This morning Representative Sweeney (Salem) asked the House Finance Committee to remove all funding for our State Library and the State Arts Commission since they’ll be losing their Federal Funding and the State budget requires hard choices this year.  You can watch the discussion here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAjdG9SbfnY  go in to 11:24 am

In response to the statement above, the Chair of the MEB Trustees wrote the following (Go to the bottom of this post for a link to the Representatives on the Finance I Committee if you would like to share how this would impact your use of library services): 

NH State Representatives,
I am writing regarding the proposal made today by (R) Joe Sweeney (Salem) to cut finding in its entirety to the NH State Library. I am outraged that anyone would be so reckless as to propose we not fund our State Library. I am strongly requesting you oppose this reckless and dangerous proposal.
I have been a NH Library Trustee for the past 3 years, serving as Chair for the past  year at the Mary E. Bartlett Library in Brentwood, NH. I cannot put into words how disgusted I am with Rep Sweeney and this proposal. As a social worker, working with the elderly and legally blind in nursing facilities, many people I work with in this state, rely on audiobooks provided for FREE by the State Library, to help enrich their lives, which have been limited by aging, vision loss, physical decline and need for nursing home placement. These individuals are no longer able to visit their public libraries or visually see to read, but can still enjoy access to thousands of books, biographies, documentaries, etc via audiobooks mailed to them directly from the NH State Library. This is a VITAL service to thousands of residents in the state of NH. And this is only ONE of the vital services the NH State Library provides.
Every Library Director and their staff in NH, receive support regarding collection development, programming, policy development, staff training, library laws, and much much more from the very knowledgeable and well-trained staff at the NH State Library. 
The NH State Library is VITAL to our State and MUST continue to be funded. What kind of civilized, educated society can properly function or educate it's citizens without a State Library leading the way, serving as a symbol to all the importance of our First Amendment Right to Read? What will be proposed next? Cutting funding to state college and university libraries? Town libraries? Public School libraries? What will be the impact to our society once libraries are no longer valued and the acquisition of knowledge is with held to our citizens? 
Libraries provide so much to our communities and enrich our lives in innumerable ways. When was the last time you spent time in a library? For many of us living in small NH towns, our libraries are our community centers, where we make new friends, meet up with neighbors, learn a new skill or game, belong to a book club, bring our kids for Story Hour, take a class, or listen to a presentation or a lecture from a local author. 
Please do not minimize the impact and precedent you will be setting, should this reckless and harmful proposal go through. You will open the door to other libraries across this state becoming targets for defunding, which will have disastrous effects on the minds and education of our citizens. We deserve better!
"A library is not a luxury but a necessity of life" - Henry Ward Beecher
"When I read about the way in which library funds are being cut and cut, I can only think that American society has found one more way to destroy itself" - Isaac Asimov
Did you know that the first free public library in the United States was established in 1833 in Peterborough, NH? You have a responsibility to continue to serve the citizens of NH by providing and funding the NH State Library.
The miniscule amount we will save by defunding the State Library, won't even buy your family a meal at McDonald's. Let that sink in. 
Please do the RIGHT thing for the people of the State of NH and vote to oppose to this harmful proposal. 
And Rep. Sweeney, I would encourage you to visit the NH State Library on March 25th and speak with the Library's Director and staff to learn more about the important services and resources this historic library provides to the people you have been elected to represent. I will include the Library's address and website because I doubt that if you have ever been there, it would be a place that you could in good conscience think of destroying for future generations to come.  
New Hampshire State Library
20 Park Street
Concord, NH  03301
nhsl.dncr.nh.gov

Respectfully, 
Melissa Bertoulin
Brentwood, NH 

Finance Division I representatives:
https://gc.nh.gov/house/committees/committeedetails.aspx?id=25

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