GREENFIELD — City and state officials, leaders of nonprofits and public library advocates gathered at the Greenfield Public Library Thursday morning for the annual legislative breakfast, where all those who spoke emphasized the role libraries serve as a community hub and the importance of supporting them.

Directors of local libraries, as well as representatives from a variety of state and regional organizations, emphasized in particular the importance of increasing state aid for local libraries and funding resource-sharing systems.

“State aid is local aid that goes right to the libraries,” said Shutesbury resident Karen Traub, who serves on the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.

Misha Storm, director of Northfield’s Dickinson Memorial Library, said every year, state aid “comes to the rescue” of small-town libraries.

“When I think about how Northfield uses its state aid funding to affect one person at a time, I think about access to technology,” Storm said. “Northfield uses state aid to purchase computers for patron use, to pay ... our library’s Comcast bills, and to pay for weekly tech training for senior citizens. We have to fight to keep this funding strong. Libraries in western Mass vary greatly ... but we all need better access to tech for our patrons.”

Two other library directors — Colrain’s Griswold Memorial Library Director Chelsea Jordan-Makely and Ashfield’s Belding Memorial Library Director Sarah Hertel-Fernandez — spoke about their efforts to expand access at the Franklin County Jail and House of Correction by bringing literary programming to the women’s unit. According to Jordan-Makely, there are fewer than 150 programs across the country that provide library services inside jails.

“This is something to be proud of for western Mass,” she said.

One major barrier they’ve discovered to this expansion, however, is the lack of access to digital content and the unavailability of hardcover books.

“Restrictions are a real factor in providing services to people who are incarcerated,” Jordan-Makely said.

State Reps. Natalie Blais, D-Deerfield, and Susannah Whipps, I-Athol, as well as Elena Cohen, who spoke on behalf of Sen. Jo Comerford, assured guests at the event Thursday that they have the support of their local delegation.

“I’m a proud member of the library caucus,” said Blais. “It was one of the first caucuses I joined when I joined the Legislature. Whether you’re a rural community or a city like Greenfield, libraries are the heartbeats of our communities.”

Blais also touted the bill, H.3239, which seeks to authorize library access to electronic books and digital audiobooks. As for the budget, she said, while local legislators intend to fight on behalf of public libraries, she wants to “manage expectations” as budget season gets underway in the state.

“It will be so important to have your voices in the room as the Ways and Means Committee hosts budget hearings,” Blais said. “It will be critically important to ensure we’re talking about the importance of funding libraries as we host budget hearings throughout the entire commonwealth.”

Whipps echoed a similar sentiment of support for area libraries.

“When we talk about advocacy ... speak up,” she said. “Talk about how important this library is to a community; how important the funding line items are to you. Be loud. Make sure you don’t use your librarian voices.”

Before closing out the event, Lisa Prolman, assistant director of the Greenfield Public Library, offered thanks to the legislators in the audience, as well as those who couldn’t be there.

“I have been attending legislative breakfasts for many years,” Prolman said. “And one thing I will say is we have always been especially lucky in our corner of Massachusetts to have legislators who have uniformly and unconditionally supported us.”

Reporter Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-930-4429. Twitter (X): @MaryEByrne.