MBLC Welcomes Brian Stokes as Head of Library Advisory and Development
August 31, 2026
June Thammasnong
Communications Specialist
1-800-952-7403 x208
june.thammasnong@mass.gov
The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) is pleased to announce Brian Stokes as the new Head of Library Advisory and Development. The Head of Library Advisory and Development at the MBLC oversees the federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) program and provides advisory services to public library directors, trustees, and friends groups.
“I am delighted to join the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners in a role that supports so much of what libraries across the Commonwealth depend on,” said Brian Stokes. “The Library Advisory and Development team's work helps libraries be everything our communities need them to be, and I have relied on much of it myself as a library director in Falmouth. I am truly grateful for the chance to support that work.”
Brian joins the MBLC with extensive public library experience. He most recently served as Director of the Falmouth Public Library, where he formed a partnership with Barnstable County Sheriff’s office to provide library services and programming at the Barnstable County Correctional Facility. He also helped Falmouth secure a Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program provisional grant to construct the new East Falmouth Branch Library. Prior to Falmouth, Stokes served as a Library Manager and Young Adult Librarian at the New York Public Library. Brian has a Master's in Library and Information Science from Pratt Institute and a Bachelor’s in Journalism from Pennsylvania State University.
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.