On February 13th Governor Shaheen presented her budget to the Legislature. For the first time in six years the budget contained some good news for the Department of Cultural Affairs, including the State Library. The Governor has called for adding two new positions - a Library Technician and a Computer Systems Specialist to assist the State Library and state agencies with Webster, the web page for New Hampshire State Government. Whether the new positions will survive the budget process remains to be seen and although there are some reductions in the operating budget, major items such as the library materials budget and funding for OCLC records remain level funded. The budget period is for July 1, 1997 - June 30, 1998.

State Librarian Kendall Wiggin noted that he was pleased with the support the Governor has shown for Webster and hopes that the State Library budget may now have turned a corner. It is through the State Library budget that services and programs that assist public and school libraries such as van delivery, article express, consultant services, bibliographic services, the union catalog, and reference services are funded. The Governor has also signed an agreement with the State Employees Association providing the first pay raises in more than four years. Not included in the Governor's proposed capital budget was a request by the State Library for $320,000 to upgrade staff computers, public access terminals, the State Library's LAN, and a new system for the talking book library.