The Benefits of State Aid
State Aid to Public Libraries = Local Aid to Libraries
Reciprocal Borrowing by Municipality
Over the past year, over 6.4 million items have been shared between libraries in the Commonwealth. With an average item cost of $15, this equates to over $96 million in savings.
State Aid Certified? | Yes | No |
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Residents have access to: |
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Municipalities have access to: |
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Why Staying Certified Matters
- 59 million items from libraries across the state.
- Resources through Library for the Commonwealth at Boston Public Library.
- Statewide research databases.
- Millions of dollars in library construction grants through the MBLC’s Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program.
- Federal grant money for local needs through the MBLC’s Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Grant Program.
- The MBLC’s Small Libraries in Networks program which provides libraries that serve small communities (population under 10,000) with funding to support their network memberships.
- Their library’s own collection.
- Resources through Library for the Commonwealth at Boston Public Library.
- Statewide research databases.
- Nothing
For detailed information on State Aid Requirements, application process, or MAR waivers, please refer to the information on the MBLC website (link opens in a new window).
State Aid Awards
State Aid awards have nearly doubled for most communities in the last decade. Awards for FY2023 were the largest in the program’s history. See the decade comparison for your community (link opens PDF in a new window).
Search State Aid Awards
Find awards from FY2007 to FY2023 (link opens in a new window)
FY 2024 Awards and Certification Status
- Awards - Initial Payment - November 2023 (PDF) (link opens PDF in a new window)
- Awards - Initial Payment - December 2023 (PDF) (link opens PDF in a new window)
- Awards - Initial Payment - January 2024 (PDF) (link opens PDF in a new window)
- Awards - Initial Payment - February 2024 (PDF) (link opens PDF in a new window)
FY2024 Certification Summary
- Of the 351 municipalities in Massachusetts, 350 have public libraries or share public libraries.
- Of the 350 municipalities with libraries, 347 applied for State Aid to Public Libraries.
- Of the 347 that applied, 337 met all requirements and 10 used accommodation not meeting the full hours/materials requirement.
- 5 applied for waivers of the MAR: 1 received additional funding and withdrew which resulted in 4 waivers granted for FY24.
- 347 were certified to receive State Aid to Public Libraries.
State Aid Histories
Histories may be found on the State Aid Annual Report Resource Guide (link opens in a new window) as one of the summary documents for each year.
For more information, please contact:
Jen Inglis, State Aid Specialist
617-725-1860 x227
857-488-6112 (Mobile)
jennifer.inglis@mass.gov (link opens in a new window)
Cate Merlin, Head of State Programs
617-725-1860 X220
857-283-5669 (Mobile)
Cate.Merlin@mass.gov (link opens in a new window)