July 21st started out a little damp, but by 5:30 the skies in Durham had cleared and more than 300 people turned out for the dedication of the Durham Public Library. Joining in the festivities were Governor Jeanne Shaheen, UNH President Joan Leitzel, and State Librarian Kendall Wiggin. Marjorie Smith, the chairperson of the Board of Library Trustees, opened the ceremony by talking about how the public library could better serve the general reading and information needs of the community than could the University of New Hampshire Library. Since 1906, the university had, by agreement with the town, provided library service to Durham residents. In return, the town paid the university an annual fee. The 30,000 books in the newly renovated 2,964 square foot former discount store in the Durham Marketplace plaza on Mill Road, were donated by the university along with shelving and furniture. In addition, the university is giving the library $250,000 for a three-year period. In her remarks, President Leitzel said the University would continue to care about the library and both libraries would continue to cooperate.

Mrs. Smith acknowledged the many individuals and local groups, including the Friends of the Library, for the tremendous job they did in helping the trustees make the library a reality. She noted that although this has been a four years effort, it took only five months from the time the townspeople voted to establish a library to the dedication of the new library.

Mr. Wiggin told those gathered that in the day and age of the Internet and CD-ROM's, his answer is always an unequivocal yes when he is asked if we still need libraries. He said that new technologies are important, not as a replacement for libraries, but as new resources for today's libraries.

Governor Shaheen expressed her excitement over the new technologies in libraries and said libraries will play an increasingly important role as places where a majority of residents in a community will come to get their Internet access. The Governor and Mrs. Smith then unveiled the sign over the entrance to the new library which is scheduled to open in August. Terry Farish, who many New Hampshire librarians know as both an author and librarian, was selected from a field of 19 candidates to be the librarian. The library will be open Tuesday's from noon-8:00 p.m. and Thursday from 9:00-5:00.