NH LEGISLATURE 1891
CHAPTER 62 An Act to Promote the Establishment and Efficiency of Free Public Libraries. NH Legislature, 1891.
CHAPTER 202-A PUBLIC LIBRARIES
202-A:1 Declaration of Policy. – Mindful that, as the constitution declares, "knowledge and learning, generally diffused through a community'' are "essential to the preservation of a free government'' the legislature recognizes its duty to encourage the people of New Hampshire to extend their education during and beyond the years of formal education. To this end, it hereby declares that the public library is a valuable supplement to the formal system of free public education and as such deserves adequate financial support from government at all levels.
Source. 1963, 46:1, eff. July 1, 1963
History of NH Libraries
by Mildred P. McKay, State Librarian, 1942–1964
Peterborough Town Library
First tax supported library in the United States.
1717—2017: the 300th Anniversary of the NH State Library
The following essays were written by Michael York, State Librarian, in commemoration of the 300th anniversary of the NH State Library.
First State Library 1717
Library Access in Every Community
Government Documents at the State Library
NH Libraries are Fun and Vibrant Places
Classrooms, Libraries, and Reading
Calculating the Value of Libraries
Downloadable Books at the Library
NH State Library Really Delivers
NH State Library Talking Books Service
Ask a Librarian
NH State Library and Your Family Tree
The Future of Libraries
New England Carnegie Libraries
Between 1886 and 1919 Andrew Carnegie donated over $40 million to help pay for 1,687 public library buildings including nine libraries in New Hampshire. Continue reading …
A History of US Public Libraries: Carnegie Libraries
Digital Public Library of America
“…if wealth ever came to me, that it should be used to establish free libraries."
— Andrew Carnegie
Library statistics are collected annually by the New Hampshire State Library. The data provides holdings, services, programs, income, expenditures, personnel information and more. This data is useful to compare services with libraries of similar size, population, funding, etc. The reports are available for download from the NHSL website.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services published a short history on their 20th anniversary in 2016.
MISSION: The mission of IMLS is to advance, support, and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development.
VISION: A nation where museums and libraries work together to transform the lives of individuals and communities.
Why is IMLS important?
LINK to the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Grants-to-States page. New Hampshire's InterLibraryLoan (ILL) service is partially funded by an IMLS/LSTA grant.
"The Center for the Book at the New Hampshire State Library was established in 2003 to celebrate and promote reading, books, literacy, and the literary heritage of New Hampshire and to highlight the role that reading and libraries play in enriching the lives of the people of the Granite State." LINK to their website. The Center for the Book at the New Hampshire State Library is an affiliate of the Center for the Book at the Library of Congress.
The Digital Public Library of America brings together the riches of America’s libraries, archives, and museums, and makes them freely available to the world. It strives to contain the full breadth of human expression, from the written word, to works of art and culture, to records of America’s heritage, to the efforts and data of science. Check it out HERE.
Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life Project report found that "... 91 percent of Americans (16 or older) say that public libraries are important to their communities, and 76 percent say libraries are important to them and their families." This report puts to rest the notion that public libraries are not needed in a world where information is available predominately online and in electronic formats. Americans continue to see the value of libraries and believe the availability of computers and Internet services is as fundamental to libraries as books and reference help. LINK to read the entire report.
New analysis of Pew Research Center survey data indicates that 53% of Millennials (those ages 18 to 35) in America are more likely to have visited a public library in the past year than any other adult generation. Continue reading …
August 25, 2022, the National Archives and Records Administration is making its Digital Preservation Framework available as a Linked Open Dataset. This is a first for the agency. Linked Open Data is a method for publishing data in a machine-readable way that allows it to be connected and enriched through links to directly related resources published by other organizations.
More than 180,000 items are available online. The New York Public Library just made their Public Domain Digital Collection free to share and reuse. Check it out!
"Americans strongly value the role of public libraries in their communities, both for providing access to materials and resources and for promoting literacy and improving the overall quality of life. Most Americans say they have only had positive experiences at public libraries, and value a range of library resources and services.” LINK to the website and downloadable PDF of report
Pew Internet and American Life Project report found that: "The vast majority of parents of minor children—children younger than 18—feel libraries are very important for their children.” Very interesting research about parents, children, libraries, and reading. LINK to the report.
" ... print books remain much more popular than books in digital format ... " Are you intrigued by this statement? Read the Pew Research Center report HERE.
The Smithsonian Institution released 2.8 Million Images into the public domain. The launch of a new open access platform ushers in a new era of accessibility where you can download, share, and reuse millions of the Smithsonian’s images—right now, without asking. With new platforms and tools, you have easier access to nearly 3 million 2D and 3D digital items from our collections—with many more to come. This includes images and data from across the Smithsonian’s 19 museums, nine research centers, libraries, archives, and the National Zoo. MORE >
The UNH Library in Durham offers a collection of more than 2.5 million print and electronic titles and employs library experts to serve the campus community and the state. READ about the 10 ways the UNH Library helps New Hampshire public libraries serve the citizens of New Hampshire from the Associate Dean of the University Library.
Explore thousands of free high resolution images of artwork in the museum’s wide-ranging collection—from their world-renowned icons to lesser-known gems from every corner of the globe—as well as books, writings, reference materials, and other resources. Check it out!
PDF files are opened using Adobe Acrobat Reader, available at Adobe's web site.