Overview
The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) was established in 1890 under Chapter 78 of the Massachusetts General Laws and is governed by nine commissioners appointed by the Governor. The board chair is appointed by the commissioners, and the commissioners hire a director, who is responsible for administering MBLC’s programs and advisory services. According to its website, 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 website also states, “MBLC strives to provide every resident of the Commonwealth with full and equal access to library information resources regardless of geographic location, social or economic status, age, level of physical or intellectual ability, or cultural background.”
MBLC administers state and federal grant programs for libraries of all types throughout the Commonwealth. During our audit period, MBLC received state appropriations totaling $47.62 million for fiscal year 2016 and $40.35 million for fiscal year 2017. The grants awarded by MBLC during the audit period totaled approximately $55.58 million and were as follows:
- State Aid to Public Libraries: $18,029,000. State Aid to Public Libraries is an annual, voluntary program. Its purpose is to encourage municipalities to support library services and resource sharing and to help compensate for additional costs and disparities in funding among municipalities. The funding for the Massachusetts Library System is included in State Aid to Public Libraries.
- Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program (MPLCP): $31,874,536. According to MBLC’s website, “[MPLCP] helps communities improve their public library facilities through funding and technical assistance for planning and design and construction projects.”
- Federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Grants to States Program: $5,679,658. Each year, MBLC receives an allotment based on the state population and the level of appropriation from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services. The LSTA Grants to States Program allows MBLC to design grant programs from which awards are provided to eligible public libraries to provide new services or enhance existing ones.
| Date published: | July 10, 2018 |
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