The MBLC administers the Annual Report Information Survey (ARIS) and Financial Report in compliance with Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 78. Each fiscal year, public libraries are required to submit this data in order to receive State Aid to Public Libraries and to meet the Minimum Standards of Public Library Service.
ARIS and Financial Report data is submitted online through the Collect data management system.
- LOGIN to Collect
- ARIS Webinar - Recording of the ARIS webinar on June 29, 2023.
- Waiver Webinar - Recording of the Waiver webinar on September 15, 2021.
- State Aid Webinar - Recording of the State Aid webinar from October 2023.
- ARIS - General Instructions & Tips for Using Collect (pdf) and Detailed Definitions (pdf)
- Financial - General Instructions & Tips for Using Collect and Detailed Definitions (pdf)
- Counting Programs Template - Google Doc template used to track programs with the ARIS and Summer Reading categories. Big thanks to Christi Farrar and April Mazza at the Massachusetts Library System for their work on this.
- Due Dates for ARIS and State Aid and other notable dates
Using summaries of this data prepared by MBLC staff, libraries can compare the quality and effectiveness of library services across Massachusetts, supporting their own planning, evaluation and goals.
Selected survey information is also submitted to the Institute of Museum and Library Services for analysis at the national level, and as part of an agreement for the MBLC to administer certain federal grant funding.