N.H. TOWN MEETING ROUND-UP

Bartlett - The town of Bartlett voted and passed a warrant article to put $35,000 into a Capital Reserve Fund for the purchase of acquisition of land and construction of a new Bartlett Public Library. This reserve fund now totals $70,000.

submitted by Jean Garland, Director
Bartlett Public Library

Bradford - The Brown Memorial Library successfully added a new day to their hours: Sunday, 11-3

submitted by Meg Fearnley, Director
Brown Memorial Library, Bradford

Dunbarton - Only library-related issue was for replacing the roof and painting the building. Not only did the town approve the article (submitted by Selectmen), but they increased the amount by $8,000 to upgrade from the proposed metal "slate line" roofing to a composite shingle that will look exactly like the current slate shingles.

submitted by Nancy Lang, Director
Dunbarton Public Library

Gilford - Warrant article was passed giving authorization to the Board of Selectmen to accept the gift of a substantially complete new library. The new library will be built by the Friends of the Library with the donations of private individuals including a single $3 million gift. Groundbreaking will take place in May 2007.

submitted by Katherine Dormody, Director
Gilford Public Library

Greenland - Three successful warrant articles; $125,000 Capital Reserve Fund for the future growth of the library; $58,700 to correct electrical and heating deficiencies in the current building; and $15,000 to establish an expandable maintenance fund.

submitted by Denise Grimse, Director
Weeks Public Library

Lee - Voters approved a 13% budget increase to fund pay raises for all library staff, based on a pay equity study presented by the Board of Trustees. Voters approved a warrant article to spend $30,000 for a land use options study to determine possible sites for future town facilities, including town hall, the library, historic and recreational facilities.

submitted by Lisa Morin, Director
Lee Public Library

Mason - The Mason Public Library budget combined salaries and book and was voted a 3.13% increase. There was no warrant or bond issues this year.

submitted by - Staff at Mason Public Library

New London - Voters approved a $197,000 bond article for the design and construction of repairs to Tracy Memorial Library, including roof repairs, furnace replacement and installation of air conditioning. New London voters also approved a general budget of $429,400 and additional deposits of $20,000 into the library's building maintenance fund and $7,000 into the library's computer fund.

submitted by Sandra Licks, Director
Tracy Memorial Library

Peterborough - Town Meeting voted a warrant article ($31,000) to make the public bathrooms ADA compliant, and to hire an architect to do a conceptual design/feasibility study for a new facility.

submitted by Michael Price, Director
Peterborough Town Library

Randolph - The town of Randolph voted to accept the sum of all money raised by the Friends of the Randolph Public Library for the construction of a new public library. The Friends Building Committee raised a total of over $400,000 for this project. Construction is scheduled to begin in May. The building has been designed by Tennant/Wallace Architects, AIA, and will be connected to the Randolph Town Hall, which will be undergoing a renovation, allowing the library to share bathroom and kitchen facilities, as well as large meeting rooms. The new library will feature a White Mountain Reading Room and local archives. This joint project will create a vibrant "community center" for the Town. The present library has been limited to seasonal summer operation for the past 70 years. We are very excited. Watch for our grant opening sometime in 2008!

submitted by Yvonne Jenkins, Director
Randolph Public Library

Rindge - Voters voted to use $20,000 of a Capital Reserve Fund to retrofit the exit door in the Children's Room, installing a safety railing and replacing the existing entrance door of the library. The town voted to discontinue the Capital Reserve Fund of approximately $90,000 (money to go into surplus to offset cost of current projects and to reduce the tax rate). The Town voted to allow the library to establish a Capital Reserve Fund for the purpose of renovations and future expansion ($100) to be placed in this fund.

submitted by Diane Gardenour, Director
Ingalls Memorial Library

Salisbury - The voters of Salisbury passed the warrant article for the library renovation and expansion project. "To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $280,000 for the purpose of renovating and adding onto the current Library and to fund this appropriation by withdrawing $43,000 from the Library Capital Reserve Fund, and withdrawing $20,000 from the unexpended fund balance, approximately 28% of the proceeds realized from the sale of the old fire station, and $192,000 to come from gifts and donations, with the balance of $25,000 to come from taxation." Construction is to start late spring.

submitted by Marica Stansfield, Director
Salisbury Free Library

Stratham - The Wiggin Memorial Library requested in our budget (which passed at town meeting) $5,000 to cover the cost of the Recorded Books/NetLibrary downloadable audiobooks program.

submitted by Lesley Kimball, Director
Wiggin Memorial Library

Wentworth - The budget for the Webster Memorial Library for 2007 included an increased of $11,600. Part of this increase is for adding a year-round handicapped access ramp to replace the current ramp which is unusable in winter. The rest is for other repairs and upkeep to the building and also for extra hours to get the automation system in place by the end of the year. The budget passed after an amendment for cutting the budget by nearly the same amount was narrowly defeated.

submitted by Nance Masterson, Director
Webster Memorial Library