Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners: Strategic Plan FY2018-FY2020

Both currently and historically, Massachusetts has been a national leader in providing quality, innovative, and accessible library services to its citizens. The 127-year history of the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners includes many firsts made possible by truly visionary leaders.

Although there had been library legislation since 1798, and a public library enabling statute since 1851, it was not until 1890 that The Free Public Library Commission of Massachusetts was established by An Act to Promote the Establishment and Efficiency of Free Public Libraries [Acts of 1890, chapter 347]. The Commission was the first of its kind in the country and was charged with advising, promoting, and providing financial assistance to the 248 public libraries in the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts, and to work toward establishing library services in the remaining communities. To give this remarkable achievement some historical perspective, outside of Massachusetts at the time, there were only 220 tax supported libraries in the United States and twenty-nine of the forty-four states had no public libraries. In 1890, when the Free Public Library Commission was established, there were 103 towns without a free public library; by 1903 there was a library in every town. Today only one town in Massachusetts is without library services.

The MBLC’s current programs and initiatives have long-standing historical roots, then and now driven by a passionate desire to respond effectively to the real and evolving needs of local communities throughout the state. Even with this long history, the MBLC does not live in the past or rest on its laurels but continues to grow, improve, and innovate. Below are several important examples of how the MBLC has built on its rich historical legacy in ways that are forward looking, innovative, and responsive to community needs.

State Aid to Libraries

The State Aid to Public Libraries Program strengthens municipal support and resource sharing throughout the Commonwealth. It began with a provision in the 1890 statute that granted $100 worth of books selected by the Board to any town willing to start and maintain a public library. Today, the MBLC distributes $9 million to 344 municipalities across the state each year that meet the Municipal Appropriation Requirement and the Minimum Standards of Free Public Library Service, including minimum number of hours open, minimum expenditure on materials, and minimum education level for library directors.

Library Advisory Services

In 1907, the Library Commissioners organized a Board of Voluntary Advisory Visitors who visited libraries and provided advice about the selection of materials and hours of service. Early in the 20th Century, various pieces of legislation were enacted that authorized the Commission to provide support and consultation to local communities regarding early learning and adult literacy initiatives; the preservation of library materials and other locally significant collections; and the educational needs of immigrants, incarcerated individuals, and people with disabilities. Today, the MBLC provides and/or supports training and advisory services in evidence-based best practices in a comprehensive range of programmatic, organizational, and facilities-related topics, targeting library directors, staff, Trustees, Friends, and municipal officials.

Inter-Library Loan and Regional Collaboration

In 1911, a state law instituting interlibrary loan was enacted. This law encouraged libraries to share their collections with other public libraries and enter into cooperative arrangements. Today, the MBLC provides funding, infrastructure development, and promotion to support the statewide resource sharing system that benefits millions of library users by enabling the delivery of tens of millions of items each year. Those early agreements also formed the basis for the nine automated networks currently operating in the state. With the passage of the 1987 Library Improvement Act, the MBLC received state funding for telecommunications to promote access to networks and to offset internal network telecommunication costs. Since then, the MBLC’s funding for technology and resource sharing has been expanded to include support for databases and other statewide services in addition to its ongoing network technology and infrastructure support.

In 1960, legislation established state funding for the Regional Library Systems that would provide key services through regional entities that served as an extension of the Board. Today, the Massachusetts Library System (MLS) exists as a single, statewide entity (a consolidation of what had been six regions) supporting libraries of all types (public, school, academic, and special libraries) with interlibrary loan services, continuing education and training, electronic content (including statewide eBook collections), planning assistance, cooperative purchasing, and delivery of materials statewide.

Librarian Certification

The first public librarian certification law in Massachusetts was enacted in 1915, granting the Board the authority to ensure that the libraries of the Commonwealth “employ trained library personnel.” From 1919, when the MBLC became part of the Department of Education until it was designated an independent agency in 1978, the Board also provided direction and guidance to school libraries making certain that school librarians received the appropriate education, training, and support. Today, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education certifies school librarians/library teachers. The Board continues to administer the certification requirements for public librarians in Massachusetts as part of the State Aid statute and related regulations to ensure that library directors have the appropriate education, expertise, and training to oversee and manage the state’s 370 public libraries in the 21st Century.

Library Construction

In 1939, the Board received the first federal funds totaling $1.6 million through the New Deal’s Works Progress Administration (WPA) for library-related projects, including repair and restoration of library materials, cataloging library collections, and renovations and additions to libraries. The current state funded Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program (MPLCP) was established in 1987 to give aid to municipalities to make major capital improvements to their public library facilities. Since 1989, the MPLCP has been continuously funded through state capital bond bills authorized by the Governor and the Legislature. Over the last 30 years the MBLC has approved over $350 million for 101 planning and design grants and 231 construction grants.

Library for the Commonwealth

In 1970, the Boston Public Library (BPL) was designated as Library of Last Recourse “for reference and research services” for the Commonwealth. Renamed the Library of the Commonwealth (LFC) in 2010, the LFC is a major provider of eBooks and eContent to residents statewide through its eCard. The LFC services include the development and maintenance of a statewide digital library through its affiliation with the Digital Commonwealth and assisting libraries and their partner organizations with free digitization services. The LFC provides access to online media, research materials, reference services and information delivery, access to historical records and collections, inter-library loan services, and other resources responding to the informational, cultural, and educational needs of the Commonwealth. The Library for the Commonwealth at the Boston Public Library continues to offer a full slate of services to residents of Massachusetts wherever they live, whenever they need them.

The MBLC’s early visionary leadership, coupled with the sustained commitment and investment on the part of the state’s policy makers, has set the stage for the best-in-the–nation statewide system of libraries and library organizations. Massachusetts has an impressive track record of evidence-based best practices in library services, statewide programming and resource sharing, services strategically targeted to underserved populations, and equitable access to library services statewide. Today, the MBLC has a staff of 23 that administers over $40 million in state and federal library programming, administrative, and capital/construction funds annually – programs and initiatives that have roots reaching back to the 1800s. This strategic plan will enable the MBLC to play an even greater and more impactful 21st Century role: improving the quality and accessibility of library services, promoting and facilitating innovation and collaboration, and positioning libraries at the very center of civic life in their communities.

It has been acknowledged for several years that an overall strategic planning process has been needed at the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. The last process for planning at the MBLC took place in 2005. As the agency of state government with the statutory authority and responsibility to organize, develop, coordinate, and improve library services throughout the Commonwealth, it is critical that the MBLC periodically review its role in leading the Massachusetts library community.

Three other factors have contributed to the strategic planning process at this time. The first is the federal LSTA program. Every five years, the Library Services and Technology Act program through the Institute of Museums and Library Services requires states involved in the program to evaluate their use of LSTA funds and develop a new long range plan for the next five years. The MBLC completed an evaluation of the previous five-year plan in March 2017 and submitted a five-year plan for IMLS’s approval in June, 2017. Thus, the overall MBLC strategic planning process coincides perfectly with this timeline. As the LSTA funding supports many of the programs and services provided through the MBLC, each planning process has informed the other.

The second factor is the review of the State Aid to Public Libraries program. This endeavor has been a multi-year activity, involving two Task Forces appointed by the Board of Library Commissioners. Recommendations from Phase One of the review have been presented to the Board of Library Commissioners for implementation. Phase Two was presented at their May 2017 Board meeting for approval for staff to then gather input from the library community. This process has also dovetailed nicely with the overall MBLC strategic planning.

The final factor impacting the need for strategic planning at this juncture is the insecurity of federal funding going forward, particularly after FY2018. It is vitally important that the MBLC review, assess, and prioritize its federally funded internal and external programs and services.

Independent consultant Alan Brickman of Brickman Nonprofit Solutions was retained to facilitate the strategic planning process. The key steps in the process were as follows:

1. November 2016 site visit by the consultant: initial meeting of the Planning Group and a series of interviews with key Massachusetts stakeholders;
2. Data gathering through December 2016 and January 2017, included the following:
   • Additional Massachusetts stakeholder interviews (total: 11);
   • Interviews with other New England state library directors and the COSLA executive director;
   • Online survey of the Massachusetts library community (337 responses);
   • Review of the MBLC’s internal data and documentation;
   • Review of selected national studies and reports on trends impacting libraries.
3. January 2017 site visit by the consultant: day-long retreat of selected MBLC staff and Board members, as well as a diverse group of stakeholders from throughout the Massachusetts library community, and a visioning session with the MBLC staff;
4. March 2017 site visit by the consultant: presentation and facilitated discussion with the MBLC Board, an in-depth working session of the Planning Group, and a follow-up session with the MBLC staff;
5. May 2017 site visit by the consultant: Planning Group meeting to review and revise an advanced draft of the strategic plan, a meeting of MBLC staff to orient them to the plan and to discuss selected aspects of implementation, and a statewide meeting of stakeholders from the library community to orient them to the plan and to identify priorities for joint action;
6. August 2017 presentation of the final strategic plan to the MBLC Board for adoption.

The MBLC Mission

The MBLC is an independent state agency governed by a nine-member Board appointed by the Governor. The mission of the MBLC is as follows:

As the agency of state government with the statutory authority and responsibility to organize, develop, coordinate, and improve library services throughout the Commonwealth, the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) works to provide every person in Massachusetts with full and equal access to outstanding library services, to promote innovation and collaboration, and to position libraries at the center of civic life in their communities.

In the context of the MBLC’s mission, the following vision of Massachusetts libraries and the statewide system of support for libraries represents the MBLC’s broad aspirational definition of success. Below are the inter-related specifics of that vision.

Vision for Massachusetts Libraries

Successful libraries provide equitable and universal access to services, information, collections, and programs; meet a broad multitude of needs in their communities; and are essential to a functioning democracy. The essential characteristics of successful libraries are as follows:

Funding, resources, and programming

Libraries in Massachusetts have a diverse and sustainable funding mix that enables them to: a) recruit, retain, and develop highly qualified staff for all key functions; b) maintain attractive, inviting, accessible, and well-equipped facilities that support quality programming and collections; c) maintain high-quality print, electronic, and digital collections, d) support a comprehensive array of both on-site and online programs and services, and e) effectively and demonstrably meet the needs of a diverse array of individuals, families, businesses, and organizations in their communities;

Community awareness and engagement

Libraries in Massachusetts are widely recognized and valued as high-quality and essential educational, cultural, and social institutions in their communities. Libraries provide print and digital information resources that all their community constituencies understand and value and offer quality programs that have consistently high utilization rates and generate significant positive outcomes for the community.

Strategic partnerships

Libraries in Massachusetts effectively function as part of a statewide system of libraries and library programs. Libraries share resources and collaborate on programs in ways that maximize access to high-quality opportunities for their communities. Further, libraries have a diverse group of local, state, and national partners that enable them to expand their programming into areas such as workforce development, education (early childhood, elementary and secondary, postsecondary, and adult basic education), arts and culture, digital literacy, civic engagement, and preservation and access; thereby positioning them at the very center of civic life in their communities.

Vision for the Statewide System of Support for Libraries

Massachusetts has a multi-faceted infrastructure of library-related organizations and initiatives that provide a wide range of quality services, resources, and support for libraries. Ideally, the entities that comprise that statewide system:

• Function as a coordinated and integrated system in which the MBLC provides strong and proactive leadership;
• Collectively have the full range of expertise necessary to support all library programming and administrative functions at a level that reflects best practice;
• Have clearly defined roles that facilitate maximum barrier-free access by libraries to the system’s resources and support and that maximize the impact of available funding on the quality and sustainability of library services;
• Have shared goals and shared standards and achieve a high level of communication, coordination, mutual understanding, and alignment of effort and investment that demonstrably improves library services;
• Provides libraries with a model of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement that can serve as the standard by which libraries can assess their own performance with regard to service quality, strategic partnerships, and adaptability to the evolving needs of their communities;
• Through a concerted effort to collect and share statewide data about library programming, exemplary programs are recognized, promoted, and replicated.

Note: In the section of the strategic plan entitled “System Coordination and Alignment,” there is a more detailed description of the respective roles and working relationships between and among the organizations that comprise the statewide system of support for libraries.

Guiding Principles for MBLC Programs

As the state agency with overall responsibility for libraries and library support organizations, the MBLC implements its programs, services, and initiatives in the context of a set of overarching guiding principles that, taken together, define the agency’s strategic approach. These guiding principles include:

Providing leadership, setting standards, and fostering innovation

Within the parameters of the relevant state legislation and other regulations, the MBLC is the body that provides leadership for the library community, works with its partners and affiliates to set standards that place Massachusetts libraries and library-related programs squarely within nationally recognized best practices, and fosters innovation and entrepreneurship that maintains and extends Massachusetts’ national leadership in library services.

Developing requirements and processes that ensure quality and equity

As part of its leadership function, the MBLC develops requirements and processes for libraries to access funding and other types of support that are designed to foster quality and equity. For example, the MBLC requires a level of municipal funding before libraries are eligible for state aid, thereby ensuring a level of local commitment and support for the library that enables quality accessible programs. Similarly, the MBLC’s grant funding guidelines support equity by prioritizing expanding services to underserved populations.

Promoting and advocating for library services

The MBLC plays a central role in promoting both local and statewide library programs and services and advocating for libraries and library-related programs with the public, with key partners, and with Massachusetts policy makers and funders. As part of this role, the MBLC provides high quality marketing materials and professionally coordinates campaigns and other types of support for library programs throughout the state in a manner that provides a foundation of tools and techniques that enhance libraries’ branding and marketing activities at the local level.

Providing platforms and infrastructure that enable quality accessible programs

The MBLC provides, manages, and/or supports various online and digital platforms and the related infrastructure for a number of statewide resources and services, thereby freeing up the assets of affiliates and partners at both the statewide and regional levels to focus their energy and funding on creating quality content and programming. As part of this commitment to infrastructure development for the library community, the MBLC makes a major investment in library construction and space planning. (The construction component is described in more detail in the following section of the plan.)

Facilitating collaboration and resource sharing

Through both its direct activities and funded initiatives through affiliate organizations, the MBLC prioritizes regional and statewide collaboration and resource sharing as a strategy for maximizing the impact of and access to the available resources.

Providing a comprehensive clearinghouse function

Through its website and other communications activities, the MBLC serves as a comprehensive source of information about local, regional, and statewide library programs and services, as well as all the information library staff, Trustees, and Friends need to access funding and other support.

Sustainable expansion

Planning for any new programs and initiatives, whether fully within the library community or developed in collaboration with external partners, must include an approach to sustaining those efforts over time and/or beyond an initial cycle of funding. New staff positions, new programs, and/or any expansion of the MBLC’s activities must be implemented with a specific and strategic plan for sustainability. If projects are of fixed duration, they must have implementation plans that include a clear process for conclusion and/or a specific exit strategy.

Program Activities and Initiatives

The MBLC implements, promotes, and advocates for a broad range of programs and services that support quality and equity in library services throughout the Commonwealth. These program activities can be grouped into the following categories, each of which is then described in greater detail:

• Library Advisory and Development
• Direct Funding and Grants for Libraries
• Construction Funding and Advisory
• Funding Statewide and Regional Affiliates to Provide Support Services
• Statewide Resources and Programming for Patrons

Library Advisory and Development

Massachusetts librarians and library staff have access to training, advisory services, continuing education, and professional development from a number of sources. (Note: In the library field, “advisory” is a term of art used to refer to a range of services often described as consulting, technical assistance, coaching, and the like.) The MBLC provides direct training and advisory services to libraries and selected other organizations in a number of key areas, including library management and governance, preservation and disaster preparedness, and services to special populations (these will be described in more detail below). The MBLC also offers training and advisory services with regard to accessing state and federal funding (described in a later section of the plan entitled “Direct Funding and Grants for Libraries”) and library construction and space planning (described in a later section of the plan entitled “Construction Funding and Advisory”).

In addition, the MBLC funds the Massachusetts Library System (MLS) to provide training and advisory services for library staff in a wide range of topics related to library services and programming. Further, the other organizations and programs that comprise the statewide system of support for libraries offer training and advisory services related to accessing their services and resources. (There is more detail on the division of responsibilities and working relationships within the statewide system in the section of the strategic plan entitled “Statewide Coordination and Alignment.”) Finally, library staff have access to a number of local ALA-accredited Library and Information Science master’s degree programs.

The training and advisory services provided by the MBLC to libraries throughout the Commonwealth are described below:

Library management, administration, and governance: The MBLC provides training and consulting (often called “advisory”) to public library directors and administrative staff, municipal officials, Trustees, Friends, and Foundation Boards in a wide variety of topics related to library administration, governance, and support. The topics in which the MBLC directly provides training and advisory services include:

• Orientation to the multi-faceted statewide system of support for libraries;
• Human resource management, financial management, and other library management and administrative functions;
• Requirements and processes for accessing state aid, LSTA, and other funding opportunities (including the federal “e-rate” subsidies for accessing technology and digital content);
• Orientation, training, and advisory services to library Trustees on their roles in governance and oversight of libraries and their legal obligations and responsibilities;
• Training and advisory services to Friends groups and library Foundations regarding their roles in supporting their libraries and additional opportunities for peer sharing and skill building related to those roles.

Preservation and disaster preparedness: Massachusetts has a uniquely wide-ranging and sophisticated statewide preservation program that is a national model. Established in 1988, the program includes the following service components targeting all library types as well as other community-based organizations and institutions:

• An environmental monitoring program that has monitored over 600 institutions to date;
• A Weather Alert distribution list that reaches some 3,000 institutions throughout the Commonwealth and beyond to highlight weather events that could impact collections;
• An education program that offers preservation and archives-related workshops to the staff of libraries, archives, and municipal clerks offices;
• Advisory services regarding potential special projects such as: library and/or town-wide preservation assessments, preservation and conservation of library and archival materials, conserving and digitizing historical resources, and manuscript arrangement and description;
• Close cooperation with the MBLC’s affiliates and other partners to promote preservation activities in all types of libraries, archives, municipal offices, historical societies, and museums;
• Collaborating with other organizations, partners, and groups to train library staff, volunteers, and municipal officials in preparing for and responding to disasters;
• Administration of the MBLC’s Emergency Assistance Program for public libraries. (Note: The MBLC contracts with a disaster recovery vendor, the Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC), to provide services when MBLC staff are unavailable.);
• Informational assistance regarding special collections and archives from small historical societies to large public and academic libraries and museums.

Services to special populations: The MBLC offers training and advisory services to all types of libraries, as well as other community-based organizations and institutions, regarding strategies for establishing, improving, and/or expanding services to various special and traditionally under-served populations. The populations and service models addressed in this component of the MBLC’s training and advisory services include the following:

• Adult learners and low-literacy adults;
• Early literacy and early childhood education providers and parents;
• Immigrant, non-native-English speaking, and other multicultural populations, regarding designing and delivering classes and other services related to English language learning, naturalization and citizenship, and civic engagement;
• Young adults, teens, and “tweens;”
• Incarcerated individuals, and ex-offenders (conducted in collaboration with the Massachusetts Department of Corrections as well as individual correctional institutions);
• Homeless and/or transient populations;
• Schools and other educational organizations regarding STEM programming.

Direct Funding and Grants for Libraries

The MBLC provides direct funding for libraries on two tracks: state aid (funds come from the MBLC’s state legislative appropriation, and are distributed to communities through a formula-based process) and Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grants (funds come from Massachusetts’ federal appropriation, and are awarded to libraries through a competitive grant process). These are described in greater detail below.

State Aid to Public Libraries is an annual, voluntary program administered by the MBLC that distributes local aid to municipalities for public libraries. It encourages municipal support and improvement for public library service, bolsters reciprocal resource sharing among libraries, compensates for differences in municipal funding capacities, and offsets costs to libraries that circulate materials to patrons from other certified municipalities. A municipality and its library must be certified by the MBLC as meeting statutory and regulatory requirements to receive State Aid to Public Libraries funding. To be certified each fiscal year, a municipality and its library must meet its municipal appropriation requirement (MAR), meet minimum standards for free public library service, and submit annual reports and other forms to show compliance. After a municipality is certified to receive State Aid to Public Libraries, the MBLC disburses three awards as follows:

• The Library Incentive Grant (LIG) is disbursed to all certified municipalities based on their population. It encourages municipalities to support and improve public library service.
• The Municipal Equalization Grant (MEG) is disbursed to all certified municipalities using a calculation based on the state lottery formula. This compensates for disparities among municipal funding capacities.
• The Nonresident Circulation Offset (NRC) is disbursed to offset additional costs to municipalities whose libraries circulate materials to patrons of other certified Massachusetts municipalities.

LSTA Grants enhance libraries’ services or support the development of new programs. Each year, the MBLC receives funding from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) under the federal Grants to States program, which is formula-driven and based on state population. LSTA grants support library services in many areas, such as expanded programming for youth, programs for people with disabilities, adult literacy initiatives, preservation, manuscripts arrangement and description, digitization, and professional development activities in areas such as customer service. The MBLC’s specialists provide guidance and feedback throughout the grant process as well as during project implementation. It is important to note that IMLS as the federal funder has a detailed set of data collection and reporting requirements regarding the use of these funds, and the MBLC’s management of LSTA grants is done with a strong emphasis on documentation and accountability.

Construction Funding and Advisory

The Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program (MPLCP) helps communities improve their public library facilities through funding and technical assistance for planning and design and construction of major capital improvement projects. The MPLCP was first funded by a state bond authorization in 1987. Since then, the MPLCP has helped build 47 new library buildings and 168 renovations/additions. The MPLCP also awards planning and design grants to support public libraries as they prepare to apply for a construction grant. MPLCP has awarded 101 planning and design grants. The MBLC’s construction advisory services and funding programs have incentivized environmentally-friendly construction projects. MBLC funding and advisory services has supported libraries to pursue Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED) certification, and those libraries so certified are eligible for additional funding.

The MPLCP has been continuously funded through capital bond bills authorized by the Governor and the Legislature. To be eligible for an MPLCP grant, applicant libraries must be certified by the MBLC as meeting minimum state standards for public library service and must have a long-range plan on file with the Board. Any project funded under the program must meet the projected 20-year needs for library service in the applicant's municipality. Proposals for new buildings and addition/renovations must be based upon a library building program that has been written prior to retaining an architect. Applicants must have local approval to apply for, accept, and expend grant funds as well as approval for the proposed preliminary design, and the local municipality must commit to making the required funding match for any proposal to accept an MPLCP grant award.

Funding Statewide and Regional Affiliates to Provide Support Services

The MBLC supports and oversees a diverse and multi-faceted configuration of organizations and initiatives that provide significant and valued support to all types of libraries throughout Massachusetts. Much of the funding for these organizations and the services they provide is designated in the MBLC’s state legislative appropriation. They are described briefly below and in more detail in a subsequent section entitled, “System Coordination and Alignment.”

Massachusetts Library System (MLS)

The MBLC funds the Massachusetts Library System (MLS) whose mission is as follows: “The Massachusetts Library System, a state-supported collaborative, fosters cooperation, communication, innovation, and sharing among member libraries of all types. The MLS promotes equitable access to excellent library services and resources for all who live, work, or study in Massachusetts.” MLS provides a wide range of continuing education and consulting to all types of libraries, manages delivery as a core element of statewide resource sharing, and collaborates with the MBLC and others on a range of program initiatives including statewide databases, eBook collections, and the Summer Reading Program.

Library for the Commonwealth (LFC)

The MBLC funds the Boston Public Library (BPL) to serve as the Library for the Commonwealth (LFC). As the Library for the Commonwealth, the BPL develops and maintains a statewide digital library that provides access to online media, research materials, multimodal reference services and information delivery, access to historical records and collections, and other resources responding to the informational, cultural, and educational needs of the Commonwealth. LFC’s free digitization activities are implemented in partnership with the Digital Commonwealth, an organization of libraries, museums and other cultural institutions, which is responsible for most of the training related to these statewide digitization services.

Talking Book and Machine Lending Libraries

The MBLC funds the Braille and Talking Book Library (TBL) at the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown and the Talking Book Library at the Worcester Public Library to provide statewide access to library services and materials for the blind, visually impaired, physically disabled, and learning disabled. Perkins serves Eastern and Western Massachusetts, while the Worcester Public Library serves Central Massachusetts. These libraries provide a range of services, including Braille and large print books, audio described DVDs, streaming books and audio newspapers, accessible reference services, audio equipment loan, and on-site assistive technology, as well as training and technical assistance to organizations serving these populations.

Automated Library Networks

MBLC provides funding for nine automated library networks that provide electronic management system for all core library operations, including: the library catalog, the ability to borrow from neighboring libraries, circulation, patron registration and authentication, broadband Internet access, and other mission-critical services. These networks are membership organizations, and receive the majority of their funding in the form of dues from their member libraries. These networks cover the state as follows. Presented with each is their membership at the end of FY2017:

• Cape Libraries Automated Materials Sharing (CLAMS): Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, and Cape Cod Community College (2017 membership: 35 members, of which 34 are public libraries, totaling 38 sites);
• Central/Western Massachusetts Automated Resource Sharing (C/WMARS): most of Central and Western Massachusetts (2017 membership: 152 members, of which 141 are public libraries, totaling 179 sites);
• Fenway Libraries Online (FLO): Academic and special libraries located in Boston and Cambridge. In addition, FLO hosts and provides support for the Commonwealth Catalog. (2017 membership: 10 members, of which none are public libraries, totaling 14 sites);
• The Metro Boston Library Network (MBLN): Boston Public Library system, Malden, Chelsea, and an array of school, special, and academic libraries in the greater Boston area (2017 membership: 21 members, of which 3 are public libraries, totaling 46 sites);
• The Minuteman Library Network (MLN): Public and academic libraries in the Metro West area outside of Boston (2017 membership: 43 members, of which 36 are public libraries, totaling 63 sites);
• The Merrimack Valley Library Consortium (MVLC): Independent public libraries in the greater Merrimack Valley in northeastern Massachusetts (2017 membership: 36 members, of which all are public libraries, totaling 39 sites);
• The North of Boston Library Exchange (NOBLE): Primarily public and academic libraries to the north of Boston (2017 membership: 28 members, of which 17 are public libraries, totaling 36 sites);
• The Old Colony Library Network (OCLN): Public libraries and academics along the south shore of Boston and toward Cape Cod (2017 membership: 29 members, of which 26 are public libraries, totaling 40 sites);
• SAILS: Libraries in southeastern Massachusetts, down to Buzzard's Bay and the Rhode Island border (2017 membership: 63 members, of which 38 are public libraries, totaling 75 sites).

Massachusetts Center for the Book

The MBLC funds the Massachusetts Center for the Book (MCB) which is chartered as the Commonwealth Affiliate of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress and is a public-private partnership charged with developing, supporting, and promoting cultural programming that will advance the cause of books and reading and enhance the outreach potential of Massachusetts libraries. The Center for the Book conducts programs including the Massachusetts Book Awards, Letters About Literature, and supports a variety of literacy programs, and Route 1 Reads.

Statewide Resources and Programming for Patrons

The MBLC, in collaboration with the Massachusetts Library System (MLS), develops, implements, and promotes four statewide initiatives that provide resources and programming for library patrons throughout the Commonwealth. These are:

Commonwealth Catalog

The MBLC funds and coordinates the Commonwealth Catalog (ComCat), a statewide interlibrary loan system that allows library patrons to easily locate and request materials from any of over 400 libraries across the state, members of the nine automated networks, and four state university libraries. Items are delivered to the user’s home library for convenient pick-up and return. ComCat empowers library users, expands access to materials, and significantly reduces the number of more labor-intensive mediated interlibrary loan requests handled by MLS. ComCat is a core part of a statewide discovery solution.

Statewide Databases

The MBLC coordinates and shares costs with MLS to license full-text magazines, newspapers, and encyclopedias for all Massachusetts residents. These materials can be accessed directly from the Massachusetts Library portal (libraries.state.ma.us) and from the websites of libraries and the regional automated networks throughout the Commonwealth. The Massachusetts Libraries public portal gives residents instant free access to thousands of articles from newspapers, magazines, and journals, as well as encyclopedias, academic books, and other reliable research and reference sources.

eBook Collections

The MBLC and the Massachusetts Library System (MLS) co-sponsor the Commonwealth eBook Collection (CeC), a library-driven program working to give Massachusetts patrons easy access to a shared collection of eBooks. Working together, the MBLC and MLS provide an accessible and streamlined user experience, an expanded range of choices for libraries in the marketplace, and a large shared statewide eBook collection that breaks down barriers to resource sharing. (Note: Although this is a collaborative endeavor between the MBLC and MLS, MLS staff play more of a leadership role in this statewide effort.)

Summer Reading Program

Each summer, an average of 400,000 children, teens, and adults participate in summer library programming. Funded by the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and supported by the Boston Bruins, the summer reading program is coordinated collaboratively the MBLC and MLS with programming and staffing support from local libraries. Massachusetts has been part of the national Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) since 2011.

As described earlier, the MBLC oversees and collaborates with a diverse array of organizations and initiatives that comprise Massachusetts’ statewide system of support for libraries. This section of the plan provides some basic information about each of the affiliate organizations or programs, and delineates the division of responsibilities between each of the affiliates and the MBLC. Many of the organizations that comprise the statewide system are independent self-governing entities. The MBLC exercises its oversight role through the development of the plan-of-service agreements required for state funding, the MBLC’s role in approving budget modifications, and through its convening and leadership role that aims to achieve statewide coordination and alignment. The core programmatic focus of those entities was described in earlier sections of the plan. The following chart presents some basic organizational and financial information about each of the affiliates.

Note About Massachusetts Library Association (MLA): MBLC’s affiliate organizations in the above chart are responsible for providing direct services to residents and patrons and/or support services to libraries. When describing the Massachusetts statewide network of library organizations, it is important to include MLA, which serves as the professional association for library staff and a key policy advocacy partner. (Note: There are additional advocacy groups such as Western Mass Library Advocates and other regional groups that are also an important part of the larger statewide library community.) MLA plays a different role than the other affiliates in that it is not a service provider as the others are, and it is not funded by the MBLC. For those reasons, MLA and its relationship to the MBLC is not described at the level of detail the others are in this section of the plan.

Maximizing coordination and alignment among the components of the system is necessary to achieve several objectives: to make the system as user friendly and responsive as possible for libraries; to eliminate duplication and make the most effective use of the available resources; and to establish, to the extent possible, shared goals and priorities so as to maximize the system’s positive impact on libraries’ ability to meet a wide range of needs in their communities. The MBLC has several guiding principles that comprise its approach to system coordination and alignment and that highlight the key elements of the MBLC’s role in the statewide system. These are:

1. Clarity of roles: It is essential for both libraries (who rely on the services of the statewide system) and legislators, who appropriate funds to support it, to have a clear and unambiguous understanding of the roles of each of the components of the system.
2. Cost sharing: Whenever possible, the MBLC will work with one or more affiliates to share the costs of statewide or regional services and initiatives. This can mean co-sponsorship of activities or events, dividing the costs among the participating organizations in appropriate ways, and/or pooling funds to achieve economies of scale. Such cost sharing maximizes the impact of available resources while also advancing the goal of system-wide alignment. (Note: Any cost-sharing arrangement will be developed and implemented in a manner that enables the participation of libraries and networks with minimal or no barriers, especially cost barriers.)
3. Convening for planning and information sharing: The MBLC will act as convener and bring together all the components of the system as a statewide library leadership group for joint planning, information sharing, and accountability. In addition to such statewide/system-wide meetings, MBLC may also convene selected affiliates for planning and coordination regarding specific issues such as eBooks or services to special populations. In addition, the MBLC will take responsibility for sharing information with the affiliates between statewide or subgroup meetings in ways that are complete, concise, and timely.
4. Formal referral processes: The MBLC will often act as the point of contact for libraries seeking services, resources, and support. When making a referral to the appropriate statewide or regional affiliate, the MBLC will have systems and procedures for making a detailed and specific referral, thereby ensuring the requesting library gets the most responsive and targeted assistance.
5. Consistent messaging: The MBLC will work to ensure that all communication about the activities and accomplishments of the statewide system of support for libraries has consistent language and messaging, regardless of the source, and that it reinforces the key concepts at the center of the system’s strategic approach and effectiveness.
6. Coordinated engagement of policy makers: Because the system relies so heavily on public funding, at both the state and federal level, the MBLC will work with the affiliates to ensure that communication with and engagement of legislators and policy makers is conducted in a manner that conveys a strong sense of collaboration, shared goals, and common purpose.

The charts on the following pages present the division of responsibilities and working relationship between the MBLC and its statewide and regional affiliates. Responsibility for several aspects of support for libraries can be shared by two or more entities, potentially creating confusion and barriers to access. These include: eBooks (MBLC, MLS, the Networks), databases (MBLC, MLS, the Networks), inter-library loan (the Networks, Library for the Commonwealth, MLS), and training and advisory services (MBLC, MLS, the Networks). Such joint responsibilities may take the form of cost sharing, statewide vs. regional programming, and/or division of responsibilities by content or topic. While the following charts articulate the division of responsibilities, the MBLC will make a sustained and concerted effort, in ongoing collaboration with its partners in the system, to coordinate the provision of these services to libraries and to have consistent messaging about how libraries can best access these services. (Note regarding the full picture of system coordination and alignment: With regard to some functions specified in the following charts, there are also collaborative relationships and divisions of responsibilities between the affiliates themselves. Where appropriate, those relationships are referenced.)

Libraries provide access to resources and information that are relevant to all aspects of modern life. There is enormous potential for library staff at the local, regional, and state level to target resources and programming to high priority needs specific to their communities in areas including:

• Education (early childhood, elementary, secondary, postsecondary, and adult basic education);
• Workforce development;
• Arts and culture;
• Civic engagement;
• Immigration and naturalization;
• Digital literacy;
• Community development and land use;
• Health and wellness;
• Human services (Note: This is a broad category of services and providers, including, for example, mental health, substance abuse services, youth services, corrections, disability services, and others.);
• Preservation of both general and special collections, archives, and historical materials;
• Legal issues and information.

Libraries and library-related organizations have the potential to support quality services that respond to high priority community needs in a number of ways, including:

1. Providing access to a wide range of information resources (print, online, eBook, databases);
2. Providing reference services and other staff-guided information access;
3. Identifying and assembling relevant resources for specific audiences and/or programs;
4. Making library facilities, equipment, and technology available for programs and events;
5. Providing or hosting training workshops and/or other skill building activities;
6. Conducting promotion and awareness activities regarding available services and resources;
7. Providing preservation information and assistance to extend the long-term viability of collections and historical materials.

In this context, the MBLC will seek to develop partnerships with other state agencies, statewide organizations or associations, and other institutions as vehicles through which to design, fund, and implement initiatives that can provide and/or expand important services to residents, businesses, community-based organizations, and other community institutions.

Guiding principles regarding state-level partnerships: The following guiding principles for state-level partnerships are the preferred characteristics of state-level collaborative projects or initiatives and can also function as criteria for evaluating potential projects.

1. Consistent with the MBLC’s mission and program priorities;
2. Cost sharing, joint sponsorship, and/or collaborative fundraising;
3. Clear roles for the partners;
4. The MBLC’s role is appropriate to its capacity;
5. Clear articulation of the ways in which libraries add value and the best use of library resources;
6. Clear and realistic implementation process and timeline for designing, piloting, evaluating, and scaling projects;
7. Significant constituency of beneficiaries/participants;
8. The program model includes the creation of a permanent/ongoing resource that will live beyond the funded project;
9. Clear goals for outputs and outcomes;
10. The program model integrates evidence-based best practices;
11. Statewide, regional, and/or local libraries or library organizations are engaged and enthusiastic;
12. The implementation and outreach plan enhances libraries’ visibility, community engagement, and stature;
13. Clear assigned responsibility for contact/liaison and clear vehicles for communication and coordination.

The MBLC has a number of existing state-level partnerships that have generated significant value to libraries and communities and provide a foundation for the further development of these types of collaborations. A sampling of these include:

• Boston Bruins: Since 2009, the MBLC has worked with the Boston Bruins as part of the statewide summer reading program. Each summer, a player from the Bruins is selected to be the highly visible spokesperson for the READ campaign. Bruins mascot Blades also travels to libraries around the state for a story time and photo opportunity. The MBLC also works with the Bruins on a PJ drive.
• Department of Children and Families (DCF): Starting in 2017, the MBLC began working with the Department of Children and Families Kids Fund as part of the Annual Bruins PJ Drive. DCF became a recipient of the PJs collected at libraries.
• JFK Library: To mark President Kennedy’s 100th birthday, the MBLC collaborated with the JFK Library and Museum to create materials to be distributed at libraries during the summer.
• Massachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries: Established in 1815, Massachusetts’ fifteen free public Trial Court Law Libraries work with the MBLC, its affiliates, and libraries to provide legal information and resources to the residents.
• Social Law Library: Beginning in 2017, the Social Law Library has partnered with the MBLC to provide all Massachusetts public libraries staff-level access to a wealth of legal research through a set of proprietary databases covering both substantive and administrative law. The Social Law Library is one of the largest legal-research institutions in the country.
• Massachusetts Coalition for Serious Illness Care: The MBLC works with MCSIC to disseminate information encouraging residents of the Commonwealth to have advance care planning conversations with their loved ones and clinicians, and to name a health care agent.
• Massachusetts Archives: The MBLC has worked closely with the Massachusetts Archives and other partners including Coordinated Statewide Emergency Preparedness in Massachusetts (COSTEP MA), the State Historical Records Advisory Board (SHRAB), the Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC), Simmons College, the Massachusetts Municipal Clerks Archives Education Program (MMCARP), and the Massachusetts Town Clerks Association (MTCA) on a variety of projects related to preservation of materials and disaster preparedness.

Reaching out to state-level partners to explore, develop, and implement new collaborative projects will be opportunistic. The MBLC must be poised to develop such projects when circumstances permit, in part by clearly articulating the ways in which the library community (at the local, regional, and/or statewide level) brings resources and adds value to the collaborative project. The MBLC will most likely initiate these conversations first with those potential partners with existing contacts or a history of collaboration. The MBLC will research and identify potential local and national foundation funding opportunities that can seed such efforts and will then bring such opportunities to the prospective partner(s). As part of disseminating the strategic plan, the MBLC will make it known to potential partners that it is seeking to develop these types of projects and will be open and responsive to potential partners initiating discussions of potential collaborative projects.

MBLC has a limited capacity to initiate and manage all such promising collaborative projects. Based on some initial outreach, the MBLC staff will develop priority areas in which to seek these types of partners and projects actively. The MBLC will use the three-year period of the strategic plan to explore these types of relationships, rigorously document the benefits, barriers, and cost-effectiveness of these efforts, and then modify and scale this track of activity. The MBLC will document these efforts by creating reports that describe the process, results, and lessons of the in-depth and sustained planning discussions with each partner (or set of partners) that become engaged at a significant level.

A partial list of potential state-level partners and a sampling of the types of projects that might be explored are shown in the following chart. (Note: In addition to the state-level partnerships and collaborations, the MBLC also has and will continue to develop collaborations, resource sharing arrangements, and other innovative program development opportunities with other state libraries or library-related state agencies in other parts of the country.)