The last two months have been very active for the New Hampshire State Library. Our quadrennial right of passage, for those who would be president, has been getting even more attention. Many of us in New Hampshire get to meet at least one of the candidates. Recently, John McCain was at the Political Library to make a speech seeking the independent vote and we were able to get him to sign some memorabilia, posters and the like. In October, the Political Library donated to the State of New Hampshire a permanent display, made of granite and brick, which identifies the winners of the First in the National Presidential Primary from 1952 to 1996. A New Hampshire historical marker is part of the display, which highlights the importance of the event in United States political history.

After a six-week trail period of the databases, the State Library, in consultation with many librarians around the state, has chosen the Bell and Howell product Proquest. A contract is expected to be signed shortly with Bell and Howell. The databases will then be available in February. A great deal of work has gone into evaluating all vendor bids to choose the best database for New Hampshire's needs. Theresa Paré of our Electronic and Government Section has done an outstanding job in heading this project. Assisting her was Diana Degan who spent hours on the phone with potential vendors getting clarification on the products they offer. This State Library is again taking the lead to assist New Hampshire libraries in providing new sources to their patrons.