The Mattapoisett Free Public Library was recently awarded a Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant for $7,200 from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC). “We’re excited about the innovative library projects being developed with the help of these grants,” said Cindy Roach, Head of Library Advisory and Development at the MBLC. “They benefit local residents and communities.”
The Mattapoisett Free Public Library plans to enhance the staff’s ability to recommend reading selections to patrons, particularly adults who enjoy reading mysteries. Through training, workshops, and new reader’s advisory resources, the library staff will be able to answer “can you recommend a good book?” with a high level of success and satisfaction for local library patrons. The skills developed will generalize to all types of reading genres.
“Recommending ‘a good book’ has many meanings for different people. Our staff will be learning how to better determine the reading preferences of patrons and understand the appeal factors that make a book a good read for someone. We will be creating many useful lists and displays to direct patrons to authors they might like to discover,” said Library Director Susan Pizzolato. “We are all very excited about this opportunity to focus on readers’ advisory skills.”
The Mattapoisett Library will open at 11:30 am on Friday, October 30 rather than at 10:00 am to enable the staff to attend a workshop by well-known readers’ advisory expert and librarian Leane Ellis.
Libraries use LSTA grants from the MBLC in a variety of ways, including implementing literacy programs that benefit all ages, increasing library access to underserved populations, providing advanced automation services, training staff, and preserving valuable historical documents.
In addition to the direct library grant programs, the MBLC uses LSTA funds to support statewide programs and services, including summer reading programs, databases, the Commonwealth eBook program, the Commonwealth Catalog (books and materials that can be borrowed by patrons from libraries and universities across the state) and the link mass.gov/libraries, which provides information and resources for residents.
LSTA is administered on the federal level by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and in the Commonwealth by the MBLC. More information about LSTA can be found at www.mass.gov/mblc.