NH LIBRARIANS' DAY
Thursday, September 13, 2007

I thoroughly enjoyed my 4th trip to Washington and highly recommend it as a day away with great people. The National Portrait Gallery was super with portraits of people as diverse as John F. Kennedy, Edith Wharton, Andrew Carnegie, and, of course, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. The Librarian of Congress is a very personable man who is thrilled that N.H. Librarians come down on this whirlwind tour. Thanks so much to Darlene for all her work as well as Michael York who helped guide us along.

- Janet Angus, Director
Merrimack Public Library

On September 13, 2007, I had the privilege of traveling to Washington, DC for N.H. Librarian's Day. Our first stop included a tour of the National Portrait Gallery. The docent was wonderful!! Her anecdotes about highlighted figures will long be remembered. It was on to the Library of Congress with its magnificent sculptures, art work and mosaics. Our tour of the Capitol Building was equally as interesting and riddled with fascinating facts and "inside" information.

It was a disappointment that we were not greeted by Senator Sununu as scheduled, but I would encourage others to take advantage of this one day trip to Washington, DC for a glimpse of our wonderful nation's rich history.

- submitted by Patricia Raiche
Peter Woodbury School

September 13th proved to be the ideal day for the New Hampshire Librarians to visit Washington D.C. We had perfect weather and a smooth flight. There were a few lulls waiting for transportation in the morning, but it was worth it to visit the amazing National Portrait Gallery. We were all famished by lunch since many of us had eaten breakfast around 4:00 a.m. Things picked up after a yummy buffet and it was inspiring to hear Dr. James Billington speak. Whirlwind tours of the Library of Congress and the Senate building were interesting. On the whole a well spent day.

I cannot thank you and Michael York enough for making our "NH Librarians' Day" so successful. I am still talking about it. I couldn't' imagine how we were going to fit the ambitious agenda into one day, but it worked very well. Despite the whirlwind tours of the three destinations, I got so much out of each and every one of them, as well as a strong desire to make a family vacation in the next 6 months to DC. Please make sure I'm on the list for next year as I'll only miss out due to weather or illness! And I certainly know to stay at the front of the line and to keep away from the quiet car-train.

- submitted by Janine Rousseau-Evans
School Library Media Specialist
Bow Memorial School

"Planes, Trains, and Capitol Trolleys (and Let's not Forget the Metro and our own Two Feet)"

Despite the fact that we endured multiple modes of transportation in one very long day, NH Librarians' Day in Washington, DC was an invaluable experience. From the National Portrait Gallery, to the Library of Congress, to the Capitol, the whirlwind tour gave us a glimpse of th beauty and the energy of this city. What this trip did for me was, to quote Dr. James Billington, Librarian of Congress, "spark a little fire". Dr. Billington said the best part of his job was to have that little light go on in himself or to see it in someone else when something new is learned or understood. This trip inspired me to learn more about libraries and to advocate more strongly for them. Oh, yeah, and the ride in the capitol subway was pretty cool too.

- submitted by Patty Falconer
Children's Librarian
Hampstead Public Library

It was great to see the newly renovated National Portrait Gallery. The architecture was beautiful. It used to be the Patent Office, and there were still a couple old models which people submitted with their patents, including a Singer sewing machine. Portraits in the gallery ranged from Marilyn Monroe to Ted Kennedy to Richard Wright to Michael Jackson, and in media from sculpture to oils. There was an entire section devoted to portraits of each President. A highlight of the tour for us was a daguerreotype of Mason, N.H.'s own Jonas Chickering, famous for his pianos in the 1800s.

There were other types of art as well. I was impressed by a wall map of the U.S. with the states outlined in neon, with a TV monitor in each state showing a typical activity of the state - for example, one of the western states showed a rodeo. When I looked up to New England and New Hampshire, I couldn't make out anything except snow! Well, I guess that's typical for us (along with bad TV reception?) It was an adventure riding on the D.C. subways - in spite of almost losing a librarian! And it was so nice to have a buffet lunch at the Library of Congress - and to sit down! I always look forward to this trip every year and would encourage everyone to give it a try. It's a long day, but we always have a blast! Many thanks to Darlene and the State Library for giving us this great opportunity every year.

- Marilyn Simons
ILL Librarian
Jaffrey Public Library

This was my first time on the annual N.H. Librarians' Day trip to D.C. The weather was beautiful for my first flying experience! We flew into Baltimore, and then took the MARC train in D.C. We had a very full day of sightseeing (lots of walking), beginning with the National Portrait Gallery. We than went to the Library of Congress and had lunch, followed by a talk by Dr. James Billington, Librarian of Congress. From there, we had a guided tour of the Jefferson Building, Library of Congress. After that tour, we were brought over to Sen. Sununu's office in the Russell Office Building and were given a tour of the Capitol Building, by one of his staff. By then, it was later afternoon and it was time to catch the train back to Baltimore for the flight back to New Hampshire. Even though it is a long day, it was a wonderful experience to be a part of, and I look forward to going again in the future.

- Diana DeCota
NH State Library

Librarian of Congress, Dr James Billington and NH State Librarian, Michael York photo courtesy of Janet Angus, Director, Merrimack Public Library	Some of our participants on their way to the National Portrait Gallery photo courtesy of Janet Angus, Director, Merrimack Public Library
At the National Portrait Gallery photo courtesy of Janet Angus, Director, Merrimack Public Library	Waiting at the front entrance of the National Portrait Gallery photo courtesy of Janet Angus, Director, Merrimack Public Library
Portrait of Andrew Jackson, National Portrait Gallery photo courtesy of Janet Angus, Director, Merrimack Public Library	Portrait of Andrew Carnegie at the National Portrait Gallery photo courtesy of Janet Angus, Director, Merrimack Public Library
Crew of Challenger with Christa McAuliffe in Capitol building photo courtesy of Janet Angus, Director, Merrimack Public Library	Lunch in the Montpelier Room at the Library of Congress photo courtesy of Janet Angus, Director, Merrimack Public Library
Looking up at the Rotunda in the Capitol Building photo courtesy of Marcia Strykowski, Hampstead Public Library	Lunch in the Montpelier Room at the Library of Congress photo courtesy of Marcia Strykowski, Hampstead Public Library
Outside the Library of Congress photo courtesy of Marcia Strykowski, Hampstead Public Library