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MBLC Celebrates 125 Years

2014

Athol Public Library is the first in the State to receive Platinum LEED certification

Athol Public Library was the first in the state to achieve Platinum LEED certification.
(MBLC Flickr Account)


The Athol Public Library Goes Green
The town of Athol expanded their original 1918 Carnegie library building by 16,000 square feet and brought new life to Athol's downtown area. The project made sustainability and environmental friendliness a priority, and received Platinum Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, the highest level attainable. This certification was the first in Massachusetts, and one of the first for a library in the nation.1 (Travel back to 1902 for before-and-after photos.)

State Increases Support for Libraries
Governor Deval Patrick signed the $36.5 billion FY 2015 state budget on July 11, 2014. All seven Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) budget lines received increases. The State Aid to Public Libraries (9501) budget line was increased by over $2 million and Technology and Resource Sharing (9506) was increased by $800,000.2

What else happened in 2014?

  • President Obama resumed normal relations between the U.S. and Cuba.3
  • Russia invaded the Ukrainian territory of Crimea, prompting their ouster from the G8.3
  • American folk singer Pete Seeger died at the age of 94.3

References:
1. MBLC news release from January 28, 2014 [link].
2. MBLC news release from May 19, 2014 [link].
3. 2014 - Wikipedia entry [link].