SAVE THE VANS!

Due to State Budget cuts, the NH State Library has been forced to cut our interlibrary loan van service by 50%, and is in danger of losing this service all together.  This vital service enables us to access library materials that we could not otherwise afford from over 200 NH libraries, and enables us to share our materials as well.  Last year the van service delivered nearly 1 million items to NH librarian patrons! 

The Interlibrary Loan (ILL) service offered by the State Library is at risk due to a request by the state legislature to report on the possibility of using the federal funds that support this program for other undefined purposes.  Our objective is to present enough evidence about the importance of the ILL service such that the Finance Committees will drop any further consideration that the federal funds supporting this program might be used for any other purpose.  The ILL program is an exceptionally efficient service enhancing the ability of libraries around the state to provide their patrons with a much wider spectrum of books than each could afford.  It is important that we trustees act as individual boards, and as a statewide organization, to express our strong support of the ILL program and our desire to maintain at a minimum the current level of funding for this service.

from the Nesmith Board of Trustees