“A library is a living force for education and culture,” said Commissioner Karen Traub. “On behalf of the Board of Library Commissioners, I congratulate Littleton on this achievement.”

The old Reuben Hoar Library was part of a shared town complex housed in a former school building. The brand-new standalone building sits behind the former site. It includes a larger children’s room and dedicated young adult space, quiet study rooms, community meeting space, a local history room, and space for reading that overlooks the wooded area behind the library. The new building is also fully accessible, and expands the library’s footprint from 16,000 sq. ft. to 23,000 sq. ft.

In addition to the MPLCP grant and funding from the town, the Friends of the Library raised $1 million from 498 local businesses and residents who donated. Littleton Town Administrator Anthony Ansaldi called the library, “A beautiful facility that residents of Littleton will enjoy for generations to come.”

The MPLCP was first funded by a state bond authorization in 1987. Since then, it has helped more than 250 communities plan, build, renovate and/or expand their public libraries. MPLCP projects are currently underway in the following communities:  Grafton, Marlborough, Medford, Sharon, and Sherborn. Projects in Dartmouth, Erving, Hadley, Norwell, Roxbury, and Weymouth were recently completed.

You can find out more about the program on the MBLC website and the Building Literacy podcast.

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Thousands of Massachusetts residents rely on libraries for internet access. There were an average of 15,000 internet sessions every day in public libraries during 2019.

When COVID-19 hit and many libraries closed their doors, patrons were left without the internet access they needed to participate in remote schooling and telework.  Libraries stepped up with outdoor library Wi-Fi, but a more user-friendly solution was needed, especially during the winter months.  

“Access to reliable internet is an issue of economic, educational, and social equity,” said MBLC Director James Lonergan. “Our statewide hotspot program allows residents to participate in telehealth, remote classes, telework, apply for a job or any other internet related activity in their own home or wherever they feel most comfortable.”

Using $1.5 million in funding from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the MBLC has developed and is coordinating the statewide program which has dispersed 3,000 hotspots to more than 200 public libraries. The MBLC has created a hotspot map to help users find a library near them where they can borrow one.

“Because we are a small library, the monthly cost of hotspots is prohibitive. The MBLC hotspot lending program has made 10 new hotspots available for patron use,” said Lisa Cheever, Director of Blackstone Public Library. “This allows us to reach the underserved in our community and those affected by the digital equity gap. Paired with the library’s laptop lending program, this Internet access will not only allow patrons to access much needed data and information for school and work, but also alleviate the isolation individuals are still experiencing post pandemic.” 

Mobile Wi-Fi hotspots connect to cellular data the same way a smart phone does to create a secure and reliable internet connection. Hotspots through the statewide program can connect up to 10 devices. Libraries have set their own borrowing requirements but in most cases all that is needed to check out a hotspot is a library card and that the patron be at least 17 years old.

“The hotspots are so easy to use. Once you turn them on – they have the network name and the password right on the menu. I also love how we can mobilize them when the power goes out. Patrons are happy with internet they can take everywhere, giving them access to school, work and entertainment,” said Kelly Depin, Director of Whelden Memorial Library in West Barnstable.

The MBLC will fund the program through September 2022. After that libraries may opt to take over the service if they are able. The MBLC has made state funding to libraries through budget line 7000-9501 a priority in the legislative agenda so that libraries may have the funds needed to continue the hotspot program. More information about this service is available for residents.

While the hotspot program expands internet access for some residents, the MBLC continues to work towards more widespread permanent solutions and has supported efforts by the Massachusetts Broadband Institute and OpenCape to ensure that public libraries in underserved areas can offer broadband and Wi-Fi to their residents.

In addition to statewide hotspot lending, the MBLC has used federal ARPA and CARES Act funds through the Institute of Museum and Library Services to develop  innovative programs that help libraries, residents, and communities find long-term solutions to challenges that surfaced during the COVID-19 pandemic. The MBLC has also provided grants to libraries in hard-hit communities, increased funding to the statewide ebook and audiobook program, and coordinated training in teen mental health support for librarians.

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At its October board meeting, the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) approved $500,000 in grants to support 9 major library networks across the state.  The money will be used to purchase eContent for the Library eBook and Audiobook (LEA) program.

LEA gives Massachusetts residents access to eBooks, audiobooks, and other digital content from 377 participating libraries across the Commonwealth. This statewide system allows eContent to be shared in a similar way to physical materials, opening up access that was previously unavailable for eBooks and audiobooks.

The state-funded grants directly support the growing demand for ebooks and audiobooks across the Commonwealth, including during the pandemic when checkouts through LEA jumped 40%.

In a recent patron survey, when asked which library services most interested them (they could choose more than one), users ranked borrowing eContent (55%) and borrowing print books (56%) essentially equal as the top library service. Since 2018, to keep pace with demand, networks have more than doubled their spending on eContent that can be shared across the state.

In addition to the eContent grants, Commissioners also approved $94,000 in LEA Platform grants which offset the fee networks pay to use OverDrive, the software and app that delivers the eContent for LEA. This is the third year that the content grants have been made available. Grant awards are listed below.

The MBLC, Massachusetts Library System, automated networks and local libraries have been working to increase residents’ access to eBooks for nearly a decade. However, eBook and audiobook access through public libraries is often constrained by publisher restrictions, such as pricing, how many copies libraries can get, and how long libraries have to wait after the book is released to the general public.

Some titles are not available to libraries at all. In an effort to ensure public access to eContent, Massachusetts Representative Balser has filed HD4418, An Act modernizing library access to electronic books and digital audiobooks.

Funding for the LEA Content Grant is possible through the MBLC’s Library Technology and Resource Sharing budget line, line 7000-9506, and is one of several grants available to automated sharing networks through this line. LEA Platform grants are made possible by the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services.

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“Frontline library staff work with teens, many of whom have been negatively impacted by COVID-19 and a year of social distancing.” said Lyndsay Forbes, Project Manager and Grants Specialist at the MBLC. “This program has equipped librarians to form part of a support network for teens as they process their experiences and begin post-pandemic life.”

Youth Mental Health First Aid helps adults who work with youth to recognize, support, and refer youth who may be experiencing mental health challenges or may be in crisis, for professional mental health services. It gives individuals who work with youth the skills they need to provide initial support to adolescents (ages 12-18) and help connect them to the appropriate care.

The trainings cover signs and symptoms of mental illness in this age group including anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and signs of substance abuse.

The MBLC and Walker Cares offered 10 sessions with two set aside exclusively for school librarians. First round sessions were filled within 24 hours. “I highly recommend this program for other school librarians – we are in an excellent position to provide mental health first aid to our students who need it,” said one librarian.

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For the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC), which has been working to increase access particularly in rural areas since the 1990s, this wasn’t new information. The MBLC has previously supported efforts by the Massachusetts Broadband Institute, OpenCape, and CapeNet to ensure that public libraries in underserved areas can offer broadband and Wi-Fi to their residents. 

Even before the pandemic, many residents relied on libraries for internet access. In fact, statewide statistics show that every minute there were 28 pubic library internet sessions. When libraries had to close their buildings due to COVID, outdoor library Wi-Fi access became a way for many to continue working and participating in school.

As Deb O’Brien, public library director in New Marlborough, noted, “The library parking lot is filled with cars lately, pretty much all of the time, with residents and others using our Wi-Fi.  People are running extension cords from their vehicles to our electric outlets, some are setting up lawn chairs in the bed of their pickup trucks; even children are sitting in backseats of cars ostensibly trying to do their school work.”

While nearly 100% of public libraries offer Wi-Fi for walk-in users, not all offer a signal that can be used outdoors or when the library is closed. “With COVID , the library’s internet service became even more crucial just at the very moment when access to the building itself –along with its public computers– is closed to the public or severely restricted.  We needed to understand what libraries are offering, and encourage 24*7 availability,” said MBLC Library Information Systems Specialist Paul Kissman. 

The MBLC surveyed public libraries to determine which offered outdoor Wi-Fi, and when. So far, about half of the 370 public libraries have responded, almost all (89%) indicating that they have outdoor Wi-Fi. To make it easy for residents to find a library near them the MBLC has developed a Public Library Outdoor WIFI Map. Residents can browse the map, or enter their location to find libraries near them with offering outdoor Wi-Fi. The map also lets users know if a library PIN is needed, any necessary login information, and where the best signal is located.

Enabling and strengthening outdoor Wi-Fi, or leaving the signal on all night, is one of the many ways that libraries have adapted services even while their buildings are closed.  It is a stop-gap, partial solution that nevertheless incrementally helps bridge the digital divide for all residents, in all types of communities, not just communities lacking robust internet. Libraries are the public community anchor institution where connecting residents to the internet is not a convenience; it is central to their mission.

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