Howard Award for Courage

Former Keene Public Library director, Jane Rustin, is the 1999 recipient of the American Library Association (ALA) Paul Howard Award for Courage. The $1,000 bi-annual award and citation honor a librarian, library board, library group or individual who has exhibited unusual courage for the benefit of library programs or services.

Rustin, former director of the Allegany County (MD) Library System, resigned as director after an unanimous vote by the library board to filter the Internet in the library.

Norberta Winborne, jury chair, said Rustin was selected "for her courage to protect the rights of customers or patrons to have access to any and all subject materials without restrictions regardless of age or educational levels."

The Howard Award will be presented Tuesday, June 29th, at the ALA Awards Reception during the associations annual conference in New Orleans.

GRAFTON LIBRARY AWARDED CLIF SPONSORSHIP GRANT

The Grafton Public Library was among twelve rural town libraries to be chosen to receive a Scholarship Grant from the Children's Literacy Foundation (CLIF). The foundation subsidizes the purchase of books for children up to the age of 12 for public libraries in towns with populations of under 5,000.

Founded in March 1998 by Dun-can McDougall of Etna, N.H., CLIF is dedicated to nurturing a love of reading and writing among children throughout rural New Hampshire and Vermont.

Because of the lack of great books to read, children in many rural communities never have the opportunity to embark on journeys of wonder and imagination that great books provide. As a result, many children have difficulty in basic reading and writing skills and therefore encounter increased obstacles throughout their lives.

The foundation's subsidy involves a 2-to-1 match of funds up to a total of $900. In most cases, CLIF awards the libraries $600; libraries are required to raise the remaining 1/3, or $300. Sponsored libraries receive a list of more than 500 book titles from which to choose. These include classics, Caldicott and Newbery award winners, recent titles, and a wide selection of books by local writers and illustrators.

CLIF provides useful materials, ideas, and general support to help librarians, parents, and other book enthusiasts to promote the love of reading and writing among children, as well as building community participation through the stimulation and channeling of community members' time, energy, skills, and creativity toward promoting children's literacy.

Librarian, Mary L. Gove has already submitted the list of book titles designated for Grafton Public Library. An open house to celebrate the books' arrival is being planned with Mr. McDougall in attendance.

Newbury Public Library Opens New Facility

The Newbury Public Library opened in its renovated building on May 29, 1999. Local architect, Patricia Sherman, of Sherman, Greiner, Halle, Ltd. of Concord, designed the new facility to reflect the architectural features of other nearby town-owned buildings. Constructed by Bruss Construction of Bradford, the new library, which quadruples the space of the former building, offers patrons comfortable reading and browsing spaces, an upgraded automated system, disabled access, and beautifully landscaped grounds.

The library, which operated out of temporary quarters all winter, was very busy during its first week of operation. The consensus of opinion is that the town is very fortunate to have such an extraordinary new library.

WEEKS MEMORIAL LIBRARY DEDICATES NEW ADDITION

Weeks Memorial Library's new addition, which was dedicated late last month, displays an architectural awareness by its planners for the classic designs that is rare in this day and age, even as it helps assure the library's place in the community in the coming century.

Plans for the addition started five years ago when library officials first began addressing the shortage of space which has been a problem for the library for a number of years. What followed was a plan put together by a Building and Expansion Committee and $1.3 million in funding efforts. The committee interviewed a number of architects and selected Thomas Wallace, of Tennant/Wallace Architects. Wallace worked closely with library officials to come up with a design which not only doubled the library space, met fire and accessibility needs, but also retained the architectural integrity of the original 1908 Weeks building.

It all culminated on April 24 with the ribbon-cutting ceremony begun at 10 a.m. by the arrival up the new steps of a color guard from White Mountains Regional High School's ROTC, followed by soloist Brenda Bray and an invocation by The Rev. Curtis Smith. At the end of the ceremony, Librarian Barbara Robarts cut a ribbon which had been placed across the head of the steps. The crowd then gathered inside for an open house.

The open house featured entertainment, artisans and crafters, as well as tables for regional authors Katherine and John Paterson, Marc Sutherland, George MacAvoy, Wilbur Willey, Mike Dickerman, Michael Phillips, Paul Doherty, Trudy Ann Parker and Carole Lamirande - all on hand to greet the public.