Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners
Every resident of Massachusetts has free access to a statewide library system run by Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. With a local library card, students, parents, and teachers can use research databases, ebooks and audiobooks, and learning programs at no cost. Here is what is available and how to get it.
Massachusetts public libraries at a glance
Research databases: Massachusetts statewide databases (MBLC)
Massachusetts statewide databases (MBLC) is Massachusetts's free statewide research service.
Resources students can use inside Massachusetts statewide databases (MBLC) include:
- Gale In Context resources
- Encyclopedia Britannica (Library & School)
- Capstone PebbleGo (animals, biographies)
Ebooks & audiobooks: Commonwealth eBook Collections via the Palace app; also Libby (OverDrive), free with a library card.
Accessible reading & talking books
Students and family members who cannot read standard print (because of a visual, physical, or reading disability such as dyslexia) can get free audiobooks and braille through the state talking-book library, part of the national NLS network and its BARD download service. Two NLS libraries serve Massachusetts: the Perkins Braille & Talking Book Library (Watertown) and the Worcester Talking Book Library. Residents who can't read standard print qualify with a certified application.
Find a library & get a card
Use the official locator to find your nearest Massachusetts public library, hours, and how to get a card. Find a library →
Through Commonwealth Catalog, you can borrow materials from libraries across the state by interlibrary loan.