Library Director Jennifer Jones told the Lakeville Library Board of Trustees that statewide subscription cuts will remove several specialized research databases from the statewide package effective July 1.

Jones listed specific resources that the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) is cutting from the shared statewide subscriptions: Peterson’s Career & Test Prep, Transparent Language, HeritageQuest and several specialized Gale In Context modules. She said the MBLC retained broader Gale resources but removed more specialized titles to reduce costs. Jones said the MBLC has published guidance and the library will share information with patrons via social media.

Jones told trustees the cuts take effect July 1 and that the MBLC and the Massachusetts Higher Education Consortium are exploring pricing options should funding be restored. She said, however, that “no one really knows if and when the funding will be restored,” and that schools and academic libraries would be disproportionately affected.

Trustees asked whether the cuts were the MBLC’s choice; Jones explained that MBLC prioritized broad coverage and kept general Gale resources while removing specialized modules. The board did not take formal action on the matter but asked staff to provide public-facing information and to monitor any consortium purchasing options.

The director said the library will attempt to support students and patrons with alternative resources and that the library will post updates as the MBLC or consortium decisions evolve.