The following information is provided from the MA Board of Library Commissioner’s web site:
“The Closure of a Public Library
The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners considers any municipality that closes its main public library or ceases offering library service to the public for any reason other than the undertaking of a project to improve library services (such as construction, automation preparation or inventory) or the occurrence of a natural catastrophe (including a limited emergency closing due to illness or death) to be, as of the date of that termination of service, no longer a certified participant in the State Aid to Public Libraries program.
The Commissioners will confirm the municipality's loss of certification at their next regularly scheduled Board meeting.
Once the municipality has lost certification, it cannot be recertified as meeting the minimum standards of public library service for State Aid to Public Libraries (as set forth in MGL c.78, s. 19A and 19B, 605 CMR 4.0, and current budget language) until the municipality's library has been meeting the standards for one complete fiscal year (July 1 through June 30) and proper application for State Aid to Public Libraries is made to the Board of Library Commissioners.
When a public library is not certified...
1. The noncertified municipality and its library will not receive any State Aid to Public Libraries monies (M.G.L. c.78, s.19A).
2. Libraries in certified municipalities are not required to lend library materials to the library in the noncertified municipality (605 CMR 4.01 (6a)).
3. Libraries in certified municipalities are not required to extend reciprocal library services, beyond in-library use of their materials, to residents of the noncertified municipality (605 CMR 4.01 (6b)).
4. The library will not receive support through the Small Libraries in Networks Program.
5. The municipality is not eligible to apply for funds under the Public Library Construction Program (605 CMR 6.05 (1)(c)), and any existing grant will be invalidated because the library must maintain eligibility throughout the construction process in order to receive grant funds (605 CMR 6.09(7)(b)).
6. The library will not be eligible to apply for grants under the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) program.”
According to the above state regulations, the Gardner Library has posted the following statement:
“To Our Hubbardston Patrons
We have received word…that the preliminary town of Hubbardston budget for the next fiscal year has zeroed out all funding for the Hubbardston library. If the Hubbarston Library closes it means that as of its closing date you will not be able to check out items from this library and many other libraries in the commonwealth. In addition, you will not be able to borrow items through network transfer and have them delivered her or to most other C/WMARS libraries.
If these services are important to you and your family, your support of the library should be expressed to your town officials as soon as possible.”
At this writing, Holden and Worcester libraries have indicated the same will be true for Hubbardston patrons trying to use those libraries.
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