LSTA has been reauthorized (it was signed by President Bush) with a minimum gross allotment for states at twice the level that was authorized last time. This means that NH would get about 50% more than last time in FY05 (which begins October 1, 2004).

Preservation Grants: 34 proposals were received; the state library has $70,000 to give away.

Center for the Book - 603-271-2866

The Center for the Book will create a NH Authors' Room where the Patent and Trademark Depository Library (PTDL) now resides; $5000 has been received for tables, chairs, and shelving. NH Correction Industries will custom build a locking display case designed by Mary Russell. The room will house a rotating collection of books by NH authors, and a permanent collection of the Dublin Award winners.

Michael York and Mary Russell attended the National Book Festival in D.C. in early October and brought an exhibit from the Center for the Book at the NH State Library at the Festival's Pavilion of States.

Library Development Services - 1-800-462-1726 (Lancaster)

At the North Country Office on September 17, a representative from Informata (part of Baker & Taylor) demonstrated Bibliostat Collect and Bibliostat Connect to Mike York, Janet Eklund, Tom Ladd, and Sue Palmatier. Bibliostat Collect is a web-based program for gathering public library statistics; Bibliostat Connect is a web-based peer comparison tool that offers up-to-date FSCS (federal), Public Library Association, and other statistical databases so libraries can check their data elements against those of other libraries inside and outside their own states. Permutations and combinations of variables are possible, and results can be displayed in colorful graphs, charts, and maps. We have purchased Bibliostat Collect, and hope to add Bibliostat Connect when we have the funds.

Bibliostat Collect will be used to gather the NH Public Library Annual Report data for FY2003 (from both July/June and January/December libraries). Everyone will have a common deadline in the spring of 2004. All public libraries will be brought up to date as more information on training and other concerns becomes available. If you have questions in the meantime, please call or e-mail Sue Palmatier, State Data Coordinator, at 1-800-462-1726 or spalmatier@library.state.nh.us. This is an exciting step in gathering information for the NH Public Library Annual Report and making it available more quickly -- and accurately -- to the NH library community, the feds, and other US libraries.

The NH Library Association's Fall Library Conference will take place on November 6 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Eagle Pond Lodge in Danbury. The theme of the conference is "From Pay Equity to the Patriot Act." To access more information and a registration form, visit http://webster.state.nh.us/nhla/fallconference03.doc.

Library Services to Persons with Disabilities - 1-800-491-4200

NLS is sending fewer new machines to the Talking Book libraries now, probably because of a decrease in the budget. The number of new machines does not match the number of new clients, so the Section is using older, repaired, less reliable machines.  There seems to have been no decline in the number of materials produced.

Network Services - 603-271-2141

Network Services reports that the temporary elimination of "non-guideline" charges has been extended for another year to allow for more detailed statistics on the costs of cataloging through OCLC for the year.

Also, Network Services announces that shelf-list cards now cost libraries $0.20 each. Budget cuts make this imperative. The alternative was to stop card production all together.

Special Services - (Family Resource Connection) - 1-800-298-4321

The Family Resource Connection has received a $5000 grant from the Department of Education for a drop-out prevention program that will incorporate libraries; Nancy is working with the DOE group to see how the Section can help. They've applied for another $5000, but the Governor's budget has cut the amount available to $2500.

The Section has a Spanish-language collection, and finally has a flyer to advertise it and a cover letter to accompany the bibliography. Alice Nye is now seeking someone to record a greeting on the 800 line and tointerpret any Spanish language messages that are left.

Alice Nye reported that she and Ann Hoey had attended the "21st Century Learner" conference in Washington in mid-September; it encouraged partnerships among public media, schools, libraries, and other agencies.