Monthly Archives: October 2011

As part of our Long-Range Planning process, we have developed a patron survey.  (This may not sound like big news, but it’s a lot of work to write a good survey, and we’re really excited to see the results!)

Soon you will receive a printed version of the survey in the mail.  You should also have received our new Langdon Letter via e-mail, as well as a follow-up e-mail inviting you to take the survey on-line. If you’re online (and I know you are!) please fill out the survey here. (Remember, every survey you complete on your computer is another survey we don’t have to enter into the computer later, so our typing fingers thank you!)

It will only take about 5 minutes at the minimum, but we encourage you to take your time and give it some real thought. We intentionally included several empty spaces where you can elaborate on your answers and share your ideas.  Your thoughtful input will help us establish the needs and define the goals for Newington’s library, for now and for the foreseeable future.

Also, please encourage everyone in your household to participate. We want to hear from husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, and children. You know they have the best ideas — “out of the mouths of babes” — and ultimately, this long-range planning process is all about their future education and enjoyment.

And if that noble cause wasn’t motivation enough, one survey respondent will be chosen at random to win this Barnes & Noble Nook e-book reader!

As always, we thank you for your support.

We just celebrated Banned Books. Now let’s celebrate Vanned Books.

Recently, NH State Representative Vaillancourt of Manchester asked the Division of Cultural Resources (parent organization to the NH State Library) to look into “better” ways to spend the funds we currently spend on the statewide interlibrary loan van service. This service, which consists of 4 vans, provides pick-up and delivery of 800,000+ items to over 200 libraries all across the Granite State. Cost per item? 44 cents. The vans are supported by a federal grant.

The kicker? The representative is a regular library patron who frequently uses the ILL service. His complaint is that he gets his book requests in just a couple of days, inferring that this service must be unnecessarily expensive (“gold-plated” as he put in this quote from the Concord Monitor of 7 October).  What he apparently doesn’t realize is that Manchester, by virtue of being the largest city in the state and smack-dab in the middle of it, gets three deliveries a week, whereas outlying rural towns are happy to get a delivery once a week. (As it is, this “gold-plated” service doesn’t stop at Newington at all; your intrepid library staff must go to the Portsmouth library to pick up your ILL requests.)

What can you do to help protect the state library’s van service?  Many Newingtonites have already signed a petition, which we have forwarded to the state librarian. You may also want to:

• Contact your elected representatives and ask them to protect funding for the interlibrary loan vans. Use this handy “Who’s My Legislator” web service for contact information.
• Write to State Librarian Michael York directly about the value that interlibrary loan has to you. Mr. York is compiling a report on the impact of a funding reduction and is seeking comments to include. You can contact him at Michael.York@dcr.nh.gov or Michael York, NH State Library, 20 Park Street, Concord, NH 03301-6314.

We in New Hampshire are proud to be “first in the nation,” but this is another type of first — the first time a government system was criticized for being too efficient.

As always, we thank you for your support.