A budget cut of 10% or more means that the Ventress Memorial Library will no longer meet the criteria to be certified by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) to receive state aid, and will need to apply for a waiver.
The Ventress Memorial Library is currently facing a budget cut of 10.4% for fiscal year 2027, starting July 1st 2026. This is represented in Budget A in the town meeting warrant. Budget B in the warrant is a possible budget that depends on a $4 million budget override and wouldn’t take effect until after the fall town meeting, if the override passes. The budget proposed by the library contained only the 2.5% increase needed to remain certified with the MBLC.
Decertification means that Marshfield residents wouldn’t be able to use any other libraries in Massachusetts. This means:
- No more holds from other libraries (including digital holds from Libby).
- Marshfield cards will no longer be accepted at other libraries like Duxbury and Scituate.
- Marshfield residents won’t be allowed to register for or use library cards at any other library in the state, including the Boston Public Library – you will only be able to check out the items Marshfield has on its shelves.
This page will be updated as we have more information. Last update 4/7/26.