News – Children – Springfield City Library

Plans for new East Springfield Library Branch submitted to state

Designs for a new building are complete.

SPRINGFIELD – The city has moved one step closer to replacing the East Springfield Branch Library. Designs for a new building are complete.

“We submitted the preliminary schematic and related documents last week to the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. They are all under review now,” said Jean M. Canosa Albano, assistant director for public services for Springfield City Libraries.

A year ago, the state board awarded the city a $100,000 planning and design grant and the City Council matched it with $150,000 in funding. The state award came with a promise for a future construction grant.

For the past year, library officials, the architect and East Springfield Neighborhood Council have worked with the state to develop a design. It includes a floor plan for a library that will meet the needs of the neighborhood and fit state requirements and local needs, said Kathy Brown, president of the East Springfield Neighborhood Council.

Initially, city officials expected to expand and renovate the existing building on Osborne Terrace. That has changed to a plan to tear down the existing building and replace it with a new library.

“We looked at everything and with the current building codes, it was not possible,” Brown said.

The plan now is to build a new library that will measure between 8,000 and 9,000 square feet. The current library is just 3,100 square feet in size and is mostly one room. Creative uses of bookcases and furniture divide the room into sections for computers and a children’s area.

There were concerns the lot, which measures about 0.4 acres, would be too small for a new larger building. But by using all the available property, the architect made it fit — and even included a parking lot that will have about eight spaces. Now, all parking is on the street, Brown said.

“We looked for another location in the neighborhood heavy and hard, but there were none,” she said.

Plans call for a one-story building that will have separate spaces for a children’s room, a computer room and a small office for staff. They include a community room with a separate entrance that can be locked off from the rest of the library so it can be used when the branch is closed.

It was a challenge to fit in all the amenities library users thought were needed. A community room was especially wanted, since there are few meeting places in the area, Brown said.

There is no official cost for the project since full architect drawings are not complete. One estimate puts it at $9.5 million.

Local Food and Assistance Programs

Community food resources that are available to assist households in and around Springfield.

This page compiles food resources and information that will be most useful for Springfield residents. For statewide resources, the Commonwealth is maintaining a page at Mass.gov/SNAPFreeze.

Springfield food programs

This document lists food banks, pantries, and meal programs in Springfield, with their location, phone number, and schedule. Printed copies of this list are available at the library.

Springfield Food Programs Download

For options outside Springfield, visit Hampden County Food Programs.

Brown Bag Program- for seniors

Program by the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts

The Brown Bag Program provides a free bag of groceries once a month for people over the age of 55 who meet certain income eligibility. If you qualify for SSI, Medicaid, Fuel Assistance, Veteran’s Aid or have a documented disability for which you receive SSDI , you may qualify for Brown Bag monthly groceries.

Brown Bag Income Eligibility Guidelines

Springfield City Library seeks input for strategic plan

The Springfield City Library is hoping to get 2,000 or more city residents to answer a survey that will help shape the library’s future strategic plan.

by Ryan Feyre | Jul 23, 2025 | Read at The Reminder.

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield City Library is hoping to get 2,000 or more city residents to answer a survey that will help shape the library’s future strategic plan.

Community Relations Coordinator Jamillah Medina Nova said the library has circulated surveys in the past, particularly for its 2020-2024 strategic plan, but this one is expected to be “bigger” and more widespread.

“We’re looking for 2,000 responses so we can have a really good indication from all different neighborhoods, all different walks of life,” she said in an interview. “We really want everyone’s input.”

The survey’s questions cover anything from, “how often you use the library,” to “what do you like to do at the library,” according to Nova. Additionally, there are agree or disagree questions such as “does the library have enough space for your needs,” “is it up to date in technology” and “how important are the different resources to you.”

“[The survey] is basically measuring the importance of our services and what we have to offer,” Nova said. “We’re making sure that we’re aligned with our mission, vision and values, [and] the community’s eyes as well.”

The Springfield City Library is using ReThinking Libraries as a consultant for the survey and eventual strategic plan, according to Nova. The organization will be spearheading community listening sessions in September and October at the city’s local branches to help steer the planning process.

Nova said the survey will roll into the fall before the City Library officially institutes the strategic plan.

“Right now, we want to get as many [survey respondents] as possible through the fall,” Nova said. “I think we’ll start finalizing the details in November, December so that we can be ready for the new year to have [the plan] finalized.”

In addition to the survey, Nova said people have the option of visiting the City Library’s branches to vote for their favorite services using a visual voting board.

Available in English and Spanish, Nova shared that the boards allow people to list the top five services they would love to see at their local branches.

“There will be different ways to hear people’s input,” Nova said. “They’ll be able to vote with the visual voting boards, take the survey, and then we invite everyone to come out to our listening sessions [when the dates are out].”

According to the City Library, the survey is available to the public in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, Swahili, and in both online and paper formats to ensure accessibility. Nova said this initiative along with the $10,000 Library Card Campaign are two of the many ways Springfield City Library is trying to engage with the public in a post-pandemic landscape.

“After COVID, it was hard to get people back into any building,” Nova said. “But our resources are here and they’re growing and they’re going to continue to grow. So, we just want to make sure that we’re connecting with everyone, meeting them where they’re at, especially with digital access.”

Founded in 1857, the Springfield City Library provides over 800,000 free print, physical and digital resources for public enrichment. Readers will find the survey on its website. According to Nova, it will take about 10 minutes to complete.

Springfield City Library Collaborates with Tate Communicare to Expand Access

“These AAC boards are more than tools — they’re invitations for every voice to be heard and every individual to be seen.”

Read on Health Care News

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield City Library announced a new initiative to make library spaces and services more inclusive for all patrons. In collaboration with local speech and language therapists from Tate Communicare, the Central Library has created augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) boards, tools designed to support communication for individuals who are non-speaking, have speech difficulties, or speak a language other than English.

AAC boards display symbols for commonly used words, offering a vital resource for enhancing engagement, independence, and inclusion within public spaces. This effort is part of the library’s ongoing commitment to creating welcoming environments for patrons of all abilities.

“We believe everyone deserves equal access to learning, connection, and community,” said Tracy Snow, reference librarian at Springfield City Library. “These AAC boards are more than tools — they’re invitations for every voice to be heard and every individual to be seen. By adding them to our space, we’re opening new pathways for communication and inclusion.”

Library staff recently participated in a training webinar led by Tate Communicare to better understand how to use AAC boards with visitors. Plans are underway to expand these accessibility resources to the rest of the Springfield City Library branches and to offer AAC boards in additional languages.

1 million minutes of reading wanted in Springfield; area librarians warn of the ‘summer slide’

The challenge kicks off June 23, running through July and August.

From the Springfield Republican

SPRINGFIELD — Rachel Gravel is laying down a seven-figure challenge for readers in Springfield. She wants several thousand children and adults to collectively read for one million minutes during the summer break from school.

“We’re encouraging folks to go for it. Level up your reading game, and let’s try and get a million minutes together as a community,” said Gravel, who is manager of adult and youth information services at Springfield City Library.

The challenge kicks off June 23, running through July and August. Gravel said she hopes to triple the number of people who joined the library’s summer reading program last year — from fewer than 1,000 to 3,000 readers.

She told The Republican that group read around 250,000 minutes.

If Springfield hopes to hit the million-minute mark with 3,000 readers, each person will have to read 5½ minutes a day for 60 days.

“This is an opportunity to really go for gold,” she said.

Each summer, some 400,000 Massachusetts children, teens and adults join library reading programs, according to Massachusetts Libraries Board of Library Commissioners. Nearly every library in Western Massachusetts is running programs, which are free and open to the public.

Research shows if students do not read over the summer, they lose reading, comprehension and critical-thinking skills, according to Scholastic Parents.

“Kids lose significant knowledge in reading and math over summer break, which tends to have a snowball effect as they experience subsequent skill loss each year. (Another) study showed students lost about 20 percent of their school-year gains in reading and 27 percent of their school-year gains in math,” according to Scholastic Parents.

The Holyoke Public Library has summer reading programs for children, teens and adults, and has been marketing them to the public through city departments and speaking directly to children in school.

“We try and get the entire community involved, from birth to 99-plus. We want everyone participating,” said Nathan Hayes, the children’s librarian in Holyoke.

Like many libraries, Holyoke has a kickoff party and ongoing events that promote reading for the entire summer. Depending on the library, there can be magicians, clowns, face painting, music, games, ice cream socials — and prizes are everywhere.

PeoplesBank awards $10K to support Springfield Library summer programming

The Springfield Library Foundation has received a $10,000 grant from PeoplesBank to support the Springfield City Library’s 2025 Summer Reading Program, “Level Up At Your Library.”

Read on WWLP

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – The Springfield Library Foundation has received a $10,000 grant from PeoplesBank to support the Springfield City Library’s 2025 Summer Reading Program, “Level Up At Your Library.”

The funding will allow the library to expand programming and outreach efforts at its nine branches and through partnerships with local organizations. The initiative aims to boost participation and engagement among children, teens, and adults across the city.

“We are very grateful to PeoplesBank for their stalwart support of the Library,” said Matt Blumenfeld, Executive Director of the Springfield Library Foundation. “PeoplesBank’s investment matches funds that comes directly from the Library Foundation and will provide the City Library with critical resources to expand outreach and impact of this vital and fun program.”

This year’s theme, “Level Up At Your Library,” encourages community members to collectively reach a goal of one million minutes read over the summer. The program also aims to register more than 3,000 participants.

“This summer our mantra is One Million Reading Minutes,” said Rachel Gravel, the Library’s Manager of Adult & Youth Information Services. “We have set an ambitious goal and want to increase participation in the program to 3,000 children, youth and adults this summer.”

Matt Bannister, PeoplesBank’s Senior Vice President of Corporate Responsibility, presented the grant to the foundation. “Our commitment to the community is demonstrated through volunteerism and financial support and we see this grant as an investment in encouraging and inspiring new generations of life-long learners and readers. We are proud to support the Library Foundation and, in turn, the City Library to expand their reach and impact.”

The Summer Reading Program will begin in June with kickoff events for all ages, including a system-wide adult summer reading launch on June 12 at the Mason Square Branch. The season will wrap up with a city-wide End of Summer Celebration on August 23.

Activities funded by the grant include music classes, musical petting zoos, the Story City series, mobile arcade games, virtual reality experiences, role-playing and board game clubs, BINGO, and escape rooms. Children and teens who sign up will receive a free book of their choice, and participants will be eligible for weekly prizes as they track their reading progress.

All events and activities are free and open to the public. More information, including a full schedule, is available on their website. Springfield City Library continues to position itself as a vital hub for community wellness and support.

Library services threatened by Trump funding cuts

Local libraries are primarily funded by local property taxes to operate, but they depend on federal dollars to pay for statewide services, like databases and e-books, that interconnect every library

April 2, 2025. Read at WBUR.org for more content.

Libraries across Massachusetts are worried about how they’ll provide vital services such as interlibrary loans, e-books and access to databases in the wake of an executive order President Trump signed Monday.

The state gets $3.6 million in federal funding for library services, and the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners distributes that money to local libraries to supplement their budgets. This funding pipeline was disrupted this week when Trump ordered the entire staff of the Institute of Museums and Library Services to be placed on paid leave for 90 days, effectively halting the processing of grant dollars.

Maureen Amyot, director of the state library board, said concern had been building since the Trump administration’s first pause on federal funding in January, but she and her colleagues were still shocked when Monday’s executive order came down.

Amyot and her board worry they’ll have to cut funding to local libraries if the federal money doesn’t start flowing again soon. Any cuts would disrupt services that libraries must provide to the public under state law, she said.

Local libraries are primarily funded by local property taxes to operate, but they depend on federal dollars to pay for statewide services, like databases and e-books, that interconnect every library. Without those federal dollars, libraries would not be able to afford those services on their own, and the state would not be able to make up the difference, Amyot said.

While the order leaves the grants in limbo, Amyot said, the staff also wonders what will come next from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, which is firing workers across federal agencies.

“It’s such a fluid situation right now – everything is changing – that we’re just sort of in a holding pattern,” she said.

Libraries across the state are awaiting word from the Massachusetts library board about funding cuts or delays. Their level of concern varies depending on how much they rely on federal money. In a community like Waltham, the public library is fully funded by the city, while federal funding helps pay for staff salaries in Amherst.

Libraries can also apply directly for funding through the state library board’s three grant categories — Explore, Impact and Inspire — provided by IMLS’s federal dollars. Before Monday’s executive order, Amyot said the board was set to award 18 libraries with smaller “Explore Grants,” which come in $4,000 and $7,500 checks totaling $93,000 in awards. They allow smaller libraries to implement things like English learning classes, citizenship resources and preservation services.

Jean Canosa Albano, assistant director at Springfield City Library, said her library is scheduled to receive one of those grants. It would help purchase materials for people who want to gain U.S. citizenship and improve English language skills, highly desirable resources in her community.

Now, they have to wait.

“If we did not have [MBLC’s] expertise or the services they help provide, we would not be able to quickly rush in and fill that void that will be left,” Albano said. “We don’t have those funds elsewhere.”

Another concern is funding for information access. That’s secured through June 30, but librarians worry about how they’ll pay for databases and subscriptions after that date, especially for patrons who can’t afford to subscribe to periodicals they enjoy. The impact is expansive: Last year, Massachusetts residents downloaded over 9 million texts, according to the MLBC, and 60% of database usage comes from schools.

“These databases are not only for researchers but also for families who are going to buy their next car [looking] up Consumer Reports,” said Sharon Sharry, director of Jones Library in Amherst. “It’s the way people can afford information.”

The statewide e-book and summer reading programs are also paid for with federal funding, and many libraries say they would not be able to fund them locally.

Boston Public Library has received several hundred thousand dollars to support things like curriculum development and digitization of resources, such as an online high school program for adults. BPL president David Leonard said he worries about funding for next year and hopes Congress will act to preserve IMLS.

“Is this something that Congress can act on, because support for libraries and museums nationwide has generally been a very bipartisan act?” Leonard said. “We just don’t know.”

Librarians hope politicians representing Republican-leaning states will step up to protect funding. In response to Trump’s initial order for IMLS to be “eliminated to the maximum extent,” a bipartisan group of senators sent a letter to the administration defending federal funding for both cultural institutions.

“We are so lucky to live in Massachusetts, where library services are supported by our state officials,” Sharry said. “On the flip side, we are kind of left preaching to the choir … What we really need are people in the red states to advocate.”

Andrea Fiorillo, head of public services at the Reading Public Library, said her library is using a $20,000 grant for a program called “Rooted in Reading,” which explores community gardening. She pointed out that federal funding for libraries constitutes a miniscule portion of the federal budget.

“That comes out to about 87 cents per person per year,” said Fiorillo, who co-chairs the Massachusetts Library Association’s intellectual freedom committee. “What libraries turn around for our communities with that little bit of funding is almost miraculous. We take our tiny little bit and we just create these vibrant community centers.”

Do you know what you can do with a Springfield City Library Card?

Mayor Sarno joins Springfield Library staff in supporting the library’s initiative to sign up 10,000 members for library cards.

Read at the City’s website

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno joined Springfield Library Community Relations Coordinator Jamillah Medina Nova in supporting the library’s initiative to sign up 10,000 members for library cards. The library card will get you access to all of the resources and services that our city’s libraries have to offer, allows you to place a hold, use the electronic resources on the eLibrary, and so much more.

You can get a library card by visiting your local library branch in person to get full access to all of our physical and digital resources. If you would like instant access to our online resources, you can apply for a CW MARS eCard online! The eCard can be upgraded to a full library card later, if desired.

We’d like to remind residents that the library offers much more than just books! Chromebooks, hotspots, print-fax-scan, meeting rooms, video games, e-reading, and more!

The initiative teamed with Brother Johnnie Muhammad to provide free Shabazz wings to children who applied for a library card this past weekend, which was a huge success.

Mayor Sarno states, “I want to thank Jamillah Medina Nova and the entire library staff for working so hard every day to provide all of these incredible FREE resources to our community. Shout to our friend Brother Johnnie Muhammad for his support this past weekend too. Neighborhood library branches are an essential component of our community. They not only provide much-needed library services and reading materials for residents and kids, but they also serve as a gathering and meeting space for our community’s different programs and initiatives. Springfield Libraries serve as a community center for educational and cultural programming, as well as a social gathering place for our students and the surrounding community. It serves as a hub for free information and technology, social and civic participation, personal enrichment, and lifelong learning.”

The Springfield City Library offers nearly 5000 educational and recreational activities annually.

To learn more, visit www.springfieldlibrary.org; to acquire a Library Card, visit https://www.springfieldlibrary.org/…/get-a-library-card/

Mayor Domenic Sarno and Community Relations Coordinator Jamillah Medina Nova pose with an oversized Springfield library card.

Springfield offering community financial literacy opportunity

Books and Brew at White Lion meets quarterly and is a partnership between the library and Liberty Bank.

Read the full article at WWLP.com.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Books and Brews is the newest book club in town led by Liberty Bank and it’s guiding the community to financial wellness.East Forest Park celebrates National Night Out

The book club meets quarterly at the White Lion Brewing Company in Downtown Springfield. In partnership with Springfield City Library, members can access each month’s read by simply checking it out.

Tuesday’s quarterly meeting, providing insight and knowledge related to work, wealth, and leadership.

Books and Brews will meet next on December 10th from 5 pm to 6:30 pm at the White Lion Brewing Company in Downtown Springfield. To find out what book they’ll be reading next, visit 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!

Visit springfield.cwmars.org to check it out

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.