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MBLC Celebrates 125 Years

1993

The Massachusetts State House

The Massachusetts State House1


The Birth of the Legislative Agenda
The Board and the agency staff undertook major initiatives in response to the critical [financial] situation: adoption by the Board of a historic first comprehensive budget proposal for submission to the governor and the General Court. This proposal requested a $4.3 million increase in state funding for library programs, including a $1.5 million increase in State Aid to Public Libraries.

It paid off: Governor Weld signed into law a $3.5 million increase for public library funding, increasing the MBLC's total budget to $22,214,225.2

TODAY: The MBLC's FY 2016 budget, approved by the House, is $25,382,675. In addition to the print agenda, the MBLC creates a web version of the legislative agenda.3

What else happened in 1993?

  • Ruth Bader Ginsburg was appointed to the Supreme Court (June 14).4
  • Five people were arrested and a sixth was sought in the bombing of the World Trade Center in New York (March 29).4
  • Eric Clapton swept the Grammys, winning Record of the Year, Album of the Year, and Song of the Year.4

References:
1. Image from MBLC files.
2. 104th Annual Report of the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, 1993.
3. mblclegislativeagenda.com [link].
4. infoplease.com [link].