Western Mass. state legislators discuss their priorities with Springfield library community (WAMC)

State lawmakers and local librarians gathered in Springfield, Massachusetts on Friday to discuss funding, digital equity and more.

February 26, 2024
View full article at WAMC Northeast Public Radio | By James Paleologopoulos

Advocates for public libraries across western Massachusetts met with lawmakers as the two groups sat down for a special “Library Legislative Breakfast” at Springfield’s Brightwood Branch Library.

There, legislators representing parts of Hampden County and the surrounding area listened to the needs of the region’s libraries – while also presenting their own work on Beacon Hill.

Organizations such as the library sharing network, Central and Western Massachusetts Automated Resource Sharing or “CW MARS,” and the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners made their case for increased funding.

For fiscal year 2025, the MBLC’s legislative agenda requests a total of $51.4 million for multiple line items – a year-over-year increase of $4 million.

That includes direct, local aid for public libraries, as well as funding that assists groups such as CW MARS in their own operations, connecting their member libraries with others to allow patrons to reserve and take out books across western and central Massachusetts.

Executive Director Jeanette Lundgren says library users will be able to access the system in a new way in early March.

“We’re rolling out a new online catalogue – this will be a new front-end to the catalogue that will help promote discoverability of both our online and physical content, and provide more opportunities for our libraries to interact and connect with their patrons,” Lundgren said.

According to Lundgren, the over 150 public library systems taking part in CW MARS have access to nine million items in its shared catalogue, including 2.4 million “e-items” such as ebooks and audiobooks, which were at the center of a much-discussed piece of legislation Friday.

Throughout the lineup of guest speakers, both lawmakers and librarians referred to House Bill 3239 — An Act empowering library access to electronic books and audiobooks.

MBLC Commissioner Vicky Biancolo says when it comes to negotiating with publishers, libraries are unable to purchase digital books and audiobooks the same way as consumers, and are instead forced to pay figures that can be at least triple the cost.

In one instance, Biancolo described how an audiobook with a consumer price tag of $15 would end up costing a library $130 for a two-year license.

It’s a costly endeavor for libraries across the commonwealth, especially when the digital editions are in high demand and library waitlists only appear to be getting longer.

“Networks have doubled what they spend on ebooks and audio books and wait times, can be 60-90 days up to six months I’ve heard for some titles,” Biancolo said. “We just can’t keep pace with demand – it just is continuing – this is – never ending.”

The commissioner encouraged the lawmakers in attendance to support the bill, which was filed by Democratic Representative Ruth Baler of Newton. The legislation calls on the state’s consumer protection laws to force publishers to use fairer practices when negotiating with libraries.

Another piece of legislation highlighted included a bill to better protect librarians from an onslaught of book challenges, championed by State Senator Jake Oliveira of Ludlow and State Representative Aaron Saunders of Belchertown.

Libraries across Massachusetts are seeing a steady uptick in book challenges, in addition to thousands of complaints, which Oliveira says often target communities of color and those who identify as LGBTQ+.

“We need to push back against that – that’s why we need your help – to get these bills over the finish line,” the senator said as the group of book lenders before him broke out in applause.

Among other functions, the bill would require libraries to adopt the American Library Association’s “Library Bill of Rights” to be eligible for state funding.

The Bill of Rights holds that “materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.” It would also establish a “Book Access Fund” for localities challenging book bans.

A similar piece of legislation geared toward public school libraries was filed by Sen. Julian Cyr of Truro and Rep. John Moran of Boston.

Also highlighted at the meeting was funding for the “Massachusetts Center for the Book,” which offers family literacy programming in gateway cities.

Speaking with WAMC, Springfield State Senator Adam Gomez emphasized the importance of events such as Friday’s, adding it’s vital to listen to librarians, who are deeply embedded in their communities.

“Keep our ears open, make sure that we are listening to the advocates that are actually doing the work when it comes to our communities, especially these free spaces, our branches and libraries which are community centers and also, I would say, a place where imagination is created,” Gomez said.

More information on the MBLC’s legislative agenda can be found here.

New Library Catalog

Our library catalog has been upgraded to bring you a better online browsing experience.

Starting March 4, 2024, you may notice several new features when you’re searching the library’s online catalog. The new catalog includes search suggestions, spell check, and grouped records to make finding your next read easier than ever before!

What’s staying the same?

Your account will not change at all. You can log in with the same library card number and PIN/password. All of your current checkouts and holds will carry over to the new system. Your lists and reading history can be imported from the old catalog when you log in.

If you have any difficulty accessing your account in the new catalog, please contact the reference desk for assistance, at (413) 263-6828 ext. 213 or via ask@springfieldlibrary.org

What’s changing?

  • One of the biggest changes is that ebooks and audio books from Libby and Hoopla are fully integrated in the new catalog. You can place holds for electronic resources right in the catalog, and your app will update accordingly.
  • There are numerous changes to the appearance. Your lists and account details may look different, due to the way our content will be displayed in the new catalog.
  • The new search function is more user-friendly. You will not need to be as precise, and you may find that you need assistance from librarians less often. We are always happy to help, but this change is designed to empower patrons to find items independently.
  • You may notice links directing you to databases and other digital resources.

What else do I need to know?

Please excuse any broken links you may find on springfieldlibrary.org for the duration of March. Our search bar and many links to books or book lists need to be updated manually.

Springfield library to host Freedom Stories of the Pioneer Valley event (The Reminder)

Stories of Black men and women living in Springfield and the surrounding areas in the 1700s and 1800s will be shared during an upcoming event with Cliff McCarthy, an archivist from the Springfield Museums’ Library and Archives.

PLEASE NOTE: This program has been rescheduled for February 17, 2024 at 11:00 AM. Please register on our event calendar.

January 31, 2024. Full story on The Reminder.

SPRINGFIELD — Stories of Black men and women living in Springfield and the surrounding areas in the 1700s and 1800s will be shared during an upcoming event with Cliff McCarthy, an archivist from the Springfield Museums’ Library and Archives.

The Freedom Stories of the Pioneer Valley will take place on Feb. 3 in the Mason Square Library Branch community room from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

Because Springfield Central Library is located on the quad with the museums, there is a close relationship between the two.

Springfield City Library Training and Programming Librarian Elizabeth McKinstry said, “Cliff McCarthy, who works in the library archives over at the history museum has been participating [and] working on research on this for a long time but also participated in this community history project called documenting the early history of Black lives in the Connecticut River Valley.”

McCarthy told Reminder Publishing that he plans to share stories of African American men and women who achieved their freedom in extraordinary ways. “All of them lived locally, but each of these stories reflects an important aspect of our nation’s history regarding Black Americans. I will also be highlighting a recent project that is enabling researchers to learn more about them and others, by diving deep into local archives to find the evidence of their lives,” he said.

This is the first time this event will take place at Springfield, although other area libraries have hosted it in the past.

“It’s all about remembering these people and their stories. When you say their names and tell their stories, we assure their lives will never be forgotten, again,” McCarthy said.

When researching this topic, McCarthy discovered information that interested him. “Jupiter Richards was a patriot who fought in the American Revolution before coming to Springfield and finding work in the Springfield Armory. He was convicted of stealing a small amount of grain and was given a fine by the court, which he couldn’t pay. What happened to him next, will probably break your heart. These stories are extraordinary, often unknown, and give us perspective on the lives of Black people then and now,” he said.

He went on to say that the story that first got him interested in these narratives is the rescue of Angeline Palmer — a story he will not likely tell on Feb. 3. “Angeline was a free-born Black child “bound out” to work in the home of a white Belchertown couple. When the couple moved to [the] state of Georgia, they planned to take Angeline with them and sell her into slavery. The scheme was discovered by some young men in Amherst, who went to Belchertown and snatched her from her home and sent her into hiding. The young men were convicted and did time in the Northampton jail, but never disclosed her whereabouts,” McCarthy said.

In addition to this event, McKinstry said Maggie Keane, a reference librarian at the Central Library, has been doing an “extremely popular” series of local history events. At the East Forest Park Branch Library, Keane shared the history of a Springfield female bootlegger during the time of prohibition.

McKinstry noted that there will be an event in March about the history of women’s basketball and in April, there is an event like the Freedom Stories of the Pioneer Valley, which shares genealogy ancestry about connecting to your roots.

“The library is for everybody,” McKinstry said. “We reflect that in our history programs and we’re very excited to be doing more presentations on local history and genealogy because people love that and we encourage them to come to the library.”

At the Springfield Central Library in particular, McKinstry said they offer help for people looking for information on local history and have “a good collection” and librarians that specialize in helping people in requests looking for that information.

During February — Black History Month — there will be an author event that takes place every Thursday from 3:30-4:30 p.m. at the Brightwood Branch. The series — designed for children and their parents — will include stories and poetry.

In terms of adult programming, the Freedom Stories of the Pioneer Valley is the largest event.

To learn more, visit springfieldlibrary.org/library.

Springfield officials take steps to improve 91-year-old East Springfield Library branch (Masslive.com)

The city will upgrade the East Springfield Library, saying the busy branch has not seen major improvements since it opened in 1932.

SPRINGFIELD – The city will upgrade the East Springfield Library, saying the busy branch has not seen major improvements since it opened in 1932.

“We want to make sure our library has the capacity to serve the community for the next 30 years,” said Kathy Brown, president of the East Springfield Neighborhood Council.

The council started talking about rebuilding or expanding and renovating the building on Osborne Terrace around 2014, but the first community meeting to start the process was held around 2019. That came just as the new $9.5 million East Forest Park Library, built with the help of a $4.9 million state grant, was completed.

Springfield City Library officials last week petitioned the City Council for approval to apply for a Massachusetts Public Library construction grant that will help pay for the project. It also requested a $150,000 transfer from the city’s capital project fund to cover initial planning costs.

“It doesn’t meet the standards of a 21st-century library. We can’t provide the services that we can provide at other libraries,” said Molly Fogarty, director of the Springfield library system.

It is the only Springfield library that has never seen substantial renovations and it needs them. It measures about 3,000 square feet on two levels, but the only level that is accessible to the disabled is 2,200 square feet, she said.

‘Over a decade’

“The neighborhood has been working on this for over a decade,” said City Councilor Michael Fenton, who represents the East Springfield area. “It requires substantial improvements and maintenance. It is the library that probably has received the least improvements in the city.”

Brown said the library, located in the middle of a residential neighborhood and between the busy streets of Carew and Page Boulevard, gets a lot of use.

Libraries are far more today than just books, she said. The neighborhood needs enough space for computers for adults and students who want a place to do homework. It also needs a private meeting room and an area for remote meetings and children’s programming.

The council is asking people to fill out a survey about what the library needs to offer now. It can be found online at tinyurl.com/surveyESB. There are paper forms available at the branch, but Brown encouraged people to answer the survey online if possible because it saves members from having to type in the answers.

Planning is in the preliminary stages, so no decisions have been made on the project, including whether the building should be renovated and expanded, torn down and replaced or a new one constructed in a different location.

The City Council voted 13-0 on both proposals that would start the process to improve the library.

“This is a great project, the neighborhood really deserves it,” City Councilor Tracye Whitfield said.

Read more at Masslive.com

Summer Reading Club – Thank you!

Thank you for participating in our 2023 Discover Your Summer Reading Challenge. Check out a list of our winners!

We challenged you to read 20 minutes a day from June 20-August 26, and whether you made time to read for one day or every day, it’s an accomplishment worth celebrating!

Every participant who completed the challenge was entered into a drawing for their age group. Here are this year’s winners:

Young Children

Mike G., Nathanael W., and Syracuse P. each won an Elmo book and plush toy.

Kids

Marika B., Julian W., and Harper M. each won a LEGO set.

TEENs

Serenity M., Jacob H., and Enya E. each won a gift card.

ADULTs

Jim W., Eileen M., and Ziona Y each won a gift card for groceries.

Congratulations to our winners, and thank you all for participating!

Springfield residents meet candidates ahead of municipal election (WWLP)

Election season is here for the city of Springfield, and Wednesday night residents had the chance to get to know the candidates a little better.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Election season is here for the city of Springfield, and Wednesday night residents had the chance to get to know the candidates a little better.

The Springfield City Library hosted the meet-and-greet for candidates in Springfield’s municipal election. This as early voting is currently underway for the preliminary election for mayor, city council at-large, and Ward 6.

Voters there telling us its important to make future city leaders accessible to residents. “They can come here and talk to the incumbent and somebody running against the incumbent, and say “how are you going to address this situation in my neighborhood?” And they can decide for themselves who will represent them better,” says Assistant Director for Public Services at Springfield City Library, Jean Canosa Albano.

The preliminary election for Springfield is Tuesday, September 12th.

Click through to watch the video!

Meet & Greet Candidates for Mayor and City Council

The Springfield City Library is partnering with the City’s Election Commission to offer residents an opportunity to meet candidates for local elections.

SPRINGFIELD, MA – AUGUST 2023 – The Springfield City Library is partnering with the City’s Election Commission to offer residents an opportunity to meet candidates for local elections. Participants can bring their concerns, ask questions, and hear directly from candidates at the free event planned for the Mason Square Branch Library, located at 765 State Street in Springfield, on Wednesday, August 30th from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The library will be closed for regular business but the doors on State Street and Monroe Street will be open for attendees to access the branch’s community room.

While at the event, people can also check their voter status, find out where their polling place is and register to vote. The program is timed to allow people to get registered before the deadline for the September 12th preliminary election; municipal elections are scheduled for November 7th.

“Typically, most of the attention is paid to November elections. But some races have drawn so many candidates that there is a preliminary election for those seats. The outcome in September for those races will determine which candidates will make it onto the ballot in November, making this event a critical one for voters to speak one-on-one with the candidates and choose among them. As former President Barack Obama recently noted in an open letter to library workers across the nation, libraries ‘provide spaces where people can come together, share ideas, participate in community programs, and access essential civic and educational resources. Together, library workers help people become informed and active citizens, capable of making this country what they want it to be.’ This is the goal of the Meet the Candidates event,” said Assistant Director for Public Services Jean Canosa Albano, leader of the Springfield City Library’s Civic and Community Engagement Team.

Partnering with Springfield City Clerk and Election Commissioner Gladys Oyola means that this event can be one-stop shopping for residents: learn about all the races and the candidates, and make sure you are registered to vote at the same time. Oyola added: “We will run a mock election at the event so voters can practice filling out a mock ballot and feeding it into the voting machine. We want everyone to feel comfortable when they go to the polls on September 12th.”

If you are working on a campaign and haven’t responded yet or missed the invitation, please contact Jean Canosa Albano at 413-263-6828, ext. 291.

Founded in 1857, the Springfield City Library provides nearly 5000 educational and recreational programs per year. To learn more, visit www.springfieldlibrary.org.

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For more information on this event, visit our Facebook page!

Springfield high school yearbooks available online (WWLP)

The free catalog offers Springfield high school yearbooks dating back as far as the 1900s. Since August 2022, the library has collected more than 400 yearbook donations.

Check out the story from WWLP

July 18, 2023:

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – The Springfield City Library launched its high school yearbooks online.

The free catalog offers Springfield high school yearbooks dating back as far as the 1900s. Since August 2022, the library has collected more than 400 yearbook donations.

If you have a yearbook from Springfield, consider donating it to be digitalized in the library’s archive. According to the Springfield City Library’s website, the following high school yearbooks have not yet been donated:

Conservatory of the Arts
John J. Duggan Academy
Liberty Preparatory Academy
Pope Francis Catholic School
Springfield High School (1828-1840)
Springfield High School of Science and Technology (1996-present)
Springfield Public Day High School
The Springfield Renaissance School

Reference Librarian Maggie Keane said, “We’ve received over 400 yearbook donations, with around 250 unique items – the response has been tremendous! But it won’t end there – we’re still actively seeking donations, especially from later decades and missing years. We’ve also learned a lot about digitizing collections with Digital Commonwealth, and look forward to adding more local Springfield materials over time.”

Collecting the yearbooks from members of the community has proven to be a very heartwarming and nostalgic experience for everyone involved and the librarians working on the project have enjoyed hearing the stories behind why people chose to donate either their own yearbooks or yearbooks of loved ones.

Deborah Smith of Springfield donated to the library’s collecting stating, “As someone who has done a lot of genealogy research over the years, I know how helpful, and interesting, high school yearbooks can be. I was most pleased to donate two books from the 1940’s that belonged to my late husband’s aunts, and hope they prove useful to someone.”

Candyce Carlon, of Rochester NH, sent the library her mother’s yearbooks in the mail. “My mom loved her time at Technical High School, and she would be thrilled to know that the yearbooks she treasured could contribute to your project.”

Robert Sarnacki, of West Springfield, donated the 1963 Tech Tiger yearbook that belonged to his brother Tom. “I was happy to hear I could donate the yearbook, rather than it ending up chopped up somewhere. I always figured someone somewhere could get some use out of it. I would be a terrible waste not to do what the library is doing.”

A man in France was looking for his mother’s 1931 graduation photo from her senior yearbook from the High School of Commerce, he said, “Seeing my mother’s image, as well as her many school activities, brought tears to my eyes.”

Additional high school memorabilia is on display at the Central Library located at 220 State Street in Springfield including early edition yearbooks, class photos, newspaper articles, varsity letters, class superlatives, and more.

Visit Springfield MA High School Yearbooks to see the collection

Mayor Sarno Recognizes our Springfield City Libraries During National Library Week

April 24th marks National Library Workers Day. Thank you to all our dedicated Springfield Library workers for your tremendous service.

April 25, 2023:

Happy Library Workers Day!

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and the City of Springfield are proud to join with Library Director Molly Fogarty, Deputy Director Jean Canosa Albano and our Springfield City Library team to celebrate National Library Week this year from April 23 – 29, 2023. Make sure to visit your library this week, or even check out a new library you’ve never been to. Find all Springfield library locations and hours here: Locations and Hours – Springfield City Library (springfieldlibrary.org)

There is a lot to celebrate when it comes to our libraries which are a hub for free access to information and technology, social and civic engagement, and support of personal enrichment, well-being, and lifelong learning. Today, April 24th, marks National Library Workers Day. Thank you to all our dedicated Springfield Library workers for your tremendous service. We can all show gratitude to a Springfield City Library worker who “shines” by nominating a stellar library worker for the American Library Association’s Galaxy of Stars by completing a brief nomination form at  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SubmitAStarforNLWD

Mayor Sarno states, “Our libraries and library employees are truly a wonderful and valuable resource for our community. From the leadership with Director Molly Fogarty and Deputy Director Jean Canosa Albano to each and every member of our library staff, we are extremely proud and grateful for our library system across the city and the important role they play in our community. This week especially, let us all take a moment to recognize how important our libraries and library employees are to our Springfield. They have so much to offer – remember, it’s all yours, just ask!”

Read more at the City website.

Springfield City Library collecting pajamas for Boston Bruins drive (WWLP)

The Springfield City Library has partnered with the Boston Bruins to take part in the Bruins PJ drive that benefits children. The drive runs through March 15 at all nine library locations in the city.

Check out the story and video from WWLP

March 1, 2023:

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP)– The Springfield City Library has partners with the Boston Bruins to take part in the Bruins PJ drive that benefits children through the Department of Children and Families’ (DCF) Wonderfund and Cradles to Crayons.

The PJ drive runs through March 15 at all nine library locations in the city. They are looking for new pairs of pajamas for babies, children and teenagers.

“It’s hard to imagine that so many kids and teens don’t know the comforting feeling of putting on PJs before settling down to sleep. We’re happy to be part of an effort to change that” said Jean Canosa Albano, Assistant Director of the Library.

The goal of the PJ drive is to collect 5,000 pairs of new pajamas. DCF is estimated to be working with agency that assist more than 50,000 babies, children and teenagers.

The Bruins PJ drive began during the 2007-08 hockey season with Forward P.J. Axelsson and his wife Siw as a way to give back to the community. Since 2014, libraries across the state have joined in on the effort and have collected over 53,000 pairs of pajamas since.

For more information, visit Bruins PJ Drive website.