GRANITE BLOCKS: BUILDING N.H. LIBRARIES

by Susan Palmatier, Library Consultant
N.H. State Library
North Country Office, Lancaster

From town meetings held on March 12th comes both good news and bad news regarding new or expanded New Hampshire libraries. Expanding a site for the Abbott Library in Sunapee was turned down; a new library in Hudson failed; but a new library for Atkinson (65% of Atkinson voters approved a new library in that SB2 town, contrary to last year when the proposal failed by 24 votes), and a Capital Reserve fund to renovate and expand the Ingalls Memorial Library in Rindge both passed.

Jefferson residents voted 59 to 58 not to accept the gift of the Kenison homestead, a 19th-century farmhouse in the center of town, as the site for the future town library. However, they did vote 86 to 30 to authorize the library building committee to explore options for a new structure and to withdraw up to $20,000 from the Library Expandable Trust Fund to pay for professional services for the project. They also voted 72 to 44 to raise and appropriate $50,000 to add to the current account. One of the selectmen said these votes prove that the town "is serious about having a new library." The current Jefferson Public Library is not accessible, has no water, and is only 998 square feet in area; there is no room to expand on site.