Library Legislative Day

Library Legislative Day is As Important As Ever in 2021!  Virtual sessions were April 6, 7, & 8
Massachusetts Library Association and Massachusetts School Library Association invite you to  join in virtual sessions this April to connect library advocacy and your State Senators and  Representatives. 
Four online sessions will be offered: 
  • April 6, 10:00 a.m. – featuring Western Massachusetts Library Advocates  
  • April 7, 10:00 a.m. – featuring Central Massachusetts Library Advocates 
  • April 8, 10:00 a.m. – featuring libraries from Boston, Metrowest, and North of Boston 
  • April 8, 11:30 a.m. – featuring libraries from South of Boston, the Cape and Islands 

1-hour sessions included: 
  • ∙Welcome and overview  - Jennifer Harris, Co-Chair, MLA Legislative Committee 
  • Regional Welcome & Introduction, WMLA/CMLA (April 6/April 7) 
  • Legislative Agenda Briefing:  James Lonergan, Director, MBLC 
  • MSLA Briefing: Greg Pronevitz, Director of Outreach, MSLA  
  • Remarks from Legislator, member of Library Caucus 
  • Call to Action: Mary Ann Cluggish, Chair, MBLC 
  • Formal session ends, optional overview of Engage software for those who wish to remain on the call 

The legislative priority for the FY2022 budget is to increase State Aid to Public Libraries (Budget  Line 7000-9501) AND keep up with inflation under the remaining budget lines. 

Read  more about the Legislative Agenda. 

Don’t know who your legislators are? Click here to find out. 
Legislation Day 2018 on March 7, 2018 at the Massachusetts State House
Library Legislation Day











​SCHOOL LIBRARY ADVOCATE AWARD 2018
John Palfrey (center) received the MSLA award from MSLA President, Anita Cellucci (left) and Kathy Lowe, MSLA Executive Director (right) at the 2016 Library Legislation Day.

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The Legislative Special Commission on School Library Services in Massachusetts was created by the Massachusetts Legislature in July 2014 to look at equity of access to school library programs in our public schools. The Commission completed its work in March 2018 and presented it to legislators at the 2018 Legislation Day.
The Commission has issued the following report:
*John Palfrey is the Head of School at Phillips Academy in Andover, MA. He also serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Digital Public Library of America, Chairman of the Board of Trustees at the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and is a faculty co-director of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University. His research and teaching focus primarily on Internet law, intellectual property, and the potential of new technologies to strengthen democracies locally and around the world. His most recent book, BiblioTech: Why Libraries Matter More Than Ever in the Age of Google, argues that libraries are more than just book repositories and can become" bulwarks against some of the most crucial challenges of our age: unequal access to education, jobs, and information."  ​
Updated: April 12, 2021                     Page Editor: Ann Perham, MSLA Webmaster aperham@maschoolibraries.org