The State Library is applying for another Gates Foundation grant called "Staying Connected". If successful, we will receive $173,000 to cover three years of one or more projects: continuing education; upgrading local library connectivity; local hardware upgrades; and/or technical support. The State Library must match half of the $173,000.

Mike York is collaborating with John Harrigan on a digitization project for the Colebrook News and Sentinel; of special interest are selected North Country materials on logging history and the like.

Center for the Book - 603-271-2866

You can still order Ladybug Picture Book Award stickers. A picture of the stickers, price information, and an order form are available under "Voting and promotional materials for 2004" at: http://www.nh.gov/nhsl/bookcenter/programs/ladybug.html.

Electronic and Government Information Services - 603-271-2143

Diana Degen reported that database users will soon have access to HeritageQuest as well as AncestryPlus. HQ, unlike AP, will be available from both homes and libraries.

Library Development Services - 603-271-2865 (Concord) - 1-800-462-1726 (Lancaster)

Sue Palmatier announced that 209 libraries submitted the NH Public Library Annual Report for FY2003; 181 sent their data via Bibliostat Collect. Sue entered 27 from paper copies and one from phone information. The missing libraries included 14 that had received paper surveys and 7 that had requested usernames and passwords to work online but didn't, for one reason or another, follow through. Still, 91% of the 230 public libraries in NH in 2003 submitted their reports and 79% did it electronically. This is considered an excellent rate of return for NH's first year using the new program.

The Youth Services page of the state library's website has been updated, so take a look when you can. Some of the new links include the following: 100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know, The Booklist Center; Capitol Choices, Fifty Multicultural Books Every Child Should Know, Guys Read, Juvenile Series and Sequels, KidsReads.com, Family Fun, Fingerplays for Young Children, Let's Create a Flannelboard, Babytime!, The Mother Goose Pages, The Perpetual Preschool, Picture Books Listed by Theme, EZ (Teen) Library Programs, PBS Parents: Reading & Language, and Reading Rockets. To access the page, go to http://www.state.nh.us/nhsl/ldss/RGyouthservices.html.

Tom Ladd is putting together the Fall schedule of Modular courses - contact him immediately if you have any requests for specific courses or locations. tladd@library.state.nh.us or by phone at the Lancaster North Country Office.

If your library has a great Meeting Room Policy that might serve as a good example to others revising their policies, please send it to Tom Ladd (e-mail or weblink preferred!)

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The statewide Association of NH Library Friends organization has been largely inactive for several years. At a meeting of Friends of the Library held at the NH Library Trustees Association Conference this Spring, many there thought that it was time to revive the group . To that end, a meeting has been organized for those who would like to help with the resuscitation!

WHEN: 11 August 2004 Wednesday 10am - Noon
WHERE: Amherst Town Library, 14 Main St., Amherst, NH
WHAT: ANHLF Revival Meeting
WHO: for anyone who would like to help with reorganization & revival of ANHLF
WHY: we think libraries are great and their best friends are Friends!

For 30 years, ANHLF held conferences, issued a newsletter, gave awards, provided consulting to local Friends groups, gave scholarships, and fostered communication and sharing of ideas between local Friends of the Library groups in NH. Most local Friends groups were members of ANHLF.

If reconstituted, what role(s) should ANHLF undertake now? Does new technology (e.g. website, listserv...) provide new ways of doing some of these things? Are there a few good folks willing to undertake leadership or task oriented roles? The Treasurer and last remaining active member of the old ANHLF board will be at this meeting to support this effort.

Please RSVP to Tom Ladd at (800)462-1726 or by e-mail at tladd@library.state.nh.us.
If you can attend, let me know. If you forget, come anyway!
If you can't attend but would like to help, please let me know.
--Tom Ladd

NHAIS Services - 603-271-2141

Mary Russell of the NHAIS Section is working on guidelines for librarians who want to do original cataloging of local materials and contribute their records to NHU-PAC.

Reference and Information Services - 603-271-2144

The Reference and Information Services section has seen a change. Supervisor John McCormick left the state library in June and has been replaced by Donna Gilbreth. Donna had been supervisor of the Library Services to Persons with Disabilities Section for three years. Prior to that, she had been a reference librarian at the State Library for about 20 years.

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

There's a new Disaster Behavioral Health Response Collection at the State Library. The NH State Library is working with the Bureau of Emergency Management of the NH Department of Safety to build a special collection of resources to support the work of regional disaster behavioral health response teams that are being formed and trained to respond to disasters.

Materials in the collection are housed at the State Library and are being entered onto NHU-PAC for statewide availability through Interlibrary Loan. They concern different facets of crisis intervention, trauma, emergency management, terrorism and disasters. Specific materials acquired through this collaboration can be found by using the general keyword search terms "disaster behavioral health response services."

So far sixteen books have been acquired and are now available, but more will be added throughout the year.

Technical Services - 603-271-2316

The 2003 New Hampshire bound session laws are at the state library. They will be distributed to state agencies, public libraries and town offices within the next few weeks. Any questions about purchasing a copy should be referred to Aline at 271-2316.

The New Hampshire State Library online catalog is now available from the State Library home page. At the top of the Green menu Click on Catalog. The next screen displays information about the NHU-PAC, and NHSL Catalog. Click on NHSL Catalog, and begin searching. The web address for NHSL Catalog is www.catalognhsl.nh.gov.