Lee Public Library

The Lee Public Library will be receiving free Mediaone Road Runner service during the month of May. Patrons will have access to four terminals for Internet access. Thanks to volunteer Jim Morrill and the Timberland Company we will have enough computers for patrons. No more waiting for the Internet at the library.

We will also have a fifth computer set up for scanning historical documents. This computer will have an historical database for those patrons/visitors seeking genealogical information. This PC will have access to the Internet and will list a series of genealogical sites for patron/visitor use.

In other news, on May 24, 2000, thanks to the Timberland Company and one of our thoughtful patrons team, Timberland will paint and sheetrock the unfinished storytime/program/booksale basement. They will also paint the adult fiction and non-fiction room to match the rest of the library. In addition, new bookcases will be built and painted for the booksale area. Our handicapped ramp needs painting every spring and they will do this as well. We are very grateful for their volunteer spirit to the Lee Public Library. Our patrons, young and old, will benefit from this special volunteer effort.

BOSCAWEN PUBLIC LIBRARY

In March the Boscawen Public Library received a gift of $125,000 (with a possible additional $100,000 in the fall of 2000). The Board of Library Trustees would like to build a new library, combining the main library and its branch (both at opposite ends of town). The State of New Hampshire is willing to sell a piece of property the trustees have long been interested in purchasing.

NEW CASTLE PUBLIC LIBRARY GETS DONATION

The library and the town have both been overwhelmed and blessed with a remarkable act of generosity, which began from unremarkable circumstances. To honor their late mother, Janet E. Macomber, her son, George Macomber, and her daughter, Gail Deaver, have planted a seed of kindness and caring to benefit the island their mother loved so dearly. They are delighted to be involved with such a public-use type memorial for the residents of New Castle. Their donation of $75,000 will be used to create a multipurpose reading/meeting room for use of town committees, library trustees, social clubs, reading groups, story hours, and even a tea party to honor Janet! The room, scheduled for completion in August, will be available for use by organizations for civic, cultural or educational activities.

A faraway vision has been delivered from "if only" to "what if" and now to "why not"? We are so proud to be a part of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to better the world we live in by creating this special room as a refuge from the noise and confusion of the outside world and grant Janet her wish to one more act of kindness for the Great Island Community.

FULLER PUBLIC LIBRARY COLLABORATES IN BARBARA BUSH FAMILY LITERACY GRANT

Recently, the Hillsboro-Deering SAU 34 was awarded a Barbara Bush Family Literacy Grant of approximately $48,000. The collaborative grant proposal submitted by the SAU, Fuller Public Library and Hillsboro Head Start was one of eleven accepted of the five hundred applications submitted nationwide.

The "Hillsboro Family Literacy" project will offer integrated family literacy services to expand the services currently offered. The project will target approximately 15 families, (20 adults and 35 children, ages 0-7) in an attempt to promote the importance of literacy at a family level. Priority will be given to those families with the greatest number of the following characteristics: low literacy level; less than 12 years of education; low income; limited English Language skills; single parent families; teen parents; and individuals with disabilities and other special needs.

A Family Literacy Coordinator will be hired through the grant and will oversee the coordinator and evaluation of the program, in addition to providing instructional activities for participating families. Fuller Public Library's adult literacy program, Project LIFT, will offer individual and small group instruction for parents. A Summer Readiness Program and an After School Program for pre-school and school age children will be provided by Hillsboro Head Start and the Hillsboro-Deering Elementary School. In addition, the three sponsoring organizations will collaborate to offer intergenerational family literacy activities.

This grant represents a unique opportunity for the Hillsboro community to address the educational needs of its underserved population. Although adult literacy has been a priority for the Fuller Public Library since the inception of its library-based adult literacy program, Project LIFT, in 1992, this grant allows the library to intensify its services to undereducated families.

SMALL LIBRARY, LARGE LAW FIRM: A WINNING COMBINATION

A small library in New Hampshire received a helping hand from a large law firm in Boston, enabling it to keep its doors open to serve the community of East Andover, N.H.

In the 1930s, former governor of New Hampshire Naum Bachelder left money in a trust to build and maintain a library in East Andover, named after his father, William J. Bachelder. However, the archaic language of the will put such restrictions on the funds that by 1998, the library was in serious financial circumstances and was having trouble maintaining itself. The language of Governor Bachelder's 1930s will allowed the library to use only the interest from funds invested in bonds, and not any of the increased value from the trust's investments in common stocks. Thus, the increased value of the trust holdings was lost to the library. If the meaning of the language of the will could be adjusted, the library would be able to continue its operations. Fortunately, Alex Bernhard, a Senior Partner at Hale and Dorr LLP, lives in East Andover and offered the Firm's services without charge to solve this problem.

With the collaboration of the Concord, N.H. law firm of Cleveland, Waters and Bass P.A. representing the Bank of New Hampshire, the trustee under Governor Bachelder's will, Mr. Bernhard and Lou Hamel, another Hale and Dorr Senior Partner, took on the case. In addition to petitioning the local probate court to use a more modern definition of "income", Mr. Hamel wrote a persuasive brief arguing for the redefining of the historical definition of "interest".

The New Hampshire Attorney General's office for Charitable Trusts concurred with Messrs. Hamel and Bernhard, and supported the lifting of constraints on the library's trust. On February 11, the Merrimack County Probate Court granted the Hale and Dorr petition and allowed the trustee to take into account the appreciation of the trust's stock investment. With the historical meaning of "interest" redefined, the library's trust will produce approximately 50% more income than before, assuring that its doors will stay open to the citizens of East Andover.

Sandra Graves, Library Trustee, is delighted with the outcome. "The Trustees and patrons are so pleased with this," she said. "Changing the trust means we will continue to operate, continue to buy books, and remain a viable resource for the community. The work done by Hale and Dorr has really made a difference."

Alex Bernhard stated, "There are so many benefits that my wife and I receive from living in East Andover that it's nice to have the opportunity to give something back."

Hale and Dorr LLP is a nationally preeminent high-technology law firm. The Firm is proud of its reputation for advising and guiding emerging growth companies, especially those in the technology, Internet, and life sciences markets. For further information, visit our web site at www.haledorr.com.

- Source: Hale and Dorr LLP Boston

RINDGE LIBRARIAN IS RMS HERO

Jeanne Olson, children's librarian at Ingalls Memorial Library, visited classrooms, Tuesday, April 25 at Rindge Memorial School (RMS), where she was honored as the schools' Hero of the Month.

Each month throughout the year the school recognizes a local resident who exhibits the following characteristics: bravery, kindness, persistence, and helpfulness.

Olson started her library career as a volunteer at RMS. The school librarian encouraged her to become certified because she had a way with children and a love of books.

During the past 10 years as children's librarian, she has been responsible for the summer reading program, which has grown substantially. She donated last year's grand price - a bicycle.

Two years ago she began a bedtime reading program. On Tuesday evenings in February from her home she responds to parents' requests and reads stories over the phone to Rindge children. This year there were so many requests for stories she recruited Franklin Pierce College students to help.

- Source: Monadnock Ledge, 4/27/2000