Protecting the Autonomy of NH's Libraries and Serving As a Resource for Trustees, The New Hampshire Library Trustees Association Celebrates 50 Years

When New Hampshire's library trustees needed help retaining their autonomy from municipal governments, they called on the New Hampshire Library Trustees Association. This volunteer group worked hard to amend laws to uphold the constitution and a 1994 New Hampshire Supreme Court decision. This is what the New Hampshire Library Trustees Association, one of the oldest of its kind in the country, has been doing for 50 years.

CONCORD, NH (PRWEB) March 7, 2007 -- When New Hampshire's library trustees needed help retaining their autonomy from municipal governments, they called on the New Hampshire Library Trustees Association. This volunteer group worked hard to amend laws to uphold the constitution and a 1994 New Hampshire Supreme Court decision. This is what the New Hampshire Library Trustees Association, one of the oldest of its kind in the country, has been doing for 50 years.

"Legal minds told us that these laws were almost impossible to change," said Lillian Edelmann, president of the New Hampshire Library Trustees Association, a non-profit organization that provides regional meetings, conferences, networking opportunities, newsletters, workshops and annual trustee orientation sessions for New Hampshire library trustees. "We were told that these were red-flag items, sensitive issues that no one else wanted to take a stand on and challenge. So, we said that we would."

After Littleton's librarian Kathryn Taylor was elected selectman, she was taken to court on the basis of violating a state law that a full-time town employee cannot serve as a selectman. In 1994, the New Hampshire Supreme Court issued a ruling that Taylor was not violating the law because she was not a full-time employee of the town. The ruling also stated that the board of library trustees, not the board of selectmen, has the right to govern the library, its employees, its property, and its budget.

Yet, in other towns, New Hampshire's library trustees were still having a hard time accessing the money that was appropriated to the library. This is where the New Hampshire Library Trustees Association came in with a lobbying storm.

"We just went to the statehouse week after week," said Edelmann. "One legislator got so used to seeing us that he said, 'I guess we'll see you next year.'"

In 2000, Senate Bill 89 passed, granting library trustees autonomy from local governments and the ability to ask the municipal authorities to pay them the money that had been raised and appropriated for the library by the town.

These continuing efforts are a testament to the New Hampshire Library Trustees Association's dedication to serving library trustees throughout the state. In addition, the organization is recognized nationally for its 85 percent membership level, trustee education, and its service on a national level.

Founded on May 3, 1957, the New Hampshire Library Trustees Association is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. To celebrate, the organization will hold a Gala Dinner on May 11. This event will take place at the Grappone Conference Center in Concord and the theme will be "Focusing on Libraries in the Future." During the summer, the New Hampshire Library Trustees Association will also be holding presentations, by a historian portraying Andrew Carnegie, at several libraries across the state that were funded by grants from Andrew Carnegie.

"We are hoping to use this occasion to help remind the general public of the important role libraries play in our democracy and to energize our membership so that they can better and more effectively fulfill the responsibilities they have accepted as public library trustees," said Tom Wallace, Chairman of the organization's 50th Anniversary Committee.

According to Edelmann, "We've come a long way over the years - a very long way. I think that our biggest accomplishment is the respect gained from people in the library community. One very important fact is that all of our trustee members have found that their association means what it says when it states 'We are here for you. Tell us what you want. We are your voice.' Over the next 50 years, I'm sure we will continue in our education mode so that trustees will always be able to provide the best library services possible for every New Hampshire community."

The challenges facing libraries in the state and across the nation include funding, keeping up with technology while retaining the library mystique as a sanctuary, and protecting the U.S. Constitution's first amendment rights.

The organization is available to help library trustees with any matter while protecting the privacy of those who seek their help. In addition, Edelmann has an advice column in the newsletter called "Ask Lil," where she offers her advice while keeping the inquiries anonymous.

The organization's trustee orientation workshops, given regularly around the state, thoroughly outline the rights and responsibilities of New Hampshire's library trustees thereby giving library trustees the knowledge and confidence to do their job.

"Having the knowledge of what the state law is and the rights of a library allows our library trustees to fend for themselves when they are challenged or intimidated by other people," said Edelmann. "Knowledge is power."

The mission of the New Hampshire Library Trustees Association is to develop a more effective body of public library trustees, to aid in the awareness of their responsibilities and duties, to keep informed about library developments in general, and to be motivated to work together for better service. For more information, visit www.nhlta.com.

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