FROM THE DESK OF THE STATE LIBRARIAN

This year's annual trip to Washington, D.C. for N.H. Librarians' Day was, as usual, a real success. We had 42 librarians from all over the state join us on our one-day trip to the Nation's capital. In the past, Congressman Bass' office has helped us with arrangements, this year Senator Sununu's staff assisted us with the planning and execution. I would like to thank Senator Sununu and his staff, Jon Van Arsdell and Jeffrey Y. Grappone for assisting us this year. We were a little more adventurous this year in that we used the Washington Metro to get around the city, specifically from the National Portrait Gallery to Capitol Hill. The Metro is very easy to use as anyone who has used it can attest, however, keeping 42 people together can be a challenge. We didn't lose anyone. After our visit to the portrait gallery, which has some of the most important paintings done in the New World since 1607. After an outstanding tour by the docents at the National Portrait Gallery, we headed to Capitol Hill for lunch at the Library of Congress in the Montpelier Room of the Madison Building, the newest of the three LC buildings on Capitol Hill. We then traveled through the tunnel in the basement of the building across to the Jefferson Building for a meeting with Dr. James Billington, Librarian of Congress. The meeting with Dr. Billington has been the highlight of the trip to Washington for a number of years. If he is in town, he has always made the effort to meet with the group from New Hampshire.

-Michael York, State Librarian