Springfield celebrates National Library Week despite budget challenges (WWLP)

The theme for National Library Week 2025 is “Drawn to the Library!” But it’s getting hard to observe as libraries throughout Massachusetts are facing budget challenges.

View on WWLP

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – On Wednesday inside the Sixteen Acres Library Branch, Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno issued a proclamation to mark National Library Week.

The theme for National Library Week 2025 is “Drawn to the Library!” But it’s getting hard to observe locally as libraries throughout Massachusetts are facing a budget challenge this year.

Massachusetts gets $3.6 million in federal funding for library services, then the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners gives that money to local libraries. That funding was disrupted this week when President Trump ordered the entire staff of the Institute of Museums and Library Services to be placed on paid leave for 90 days, which stopped the processing of grant dollars.

Now, libraries across the state are waiting on updates from the library board about potential funding cuts or delays. But staff at the Sixteen Acres Library Branch encourages the public to use their voices to make a difference.

“Think about what’s important to you and reach out to your elected officials to let them know that funding that comes to the state has an impact on you,” said Jean Canosa Albano, Assistant Director for Public Services at Springfield City Library.

Despite the uncertainty, Springfield libraries will continue celebrating National Library Week with special events. For a list of events, visit springfieldlibrary.org.

Mayor Sarno Joins with Worcester Mayor Petty and 24 Other Mayors and Municipal Leaders to Fight for Library Funding

In Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) received $3.6 million from IMLS’ grants to State programs, including statewide research databases, summer reading and Statewide eBooks programs, just to name a few.

April 4, 2025. Read on the City of Springfield site.

Springfield, MA – Mayor Domenic J. Sarno joined with Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty and 24 other mayors and municipal leaders from across the State to fight for our local libraries. Mayor Sarno and his fellow mayors wrote to the Massachusetts Congressional delegation to share their concerns over an executive order signed on March 14, 2025 that would target federal funding to libraries and museums through the Institute of Museums and Library Services (IMLS). IMLS is the single largest source of federal funding for libraries.

In Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) received $3.6 million from IMLS’ grants to State programs, including statewide research databases, summer reading and Statewide eBooks programs, just to name a few. Cuts to IMLS would adversely impact the MBLC and could potentially impact these services and programs offered to our residents by our Springfield City Library.

Mayor Sarno states, “Today, I join with Mayor Joseph Petty of Worcester and my fellow mayors and municipal leaders from across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to fight for our local Library systems and our residents, especially our children. Together, we are asking our Congressional delegation to protect our local libraries. I am very proud of our Springfield City Library, led by Director Molly Fogarty. Director Fogarty and her dedicated team does such a tremendous job providing a vast array of programs and reading opportunities for our students, children, seniors and adults. On average, nearly 62,000 eBooks are accessed every year through our Springfield City Library. I am also proud of the fact that Springfield is one of the few communities that maintains local neighborhood libraries too.”

“Our library branches do so much more than just provide reading books,” Mayor Sarno continued. “They are a place where individuals of all ages can go and enjoy the programs that are available. 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. A place where our residents and their families can gather to meet, and where our children can learn and play. Our Libraries enhance the quality of life in our community and are a source of great pride. My administration will continue to work with all of our local, state and federal partners to preserve this community treasure and the vital programs and resources they offer.”

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.”

Bus Tour Revives Tradition, Puts Libraries in Spotlight (Business West)

The tour, set for Saturday, April 12, will visit each of the city’s Carnegie libraries.

March 14, 2025. Read the article on Business West for additional content

Pages of the Past

The original Springfield Library has been lost to history, but the planned bus tour is designed to generate appreciation for the libraries still standing.

Kate Benson says she doesn’t know why the original Springfield Library, opened in 1871, was eventually torn down.

The impressive, Gothic-style structure was only 40 years old when its replacement, the central library that still stands on State Street today, was opened, she said, adding that it was moved a few hundred yards to make way for the new library and serve the city while it was being built. And, in theory, it could have been moved again to another location

“We don’t really know why it came down — and there’s no real record of why,” said Benson, a special-education team chair in Chicopee by day, and also a member of the Springfield Preservation Trust (SPT) and self-described “history addict,” adding that it doesn’t really matter why the landmark was demolished. What does matter is that a piece of the city’s past and an architectural treasure can now be seen only in grainy photos and color postcards, which were very popular in the day.

It is a desire to enable the public to fully appreciate similar structures — and to perhaps ensure that they don’t suffer the same fate as the original library — that has prompted the SPT and several partnering organizations to come together to create a bus tour (set for Saturday, April 12, with Benson as the tour guide) of the central library and several branches, including four structures known simply as the Carnegie libraries.

These are the central library, the Forest Park branch, the Indian Orchard branch, and the former Memorial Square branch, now the Greek Cultural Center — four of the 2,509 libraries built between 1883 and 1929 with money donated by Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.

Built in the early 1900s, those four libraries, and the others on the tour, are blasts from the past that can still be enjoyed today. And so, in many respects, is this bus tour, called “Pages of the Past,” said Erica Swallow, president of the SPT.

“The library went from being a membership-only establishment to being open to the public, open to the community. To have four of those buildings in Springfield that really symbolized access to knowledge, and access to betterment, is really special.”

Indeed, the once-annual Bus Tour of Historic Springfield, a partnership between the SPT and Peter Pan Bus Lines, is back after a nearly 30-year hiatus, and with many goals in mind, said Swallow, adding that this endeavor is a collaboration between several groups, including the SPT, the Springfield Museums, the Springfield City Library, and Peter Pan.

As for goals, she listed everything from showcasing those libraries to cultivating the next generation of preservationists in Springfield.

“The trust has been trying to bring in the next generation of preservationists,” Swallow explained, adding that new programs like the libraries tour, as well as existing initiatives such as house tours and walking tours (more on them later), are effective ways to bring people into Springfield’s past, while also celebrating the present and getting them involved.

Danielle Veronesi, senior director of Marketing at Peter Pan Bus Lines, who was approached by Swallow about resurrecting the bus tour, agreed, noting that Peter Pan, which has a lengthy history in Springfield and this region, is enthusiastic about its role in the partnership presenting the tour.

“We’re proud to be part of Springfield history, and also proud of the role we’ve played in enabling others to learn that history and better appreciate the city and many of its architectural landmarks,” she told BusinessWest. “That’s why we wanted Peter Pan to be a partner in this initiative.”

Chapter and Verse

Rachel Gravel, manager of Adult & Youth Information for the Springfield Libraries, said the building of the Carnegie libraries represented a major shift in how libraries were perceived — and used by the public.

“The library went from being a membership-only establishment to being open to the public, open to the community,” she said, noting that, until that time, most libraries, including Springfield’s, were private. “To have four of those buildings in Springfield that really symbolized access to knowledge, and access to betterment, is really special.”

This shift will be among the many talking points on the tour, said Swallow, adding that the program is designed to provide insight into Springfield’s most historically and architecturally significant libraries, offering a glimpse into their storied pasts and lasting impact on the city’s cultural and educational landscape.

Benson agreed, noting that her research into the libraries that will be showcased on tour — seven in all, including the four Carnegie libraries — has been an intriguing and rewarding experience.

“I was unaware that we had Carnegie libraries, and I have a minor obsession with Carnegie libraries in New York City because they had hidden apartments, which, unfortunately, the Springfield ones don’t, because they were not 24-hour libraries, like New York’s,” she explained. “It was interesting to do the research to figure out how they made the decisions to create branch libraries, who got one first, and how they funded it — and also how they took the original Springfield Library, which was a private library, and made it something that was open to the public; it’s an incredibly interesting history.”

Jeanne Fontaine, travel coordinator for Springfield Museums, a partner on many SPT initiatives, agreed, noting that the upcoming bus tour dovetails effectively with the Springfield Museums’ own program of monthly day trips to other museums and destinations, such as the Newport Flower Show and the Metropolitan Opera.

The most recent such trip was to the American Heritage Museum in Hudson, where visitors can explore the nation’s conflicts, from the Revolutionary War to today.

Swallow said the bus tour is another initiative undertaken by the SPT to bring attention to city landmarks and encourage preservation of sites with historic or architectural significance, or both.

Others include its popular Second Saturday Walking Tours, which originate at the Museums and focus on the downtown area, an annual walking tour of Springfield Cemetery, and a winter lecture series.

There’s also the annual Historic Homes Tour. Previously a bus tour that took participants to different corners of the city, it is now a walking tour focused annually on a specific neighborhood; this year it will be McKnight, said Swallow, adding that the homes tour is how many long-time SPT members first became engaged with the organization.

History Lessons

That was the case with Marilyn Sutin, who first went on the tour in 1979, became heavily involved with the Springfield Preservation Trust, and is still volunteering for the group 45 years later.

Like Swallow, she said the libraries tour is another way to bring Springfield’s past into the present and encourage others to get involved in preservation efforts.

Tickets for the bus tour can be purchased on Eventbrite; the cost is $20 for SPT and Springfield Museums members, and $25 for non-members. All proceeds go toward the trust’s mission of historic preservation in Springfield.

2025 Teen Photo Scavenger Hunt

Take all 20 pictures, and you will claim your prize! But the clock is ticking! Get them in by April 30! For Teens 12-19.

  1. Take a picture of your favorite place in Springfield
  2. Take a picture of yourself wearing an outfit that is not your usual style
  3. Take a picture of yourself at a famous landmark/building in Springfield
  4. Take a picture of a wild animal you saw in Springfield
  5. Take a picture of yourself reading your favorite book
  6. Take a picture of something that is your favorite color
  7. Take a picture of your favorite food or drink
  8. Take a picture of something smaller than your hand
  9. Take a picture of something that is 2x bigger than you are.
  10. Take a selfie with a Springfield Librarian.
  11. Take a picture of someone’s pet (it can be yours!)
  12. Take a picture of the night sky
  13. Take a picture of a chalk drawing on the sidewalk
  14. Take a picture of a reflection of something in a mirror
  15. Take a picture of yourself or someone you know jumping into the air
  16. Take a picture of yourself wearing something ridiculous
  17. Take a picture of a sign that starts with the letter “D”
  18. Take a picture of something in nature you think is beautiful.
  19. Take a picture of a coin that was made before 1990.
  20. Take a picture of a shadow

If you’re not comfortable with your own face on camera,
feel free to blur it out, or hide it any way you like before sending it to us.

Send to shodge-wetherbe@springfieldlibrary.org or post to Instagram with the hashtag #SpringfieldCityLibrary

East Springfield Library Branch Expansion Project received $100,000 grant (WWLP)

The East Springfield Library Branch plays an important role as a community center for educational and cultural programs.

Read the story at WWLP.com

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – The City of Springfield has received a grant that will go towards its East Springfield Library Branch Expansion Project.

The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners awarded the $100,000 grant to help enhance the neighborhood learning center at 21 Osborne Terrace. Springfield also has committed $150,000 as a match.

The city plans to hire an Architect for the project and receive a construction grant once the design is approved. The ‘Planning and Design Phase’ will be completed by next spring, and construction is set to begin by 2027. 

Our East Springfield Library branch has been providing successful and popular library services for our community since 1932.  The East Springfield Library Branch plays an important role as a community center for educational and cultural programs, as well as a social gathering for our students and the community.  It is a hub for free access to information and technology, social and civic engagement and personal enrichment and lifelong learning.  With this grant support from the MBLC, we are looking forward to enhancing this neighborhood learning center so that it can serve our community for another 100 years, stated Mayor Sarno.

We deeply appreciate this support from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, the Healey-Driscoll Administration, and our state legislators toward our neighborhood library branches which are an integral part of our community.  I am proud of the fact that while other communities have consolidated their local library branches, my administration has worked hard with our local stakeholders and partnerships to not only renovate our neighborhood library branches, but to build new and expand them as well, continued Sarno.

I commend and thank Director Molly Fogarty and the Springfield City Library team on a successful MBLC grant application to help fund a renovation and expansion of our beloved East Springfield Branch Library. Our dedicated team, including HHS Commissioner Helen Caulton-Harris, current PBRM Director Tom Ashe and retired PBRM Director Patrick Sullivan, the Capital Assets and Construction team of Peter Garvey and My-Ron Hatchett, and our dedicated Library team of Director Molly Fogarty and Board Chair Stephen Cary, have worked closely with the MBLC to support our grant application to help fund this important project. He continued, I also want to thank Council President Attorney Michael Fenton, members of the East Springfield Neighborhood Council (ESNC) and ESNC President Kathy Brown for their many years of ongoing support and advocacy on behalf of this integral neighborhood and community resource, our East Springfield neighborhood library branch.

Springfield City Library Director Molly Fogarty states, We are all thrilled to know that we will be able to renovate, upgrade, improve and expand on the available space and facilities and provide 21st Century services and programs for the residents of East Springfield and for the City of Springfield.  The East Springfield Branch Library has been providing library services to the residents of East Springfield since it opened in 1932 and continues to play an important role for neighborhood residents.  This project will bring significant improvements to a much needed and used library that will serve as both a community center/anchor and information hub for thousands of people.  This project will ensure that East Springfield residents are provided with equal access to technology, collections and programs and services.  Our application wouldn’t have been successful without the support and collaboration of so many Library and City employees, elected and appointed officials, and neighborhood residents and business people. Thank you for all your support.

City Council President/ City Councilor for Ward 2 / Attorney Michael Fenton states This is huge news for our little library and the East Springfield Neighborhood. This library has been a place to read, learn, work, and congregate for generations. I spent many days there as a young child and it’s a real joy for me to see it continue to have a positive impact on our residents (both young and old). Expanding and improving this library will have a real impact on East Springfield, our residents, and all those who visit this treasured space. I’d like to thank all of the stakeholders who have worked so hard to make this grant award possible. Our neighborhood has been working on this project for over a decade and it would not have been possible without the support and tenacious efforts of the Mayor, the Springfield Library system, the East Springfield Neighborhood Council, and all of the neighbors who supported us, encouraged us, and kept us on the path towards this renovation along the way.

Chair of the Springfield Library Commission Stephen N. Cary states, The East Springfield Library reminds me of the children’s storybook tale ‘The Little Engine That Could’. Its smaller size has never reflected its magnanimous spirit, the high volume of patron visits, and the activity generated by the incredible programs its staff and neighborhood partners host at 21 Osborne Terrace. The Springfield Library Commission is extremely grateful to the MBLC for the approval of this grant. Fifteen years ago, Springfield needed to work with the MBLC for waivers of certification due to low hours of operation. Applause also goes to Mayor Sarno’s Administration for increasing funding for hours of operation. The Mayor’s support has elevated the Springfield City Library system to excel and achieve awards of grants such as this one today from the MBLC.

Cary continued, I’m not surprised the dynamic duo of Director Fogarty and Assistant Director Jean Canosa-Albano were successful securing this funding. The Library Commission thanks them for meeting, likely exceeding, the demands of this challenging grant cycle. Molly and Jean’s efforts, supported by the professional staff of the Springfield City Library system deserve to be celebrated. Springfield is lucky to have this Dream Team resulting in the expansion and renovation of this unique building. The gem at 21 Osborne Terrace enjoys a shining future indeed.

East Springfield Neighborhood Council President Kathleen Brown stated, The announcement of this funding for the design, renovation and construction of an addition to this East Springfield branch Library is remarkable news.   It’s a great way to start 2025. This has been the dream that we’ve been working towards for so many years.  It’s great to know that the East Springfield Library will have what it needs to provide great library resources for many years to come. Thank you to everyone who moved this project to this approval stage, especially Mayor Sarno for his vision and leadership, and commitment to supporting our libraries.  Now let the next step begin!

T-Birds, Springfield City Library Expand Boomer’s Reading Club for 2024-25 Season

Boomer’s Reading Club will return for the 2024-25 season with more dates and new library branches serving as hosts.

Read at the Springfield Thunderbirds website

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Springfield Thunderbirds, in collaboration with the Springfield City Library, are proud to announce that Boomer’s Reading Club will return for the 2024-25 season with more dates and new library branches serving as hosts for the meeting dates.

Established last season, Boomer’s Reading Club will prominently feature T-Birds forward Drew Callin, team mascot Boomer, and various additional T-Birds staff and players throughout the season. Boomer’s Reading Club aims to create a love of reading for young Springfield school students of all ages. 

In addition to the interactive sessions with Callin, the Springfield Thunderbirds Foundation will continue its pledge to the program by donating gifts and supplies to each of the seven Springfield City Library branches participating in the initiative.

“We are proud to continue our support of Drew and the Springfield City Library toward this incredibly meaningful community partnership,” said Thunderbirds President Nathan Costa. “We deeply value this relationship and hope that, in addition to encouraging a lifelong love of reading among our youngest fans, Boomer’s Reading Club can create core memories in Springfield children’s lives for years to come.”

The complete list of dates is as follows – all Boomer’s Reading Club sessions will run from 3:45 to 4:45 p.m., and all of these sessions are open to the public:

  • Wednesday, Nov. 13 @ Springfield Central Library (220 State Street, in 1st floor Children’s Room)
  • Tuesday, Nov. 26 @ Indian Orchard Branch (44 Oak Street)
  • Tuesday, Jan. 7 @ Sixteen Acres Branch (1187 Parker Street)
  • Thursday, Jan. 9 @ East Springfield Branch (21 Osborne Terrace)
  • Thursday, Jan. 16 @ East Forest Park Branch (136 Surrey Road) –NEW DATE
  • Tuesday, Jan. 28 @ Brightwood Branch (359 Plainfield Street)
  • Wednesday, Feb. 26 @ Mason Square Branch (765 State Street)

“We’re so excited to partner with the Springfield Thunderbirds for a third season of Boomer’s Reading Club. We’re expanding to even more libraries this year, adding Brightwood and Indian Orchard branches for seven total visits. Families will have fun seeing their hockey heroes read with them and inspire their children and grandkids to get a library card, visit the library, and pick up some great books,” said Jean Canosa Albano, Assistant Director at Springfield City Library. “Going to a T-Birds game is fun for the whole family, and so is going to the Springfield City Library! The Club combines reading, library activities, and a chance to discover why getting into reading when you are young is so important and fun.” 

Families looking for more information about Boomer’s Reading Club can contact the team at (413) 739-4625 or by visiting www.SpringfieldThunderbirds.com.

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.

BizGrow conference offers free legal help to entrepreneurs

Current and aspiring small business owners are getting a helping hand from a new local partnership.

Read more at WWLP.com

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Current and aspiring small business owners are getting a helping hand from a new local partnership.

The group “Lawyers For Civil Rights” has teamed up with the Springfield City Library to host a “BizGrow Conference” Thursday afternoon.

The event helped local entrepreneurs network with other business owners, as well as receive free legal advice and other resources. Organizers said the event will help small business owners avoid common pitfalls.

Executive Director Ivan Espinosa-Madrigal told 22News, “There are many questions that entrepreneurs face, how am I supposed to classify employees? Should they be classified as independent contractors or otherwise? And more importantly, there are complex issues around taxes.”

This was the first time this BizGrowth event has been held in Springfield. Lawyers for Civil Rights hope to hold a similar event in the future.

Author Esmeralda Santiago speaks at Springfield Library

The Springfield City Library invited an acclaimed author for a special Hispanic Heritage Month discussion.

Read more at WWLP.com

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – The Springfield City Library invited an acclaimed author for a special Hispanic Heritage Month discussion Tuesday evening.

Puerto Rican author Esmeralda Santiago spoke about her published works that delve into the experience of Puerto Rican women in the U.S.

This was an opportunity for the community to explore her stories’ themes of memory, family, and resilience and continue the conversations sparked by her writing. “Esmerelda writes for women, she’s a feminist and it empowers our community,” says Library Partner Haydee Lamberty Rodriguez. “We are excited to have that conversation with her.”

The library will be holding book club meetings starting October 24th to discuss all of Santiago’s works.