The Trustees of the Nesmith Library are pleased to announce that Pat Skinner was awarded the Dorothy M. Little Award for Library Excellence. The N.H. Library Trustees Association Executive Board presents the award for "Outstanding Library Service in the Community and Throughout the State."

The Honorable Patricia Skinner, known to all as Pat, is a most unassuming person in spite of her many contributions and accomplishments. Pat was and is very active in promoting the Nesmith Library and encouraging the citizens of Windham to be part of the library. She has been a Nesmith Library Trustee for 24 years (serving many years as Chairman). It is almost taken for granted that Pat will be involved in library events and programs, if not out in front, then behind the scenes.

As a State Representative, Pat specialized in understanding legislation involving libraries and was instrumental in sponsoring bills that improved the position of libraries in New Hampshire. She served on the Governor's Task Force on Libraries and was recently nominated by Governor Shaheen to serve on the N.H. State Library Advisory Council.

Pat's terms of service do not fully describe the challenges that she successfully overcame. For example, as a library trustee on the building committee she had to persevere for many years, designs and Town Meetings to convince everyone that a new building was the correct course of action. As a silent testament, in just three years library usage has doubled with many new services and programs. Windham is justifiably proud of the new facility and pleased that Pat prevailed.

We have only just begun to mention all that Pat has achieved for not only our town library but also for libraries in general on both state and national levels. Last year her name was added to the American Library Association's Honor Roll of Library Advocates. A tireless champion of libraries and education, Pat has defined new standards of excellence that we now take for granted.