Title XVI, Libraries

The commissioner shall adopt rules under RSA 541-A and after public hearing, and subject to ratification by the state library council, relative to: I. Standards for the associate, certified and accredited categories, and for any subcategory, concerning any or all of the following…

I. Library records which contain the names or other personal identifying information regarding the users of public or other than public libraries shall be confidential and shall not be disclosed except as provided in paragraph II. Such records include, but are not limited to, lib…

The advisory council may receive and accept any money granted by the federal government equalizing or strengthening a state-wide system of library service in New Hampshire. Any gift or grant from the federal government shall be deposited in the state treasury and credited to a sp…

I. Within 30 days after publication: (a) The head of every state department and institution, every legislative commission and any commission operating under executive authority shall deliver to the state library 3 copies of all reports and all other publications issued under the …

I. Any funds accruing to the state library from the sale or exchange of books, pamphlets, maps, manuscripts and other related material, or from fees and fines from lost or damaged property, shall be paid into the state treasury and held in a continuous fund for the purchase of bo…

The state library shall provide the following library services and facilities for the benefit of the various branches of state government and for the people of the state. I. Legislative Reference Service. A reference service and collection of materials especially designed to prov…

There shall be 3 categories of member libraries: associate, certified, and accredited. The commissioner, through his rulemaking authority established under RSA 201-D:10, shall set affiliation standards for each category. The commissioner may establish subcategories. Any public li…

No city or town of this state shall be party to a library agreement which provides for the construction or maintenance of a library pursuant to Article III, (c)(7) of the compact, nor pledge its credit in support of such a library, or contribute to the capital financing thereof, …

In this chapter: I. "Loan" means a deposit of property not accompanied by a transfer of title to the property. II. "Museum" means an institution located in New Hampshire operated by a nonprofit corporation or a public agency, primarily for educational, scientific, historic preser…

The state library shall control all space in the state library building. The department of administrative services shall maintain the state library building and grounds in suitable repair and condition for use by the state library.

As used in this subdivision: I. [Repealed.] I-a. "Official locator service" means the system or method by which state government information is disseminated to the public via a telecommunications network or successor technology. This locator service shall identify, locate, and de…

I. There shall be a section as part of the state library operated by the division of libraries in the department of natural and cultural resources. The network services section shall oversee the functioning and maintenance of the system. II. The system shall consist of an integra…

The purposes of the system shall be to: I. Allow New Hampshire library management to assume additional responsibility for the availability, accuracy and validity of data accumulated and processed locally. II. Allow New Hampshire libraries to utilize distributed data processing so…

The state librarian, in addition to any other powers and duties which are delegated to the state librarian, and in order to further the purposes of this subdivision, shall have the following powers and duties: I. To establish specific objectives and definitive policies designed t…

Any property held by a museum within the state, other than by terms of a loan agreement, that has been held for 5 years or more and has remained unclaimed shall be deemed to be abandoned. Such property shall become the property of the museum, if the museum has given notice pursua…

As used in the compact, "state library agency", with reference to this state, means the commissioner of natural and cultural resources.

Each member library shall receive an annual allocation of state funds to supplement the local appropriation and other income. Library cooperatives which include member libraries may receive state aid. The state aid shall be used only to support library services in member librarie…

An interstate library district lying partly within this state may claim and be entitled to receive state aid in support of any of its functions to the same extent and in the same manner as such functions are eligible for support when carried on by entities wholly within this stat…

I. Property subject to a loan agreement which is on loan to a museum shall be deemed to be donated to the museum if no claim is made or action filed to recover the property after termination or expiration of the loan and if the museum has given notice under RSA 201-E:5 and no ass…

The state library shall provide services to member libraries within the funds available and in keeping with the goal of efficient use of library resources in the state.

The state library shall employ consultants and other staff to promote the development system by working with library forums, cooperatives, and other groups which include member libraries.

I. When a museum is required to give notice of abandonment of property or of termination of a loan, the museum shall mail such notice by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the last known owner at the most recent address of such owner as shown on the museum's records. If…

The state librarian shall be the compact administrator pursuant to Article X of the compact. The assistant state librarian shall be the deputy compact administrator pursuant to said Article.

In the event of withdrawal from the compact the state librarian shall send and receive any notices required by Article XI(b) of the compact.

I. If no written assertion of title has been presented by the owner to the museum within 90 days from the date of the second published notice, title to the property shall vest in the museum, free of all claims of the owner and of all persons claiming under the owner. II. One who …

The state shall be divided into 4 or more library areas. These areas shall coincide geographically with the local automated systems. Each area may include one or more cooperatives. The commissioner shall set the number and boundaries of the areas as the automated networks develop…

Each library area shall have a library forum consisting of one representative from each public library, at least one representative from each school district, and a representative of each other than public library which chooses to participate. The state library shall be represent…

The commissioner of the department of natural and cultural resources shall adopt rules under RSA 541-A relative to: I. The form of written notification to persons loaning property under RSA 201-E:4, V. II. Procedures for recordkeeping.

The board of trustees of each public library, and the governing body of each other than public library, shall select its representative to the area library forum.

The purposes of the library forums are to: I. Encourage information sharing between area libraries. II. Promote cooperative planning and services among area libraries. III. Provide liaison between area libraries and the state library. IV. Communicate with the commissioner on loca…

The state librarian, also known as the director of libraries, shall, in addition to the other powers, duties and responsibilities provided by law: I. Preserve a sufficient number of copies of all official reports, documents, and records including those enumerated in RSA 20 and in…

The legislature finds that providing citizens with access to public documents will allow increased citizen involvement in state policies and empower citizens to participate in state policy decision making. To this end, the legislature hereby declares that a system of disseminatio…

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 …

Vacancies occurring on any board of library trustees in a town shall be filled as provided in RSA 669:75. A vacancy occurring among the publicly elected members of the board of library trustees of a city library shall be filled by the city council or other appropriate appointing …

Except in those cities where other provision has been made by general or special act of the legislature, the library trustees of every public library in the state shall: I. Adopt bylaws, rules and regulations for its own transaction of business and for the government of the libra…

All money received from a library's income-generating equipment shall be retained by the library in a nonlapsing fund and used for general repairs and upgrading and for the purchase of books, supplies and income-generating equipment if approved by the town or city in which the li…

I. A town desiring to permit its library to retain money received from its income-generating equipment under RSA 202-A:11-a may have the question placed on the warrant for a town meeting at which town officers are elected in the manner provided in RSA 39:3. Such question shall be…

Every library regularly open to the public, or to some portion of the public, with or without limitations, whether its ownership is vested in the town, in a corporation, in an organization or association, or in individuals, shall make a written report to the town or city at the c…

Any public library holding funds in trust shall report to the office of the attorney general, annually at the conclusion of each fiscal year, the information required by RSA 202-A:12(a) through (d).

The library trustees shall also have the following powers: I. To authorize the payment from library funds for the necessary expenses of library staff members attending library courses and meetings for professional advancement; II. To extend the privileges and use of the library t…

No trustee of any public library shall receive any compensation for any services rendered as such trustee, unless compensation is stipulated in the terms of the bequest or gift establishing the library. Trustees may be reimbursed, however, for necessary travel expenses to attend …

The librarian shall have education of sufficient breadth and depth to give leadership in the use of books and related materials. The librarian shall be appointed by the board of library trustees for a term of office agreed to at the time of employment and may serve until a succes…

In addition to any other duties which the librarian may be delegated from time to time, the public librarian shall: I. Serve as the administrative officer of the public library; II. Recommend to the board of library trustees the appointment of all employees.

No employee of a public library shall be discharged or removed from office except by the library trustees for malfeasance, misfeasance, or inefficiency in office, or incapacity or unfitness to perform the employee's duties. Prior to the discharge or removal of any such employee, …

Any town now maintaining a public library established by expenditure of town funds may by majority vote at a regular town meeting discontinue said library. In case of such discontinuance, the library property of the town may be loaned or disposed of by the library trustees, subje…