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Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners Resource Guide Collection

Libraries on the Waiting List for a Construction Grant: What now?

What now?

This guide is written for libraries who have been placed on the Waiting List for a 2016-2017 MPLCP construction grant.

What does this mean and what can you do to prepare for your grant?

Timing is everything

What you do (or don't do) is dependent on where you are on the list. The timing of each grant depends on several factors, and it's impossible to predict exactly when your provisional grant will be awarded. Some of these factors include:

  1. The amount of funding made available to disperse in each fiscal year
    • This "cap" is determined by the Mass Department of Administration & Finance; they set our annual capital budget each year. We first take care of annual payments to projects already underway, and any funds left over are used to make provisional grants to new projects.
  2. How many projects ahead of yours accept their provisional grant and sign a contract
    • If a project drops out of the program, the funds earmarked for it are available to make a provisional grant to the next project on the list.
  3. If your municipality has already approved local funding (see the "If your funding is already approved" tab)

What you can do now

Scrabble tiles spelling "advocate"

The most important thing you can do, regardless of where you are on the list, is to raise awareness and build support.

Make your decision makers and voters aware of your building needs and the coming opportunity for substantial state funding.

 

Contact Us

Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program

98 N. Washington St., Suite 401
Boston, Massachusetts 02114
617-725-1860
800-952-7403 (in MA)
617-725-0140 (fax)

Need more information or help along the way?

Lauren Stara
Library Building Specialist
617-725-1860, x245
lauren.stara@state.ma.us

Andrea Bunker
Library Building Specialist
617-725-1860, x246
andrea.bunker@state.ma.us