In this Month’s News and Updates…
- Member Annual Meeting Registration and Keynote Speaker Details
- Farewell and Best Wishes to Anna Popp
- Submissions for 2026 MLS Member Webinars Opening Soon
- MHEC Cooperative Purchasing Updates
- BiblioTemps: Newsletter and Bulletin
- Sora Open Enrollment Reminder
- Save the Date for Teen Summit 2025
- Prepared to Help: Library of Things and Emergency Response
- Upcoming Community Chats
- A Visit to the American Antiquarian Society
Member Annual Meeting Registration and Keynote Speaker Details
We are excited to welcome Jay McChord as the keynote speaker at our 2025 Member Annual Meeting!
Jay is a globally recognized speaker, trainer, consultant, and coach on the subjects of leadership and communication in today’s short attention-span, multi-generational, and now, remote work environment. He is also a former four-term City Council Member in Lexington, Kentucky.
As the son of a librarian, Jay has a love and appreciation for libraries in ways many others simply do not. For the past 17 years, he has worked with library associations, individual libraries, and their staff across numerous states.
Jay’s heart is for helping leaders, “Know the times and know what to do.” The challenges for leading today are daunting, especially for library professionals. The key to success comes down to a leader’s ability to communicate and collaborate effectively. Therefore, Jay is committed to training and coaching those new communication and collaboration skills.
Our meeting will include a hands-on activity facilitated by Jay, who will share how attendees can effectively communicate data and impact stories with legislators and key stakeholders.
All staff at MLS member libraries are invited to join us on Wednesday, November 5 at the Devens Common Center.
We look forward to sharing more details about our event soon. Until then, learn more and register online.
Farewell and Best Wishes to Anna Popp
Anna Popp departed from her role as a consultant with MLS on August 5, 2025. We thank Anna for her commitment to our members since she joined in 2011.
Over her many years with MLS, Anna has contributed significantly in a number of areas including consulting and training in reference services, space planning, and collection weeding. She was also instrumental in many large initiatives, such as the Word-of-Mouth Marketing project. Her dedication and expertise have played a meaningful role in the work of MLS.
We will miss Anna and wish her the best of luck in her next chapter!
Submissions for 2026 MLS Member Webinars Opening Soon
MLS is accepting proposals to present an MLS Member Webinar in 2026. Submissions are open from September 2 – October 31, 2025.
You should consider submitting a proposal if:
- You want to share your knowledge, experience, or relevant program or project with the MLS member library community.
- You are a new or first-time presenter and want support and coaching to develop and deliver an engaging webinar.
Webinar presenters will gain valuable presenting experience, resources and coaching, and a $250 stipend.
Webinar submissions are open from September 2 – October 31, 2025. We are looking for six to eight webinars to be presented in spring and fall 2026.
Anyone who works in an MLS member library is eligible to submit a webinar proposal. Search the MBLC Library Database to check if your library is an MLS member.
More details, including important dates, FAQs, information on what we’re looking for in a webinar, and the submission form are available in the MLS Member Webinars LibGuide.
Contact MLS Consultant Jane Stimpson (jane@masslibsystem.org) with questions.
MHEC Cooperative Purchasing Updates
A Message from our Friends at MHEC:
MHEC L51 Library: Books and Media Contract Announcement
As of August 1, 2025, OverDrive is now available on the MHEC L51 contract as a digital content platform and media supplier. OverDrive provides a state-of-the-art digital distribution system for libraries and schools. Aside from their presence on a compliant contract, OverDrive has offered discounts to MHEC members that can be viewed on their contract page:
- Access OverDrive on the MHEC contract here with website login credentials. Log in first to access: OverDrive, Inc.: L51 – MHEC | New England’s Premier Purchasing Consortium
- If you do not have an MHEC login, please go here to request: New Member Registration – MHEC | New England’s Premier Purchasing Consortium
- If you have any questions, please feel free to contact: Strategic Sourcing Manager Malik Ali (mali@mhec.net).
2025 Annual EXPO Reminder
Join MHEC for its 2025 Annual EXPO!
This free event offers members a chance to meet suppliers, learn about products, and make connections.
The EXPO takes place on Thursday, September 18, 2025 at 9 a.m. at the DCU Center in Worcester. Register for the EXPO now.
Be sure to stop by the MLS booth while you’re there!
BiblioTemps: Newsletter and Bulletin
BiblioTemps Newsletter
We’re happy to introduce our new BiblioTemps monthly newsletter launched this August! We’re excited to stay connected with library professionals and offer valuable support to both job seekers and hiring managers.
Monthly highlights will include:
- Job search and hiring tips to support your professional journey. This month, we shared the top three reasons why candidates withdrew from the hiring process.
- The latest updates from BiblioTemps.
- Opportunities to share your insights through surveys and polls. In August, we asked both employers and job seekers what they’ve found to be the most challenging part of the hiring process. The results will be shared in September’s newsletter.
- Plus: career resources, success stories, event announcements, and more!
Subscribe to the BiblioTemps newsletter to ensure you don’t miss out on these monthly updates.
We look forward to keeping you informed, inspired, and connected!
BiblioTemps Bulletin
There’s a new addition to the BiblioTemps website: The BiblioTemps Bulletin!
As part of our commitment to supporting library job seekers and employers, the BiblioTemps team will be sharing blog posts and updates to the new Bulletin page. The topics covered will include hiring, job searching, and library careers.
Whether you’re searching for a new opportunity or looking to hire the right candidate, we hope to provide inspiration and useful tips tailored to the library field.
A few of the latest posts featured on the Bulletin include:
- The Perks of Temporary Work
- What Skills Can a Librarian Bring to Your Organization?
- Building Confidence and Community: A BiblioTemps Interview with a Reference & Instruction Librarian
- Exploring Library Careers: Tips, Tools, and Job Titles for Every Interest
We invite you to explore the BiblioTemps Bulletin for helpful insights and check back regularly. New content will be posted each month.
Sora Open Enrollment Reminder
Reminder: Enrollment in the MLS Shared Sora program is now open to MLS member schools that are not current participants. Complete the enrollment form and visit the Commonwealth eBook Collections LibGuide to learn more.
Program enrollment is planned to be open until November 30, 2025. Please contact MLS Electronic Resources Manager Tressa Santillo (tressa@masslibsystem.org) with any questions.
About the Program
The OverDrive K-12 Shared Sora Collection is a shared collection of 75,000+ eBooks, audiobooks, and magazines that are shared among participating MLS member schools.
Some details:
- Sora is the reading platform (app and website) – accessible from anywhere, anytime.
- Titles are available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Chinese, and more.
- Support for curriculum titles, summer reading, book clubs, and other reading initiatives at no extra cost.
- Ability to add a public library card to Sora for access to even more titles from the local public library/network’s OverDrive collection and beyond.
- Get a live look at what’s being checked out from the collection right now.
- Pricing is based on student enrollment and schools are invoiced annually.
Save the Date for Teen Summit 2025
Teen Summit 2025 is November 14!
This year’s keynote speaker is Josh Galarza, author of The Great Cool Ranch Dorito in the Sky, which is nominated for the 2025 MA Teen Choice Book Award and was a finalist for the 2024 National Book Award!
Are you new to libraries, or teen services, and you haven’t yet attended Teen Summit? Held each fall for the last 15 years, Teen Summit is a free, day-long, virtual conference for anyone working with teens in a library. Sessions include presentations by library workers around New England as well as keynotes from authors and other professionals.
Check out our Teen Summit page for links to recordings from the last four years.
Registration will open in early fall. For now, mark your calendar!
Prepared to Help: Library of Things and Emergency Response
The next virtual event in the Northeast Summit on Climate Adaptation for Library Facilities is Prepared to Help: Library of Things and Emergency Response on September 9 from 2 – 3 p.m.
Join this 90-minute virtual webinar exploring how Library of Things collections can support community resilience and disaster readiness. Hear from library leaders at Curtis Memorial Library (ME), Brazoria County Library System (TX), and the Central Florida Tool Library (FL) as they share how they’ve developed collections that go beyond books by lending emergency tools, preparedness kits, and more.
Whether you’re just beginning or already lending non-traditional items, this session will offer inspiration, practical tips, and collection development strategies to help your library better serve patrons before and after disaster strikes.
Register for Prepared to Help online.
This event is part of the Northeast Summit on Climate Adaptation for Library Facilities, a collaboration of the State Libraries from Maine to Maryland. This program was arranged by the Delaware Division of Libraries and the New York State Library.
Upcoming Community Chats
Check out our Community Chats happening this fall! Follow the links below to browse our topics and register for a session:
A Visit to the American Antiquarian Society
On August 20, several members of MLS’s Learning Services Department visited the American Antiquarian Society (AAS) in Worcester to tour the building and hold a department meeting.
We learned about AAS’s founder, Isaiah Thomas, browsed historical documents, and weaved through stacks full of AAS’s impressive collection – the largest collection of materials printed before the twentieth century in what is now the United States!
Thank you to Associate Librarian and Head of Acquisitions Beth Tsamis and Vice President for Collections and Andrew W. Mellon Curator of Graphic Arts Lauren Hewes for leading our tour and to the entire AAS staff for accommodating our department!
