As a participant in the State Aid to Public Libraries Program administered by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC), the Swansea Free Public Library must comply with requirements for minimum funding and service standards as stated in Massachusetts General Laws (MGL), Chapter 78, Section 19A and 19B and further defined in the Code of Massachusetts Regulations (605 CMR 4.00).

Public libraries in Massachusetts that do not meet the minimum standards for funding and service necessary for certification by the MBLC are ‘decertified’ by the Board. As such they are not eligible to receive state aid to public libraries funding, apply for LSTA grants or contract with a region to provide supplemental services.

Code of Massachusetts Regulations (605 CMR 4.01) states that certified public libraries are not required to loan materials to residents of municipalities with decertified libraries. 

The Swansea Free Public Library supports the importance of municipalities and their libraries maintaining a minimum standard of public library services and funding required for certification by the MBLC. Therefore, the Swansea Free Public Library will not lend materials to municipalities that have been decertified. Exceptions may be made when a library is not certified because of conditions beyond the community’s control such as fire or natural disaster.

Public libraries that receive waivers from the MBLC are considered certified. Residents of communities where the library has received a waiver will be allowed to borrow materials from the Swansea Free Public Library.

The Swansea Free Public Library continues to extend access to its materials for use in the library by all Massachusetts residents as required by 605 CMR 4.01(l), which states that all residents of the Commonwealth shall have access to its reading and reference rooms under the same conditions as residents of the community.

 

Approved: Swansea Free Public Library Board of Trustees, 3/23/2026