Administration - 603-271-2392

Applications for the final round of the Gates Staying Connected Technical Support Grant will be available online the first week in March.

Center for the Book - 603-271-2866

The new Ladybug Picture Book Award nominees for 2007 can be found at the Center for the Book at the NH State Library blog at http://nhbookcenter.blogspot.com/search/label/Ladybug%20Picture%20Book%20Award

Electronic and Government Information Services - 603-271-2143

45 new libraries, from across the state, have joined the NH Downloadable Audio Book Consortium. More than half of the new third round libraries joining the consortium in February serve small communities numbering less than 2500 in population. This brings the total number of libraries participating in the program to 79.

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

A Children's Book Review will be held at the Richards Free Library in Newport. The Review will be held during library hours from Tuesday, April 10 through Saturday, April 14. Librarians are invited to come and preview new titles in children's and YA fiction and nonfiction. All attendees will receive free books following the review.

The CHILIS Spring Conference, which features the Kids, Books and the Arts Showcase, will be held on Thursday, April 5 at Sawyer's Banquet Hall in Plaistow. More information as well as the conference registration form can be found on the CHILIS website at www.chilisnh.org

The application for the Kids, Books and the Arts grant will be posted to the state library website in early March. The deadline for grant applications is Wednesday, April 18.

Public library statistics for 2004 and 2005 are now available on the state library website at www.nh.gov/nhsl/lds/public_library_stats.html

Please see the CHILIS website at www.chilisnh.org for the NH Summer Reading Program order forms for t-shirts and tote bags.

Library Services to Persons with Disabilities - 603-271-1498/1-800-491-4200

The Talking Book Services Section has added PlayAway self-contained digital audio books to its circulating collection. This DAB format is another add-on service to compliment the "Unabridged" downloadable digital audio book and descriptive video collections the state library has made available to NH residents who are blind, visually impaired, or physically disabled either permanently or temporarily. Eligible individuals must be registered and active in the National Library Service Talking Books Program of the Library of Congress.