2025 Commissioner Award Winners Honored at State House
November 17, 2025
June Thammasnong
Communications Specialist
1-800-952-7403 x208
june.thammasnong@mass.gov
The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) celebrated its 135th anniversary at the Massachusetts State House with the 2025 Commissioner Awards Ceremony, honoring individuals and organizations whose leadership and advocacy have strengthened library services across the Commonwealth.
This year’s Commissioner Award winners included library staff from the Massachusetts Trans Librarian Group, Executive Director Kim Charlson of the Perkins Braille and Talking Book Library, Senator Jake Oliveira, Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, and former MBLC Commissioner Chair Mary Ann Cluggish. Each was recognized for their outstanding contributions and lasting impact on equitable and inclusive access to library resources.
“Libraries are not isolated institutions; they are community infrastructure that drives education, digital access, and equity in every city and town,” said Senator Oliveira, recipient of the 2025 Caleb Benjamin Tillinghast Commissioner Award. “When we strengthen our regional library systems, we ensure that small and rural communities have the same access to resources and services as larger, better-funded municipalities.”
During the ceremony, Senator Oliveira was joined by Senator Julian Cyr to announce that the Massachusetts Senate will take up legislation to protect library materials from censorship during formal session on Thursday, November 13. The bill, An Act Regarding Free Expression, filed by Senator Cyr and co-sponsored by Senator Oliveira, would establish statewide protections for intellectual freedom and due process in Massachusetts school and public libraries. The legislation ensures that library materials cannot be removed or censored based on personal or political beliefs and updates existing statutes with gender-neutral and professional language.
“In a time when trans people and the accomplishments of the trans community are actively being erased, it’s an honor to be recognized in this way. Trans rights and libraries are both under heavy attack right now. This award is an important demonstration of solidarity,” said Robin Goodfellow (Puck) Malamud, representing the Massachusetts Trans Librarian Group, recipient of the 2025 Samuel Swett Green Award. “As trans and gender-diverse library workers, we exist as a community within a community within a community. Affinity groups like Mass Trans Librarians play a vital role in every layer of those communities—our members include both public-facing and behind-the-scenes staff, and through our discussions, advocacy, and mutual support, we empower each other to continue performing the essential work of libraries in increasingly challenging times.”
MBLC Commissioner George Comeau closed the ceremony with a call to service: “Today is as much about the future as it is the past—our award winners represent the hope we hold for our community. They are the best of what our libraries help create. Let us leave here today inspired by the hope our award winners bring and recommit ourselves to the work ahead. Let us be unified in our purpose, compassionate in our service, and unwavering in our inclusion.”
2025 Commissioner Award Winners
The Anna Eliot Ticknor Award was awarded to Kim Charlson, Executive Director of the Perkins Braille & Talking Book Library.
The Henry Steadman Nourse Award was awarded to Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell.
The Samuel Swett Green Award was awarded to The Massachusetts Trans Librarians Group, represented by Heath Umbreit and Robin Goodfellow “Puck” Malamud, with acceptance remarks made by Ren O’Brien and Robin Goodfellow “Puck” Malamud.
The Caleb Benjamin Tillinghast Award was awarded to Massachusetts Senator Jacob R. Oliveira.
The Elizabeth P. Sohier Award was awarded to Former MBLC Chair Mary Ann Cluggish.
Established in 1890, the MBLC is the first state library agency in the nation. Over its 135-year history, the agency has supported the growth and modernization of library services through programs such as the Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program (MPLCP), Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grants, and statewide resource sharing initiatives that ensure equitable access to information for all residents.
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.