This month marks the retirement of a New Hampshire librarian who has given tirelessly of herself to the library community for more than 50 years. Fran Wiggin of Bedford has been a colleague and a friend to many of us for a long time. Fran has served not just the town of Bedford, but the entire library community for many years. She served as President of the N.H. Library Association, but more importantly she was membership Chair for more than 40 years.

As Chair of the Membership Committee she worked tirelessly to raise the viability of the organization and to bring new members into the Association showing them the benefits of working together. When a new librarian was hired at a public library chances are one of the first calls they received was from Fran telling them she would be sending a membership form to fill out and send back. This was Fran's friendly way of telling the new members of the New Hampshire library community they were welcome and their colleagues wanted to meet them.

One of the annual events I always waited for has been the annual auction, run by Fran at the fall meeting of NHLA. The auction is the best way to raise money for the scholarship fund. Many students have been able to pursue graduate study in librarianship because of the funds provided by New Hampshire librarians. Fran had an uncanny way of getting people to part with lots more money than they intended at the auction. I got caught more than once buying something I could have gotten a lot cheaper somewhere else. However, one of my real treasures is an item sold at last year's auction, a Star Wars wastebasket from the world famous Pantano collection of American kitsch.

I pay tribute to Fran because of her contributions to our community, but I also write about her because I think she exemplifies so many librarians in New Hampshire who work everyday to provide the best they possible can to the citizens in their communities. Librarians in towns all over the state are doing an outstanding job, Fran is just one example.

We all wish Fran the best in her retirement, she and Ralph have earned it. Happy Trails, Fran, please keep in touch.