Overview
During the COVID-19 Pandemic, the MBLC was granted additional funds under both the CARES Act (2020) and American Rescue Plan Act (2021).
American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Programs
In March 2021, the ARPA allocated additional funds to IMLS for the support of museums and libraries. The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) continues to evaluate how to best use funding provided via ARPA to support Massachusetts libraries and the people they serve.
CARES Act Grant Programs
In April 2020, the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) received CARES Act funding from IMLS to support Massachusetts libraries and the people they serve. These funds were expended on a variety of projects, including eBooks for schools, summer reading software for public libraries, and virtual programming support for public libraries.