Politics & Government

Statewide Inter-Library Lending System in Jeopardy

An amendment to the state budget may reduce the number of federally-funded transport vans from four to one.

State Rep. Steve Vaillancourt, R-Manchester, has put the wheels in motion to eliminate three of the state's four federally-funded vans that make its Inter Library Lending system possible.

“He apparently thought the service was too efficient. He said he uses it frequently, and was getting his books in only a day or too, which was too fast,” said Carol Eyman, outreach and communications coordinator for the Nashua Library.

In an amendment to the state budget, buried in HB 2, is a three-sentence paragraph introduced by Vaillancourt, R-Manchester, requiring the state Department of Cultural Resources to review the federal program guidelines by which the state's four library vans are funded, then submit a report to the house finance committee by Nov. 30 identifying other ways to use that $280,000 in federal money within the library system.

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State Rep. David Campbell, R-Nashua, did not vote in favor of the bill, which was approved by a vote of 229 to 119.

“Someone is asking the government to be less efficient. We've finally found something that's going well and we want to find a way to stop it,” said Campbell. “I know it makes the majority in the statehouse feel better to give federal funds back, but we pay in to federal taxes, and we should get our fair share back,” Campbell said.

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“And what's being lost in the debate is that while urban municipalities may get their books quicker, towns in outlying regions will take much longer. Maybe Mr. Vaillancourt is getting 'gold plate' service in Manchester, but how is the service in Jefferson? I'm certainly not in favor of cutting back the van funding,” Campbell said.

Nashua Library Director Jennifer Hinderer informed state Library Director Michael York that her branch borrowed 2,204 items and lent 2,465 through the inter library system in fiscal year 2011. The estimated cost to mail those items would be in excess of $15,000, not to mention the staff it would take to package and print postage labels.

York underscores the efficiency of the current system, which dispatches the four vans five days a week along 22 routes to deliver thousands of library materials annually. He attributes the efficiency of the system to his staff's ability to manage the inter library lending system, which has been functioning in one form or another for the past 50 years, without question or criticism.

Last year the library transported 800,000 items between its 234 state libraries. The cost breaks down to about 44 cents per item.

"You couldn't even mail them that cheap," York said.

He said the state receives $280,000 in federal dollars for the four vans, which pays the salaries of those who drive them, and vehicle maintenance.

"We're not talking Ferraris here -- these are Fords and Chevys," York said.

Eliminating three the four vans, as proposed, would cripple the inter library lending service, and render it impossible to continue, York said.

"The thing is, this amendment is asking us to investigate devoting the money we're currently using for three vans to something else. Frankly, our state budget was just reduced by $250,000. So yes, there are lots of things I could spend that money on, and it would all be worth while. But what I hear the library community of 234 libraries in this state saying is that the inter library transport system is absolutely critical to what they do," York said. "I've got to listen to what they're telling me."

 York said the New Hampshire Library Trustees Association is working to organize supporters and patrons of the library with online links to a downloadable letter that can be sent to state representatives, and a downloadable petition that can be circulated.

"We're hoping there will be an outpouring from the community to state lawmakers over this, once they realize the lending system is in jeopardy," York said. "I've been in this position for 13 years and I've never heard anyone criticize the inter library lending system --  until now," York said.


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