALA Award honoring the best in library architecture and design. It marked the fourth award for the library.

Ms. Bono-Bunker will receive the award at the 41st Annual Performance Recognition Program Award Ceremony held at the State House this fall.