Unfolded map with Massachusetts Library System Logo

In this Month’s News and Updates…

Sign up for our emails to get these updates straight to your inbox!

ALA Library Paraprofessional and Support Staff Certification Grant Program

MLS has launched several training grant programs over the past few years:

We are excited to add another training grant program to these offerings: the ALA Library Paraprofessional and Support Staff Certification grant program.

About the New Training Grant Program

This new training grant program allows staff at MLS member libraries to enroll in the American Library Association’s (ALA) new Library Paraprofessional and Support Staff certification program at no cost to them. This is up to a $1,500 value.

The ALA Library Paraprofessional and Support Staff certification program is intended for paraprofessionals, library support staff, and other library staff members who do not hold a master’s degree in library and information science.

It requires participants to complete four online, self-paced courses. One core course is required of all participants. Participants select their remaining three courses from five electives.

Participants have 18 months after enrolling in the program to complete the four courses. The program must be completed within this time period.

Once participants complete the program and achieve certification, the certification lasts forever. It does not expire and it does not need to be renewed.

How to Apply for a Training Grant

Staff at MLS member libraries who are interested in applying to the ALA Library Professional and Support Staff Certification grant program should visit the grant program LibGuide page.

Please note: If you submit a grant application, and if your application is approved, MLS will work with ALA to enroll you in the certification program and handle payment on your behalf. You should not register directly through ALA. Individuals who register directly through ALA will not be reimbursed under the grant program.

Before you submit your application, be sure that you have ample capacity in your schedule to complete the certification program. Completion of the certification program requires a significant amount of work over a sustained period of time. If now is not the right time, consider pursuing the certification program later. Once enrolled, you will have 18 months to complete the certification program. The certification program must be completed within that time frame.

The ALA Library Paraprofessional and Support Staff Certification grant program is part of MLS’s continuing commitment to expanding our learning offerings for all levels of library staff in all types of member libraries. It also supports Initiative 1, Goal 1 and Initiative 2, Goal 3 of MLS’s 2026-2031 Strategic Plan.

SLI Community Resilience Grant

MLS is collaborating with the Sustainable Libraries Initiative (SLI) to support a new pilot training program: Community Resilience through Small & Rural Libraries: Building Partnerships for Impact.

We are excited to announce that small and rural libraries in Massachusetts can now apply to participate! The grant will fund 10 small libraries in Massachusetts to participate in a cohort training and develop community resilience projects together.

Overall, the program will result in up to 40 library-led initiatives in four states to mitigate or adapt to climate hazards and build stronger relationships between libraries and local community-based organizations for the purposes of climate adaptation, integrating the National Climate Action Strategy for Libraries (NCASL) into daily operations.

Benefits of participating include:

  • The unique opportunity to take on a leadership role in your community through positive action, collaborative learning, and partnership development.
  • Support to create an impactful project to strengthen community resilience.
  • Collaboration with a cohort of 10 libraries to develop your project.
  • An award of $750 to support your library’s participation.
  • Participation in a pilot project that will help SLI create a training model to foster community resilience strategies for small and rural libraries.

Eligibility: Staff at public libraries are eligible to participate, as well as those in tribal libraries. The small library must serve a population of 25,000 or fewer. Staff working at branches of larger systems are eligible if the branch itself serves a population that is 25,000 or fewer.

The commitment involved takes place over six months but paced to be manageable over time (approximately 11 hours in sessions over six months).

Applications close on May 4.

If you have any questions, please reach out to MLS Consultant Michelle Eberle (michelle@masslibsystem.org).

Spring 2026 MLS Member Webinars

Registration for the Spring 2026 MLS Member Webinar series is now open!

MLS member library staff will share their knowledge and expertise on a variety of topics in a series of three webinars taking place June 3, June 10, and June 16.

Visit LibCal to register for a webinar or check out the lineup below!

Making Volunteer Programs Work for You (and Your Community)
Katie Nelson, Beverly Public Library
June 3, 2026 from 2 – 3 p.m.

Creative Writing for All: Crafting a Community-Based Writing Group  
Kaye M. H. Crawford, Parker Memorial Library of Dracut
June 10, 2026 from 10 – 11 a.m.

Neurodiverse Friendly Libraries Benefit Everyone
Kim Money Priddy, Middlesex Community College
June 16, 2026 from 10 – 11:30 a.m.

For full webinar descriptions, check out the MLS Member Webinars LibGuide or the MLS Events Calendar, where registration is open for all webinars.

MLS Member Webinars will be recorded and posted to the MLS Vimeo channel.

Contact MLS Consultant Jane Stimpson (jane@masslibsystem.org) with questions.

Delivery Open House at the Wilmington Sort Facility

MLS and Optima Shipping welcome you to an open house at the sort facility in Wilmington. This is an opportunity for library staff to come and see the sort facility, where Optima handles library materials destined for Delivery to and from libraries in the Northeast, Metrowest, and Boston.

Optima can accommodate approximately 25 people at once, so please RSVP by picking a time slot. The time slots will be closed on a first come first served basis. We will hold additional open houses if needed.

We have chosen the 1 – 4 p.m. time period because trucks and vans will be returning with materials, which will be unloaded and sorted to their destinations. We expect this will give you a good picture of the daily workflow and the sort site environment.

Visit LibCal to register for a Delivery open house time slot.

MHEC Information Session: L51 Contract Update with Ingram

Join MHEC and Ingram for a virtual information session on Thursday, May 28 from 11 a.m. – noon.

This webinar will provide an overview of recent updates to the Ingram MC15-L51 contract. The session will outline key changes to terms and conditions and how book processing will be handled.

Visit LibCal to register for the MHEC information Session.

See You at the MLA Conference!

We’re excited to see you at the Massachusetts Library Association (MLA) Conference from May 18-19! Stop by booth #43 to get some MLS-branded promo items, learn about our services, or to just say hello.

We’re happy to share that MLS Consultants Jane Stimpson and Michelle Eberle will host two sessions at the conference:

Getting Started with AI Literacy Programming in Your Community
Jane Stimpson
Tuesday, May 19 from 9:25 – 10:10 a.m.

What is “AI literacy,” and where should library staff who want to offer AI programming in their communities start? In this session, Massachusetts Library System Consultant Jane Stimpson will cover the latest AI literacy frameworks and then illustrate selecting a framework, using it to draft AI literacy learning outcomes for our communities, and turning learning outcomes into programs and classes. This session will also showcase examples of AI literacy programming libraries are creating across Massachusetts and the country.

Library Sustainability Programming Showcase
Michelle Eberle and Kate Gomes (Holbrook Public Library)
Tuesday, May 19 from 3:25 – 4:10 p.m.

Want to incorporate sustainability focused programming but don’t know where to start? The Blue Marble Librarians have you covered! Whether you want to confront the impacts of climate change head-on or engage in subtle efforts to help your community during this crisis, we have a sustainability program suited for the needs of every library. We can’t wait to share with you all the different ways libraries across Massachusetts can offer creative, educational, and engaging programs to encourage eco-friendly behaviors and prepare our communities for the impacts of climate change. We’ll also let you know how you can stay connected to the greater library sustainability community.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR