New Hampshire State Library

The 2024 Ladybug Picture Book Award Voting Guide is now available! 🐞📚

Ladybug Voting Guide The 2024 Ladybug Picture Book Award Voting Guide is now available. The guide includes information and activities for each nominated title ...

Congratulations to this year's "I Love My Librarian Award"!
Is there a NH librarian that you absolutely love? Fill out a nomination form here: https://ilovelibraries.org/love-my-librarian/
Nominations are due September 30!

The Secret Life of Librarians | Carnegie Corporation of New York In partnership with the American Library Association and the New York Public Library, Carnegie Corporation of New York celebrates ten exceptional librarians every year with the I Love My Librarian Award. The Secret Life of Librarians explores their unexpected stories …

Check out the awesome mantle display in our lobby featuring information about New Hampshire State Parks! The weather may be getting cooler, but that's the perfect time to spend outdoors exploring our beautiful Granite State and all that our state parks have to offer! 🍂🍁🌲🌳🐾🥾🛶

The Center for the Book at the NH State Library is excited to be promoting our 2024 selections for Great Reads from Great Places at the National Book Festival this Saturday in Washington, D.C.! Our choice for Young Readers this year is 'The McNifficents' by Amy Makechnie and our choice for Adult Readers this year is 'The Hills at Home' by Nancy Clark. Please join us in celebrating these wonderful NH authors!
The Library of Congress

2024 National Book Festival! The 2024 National Book Festival is this Saturday, August 24th! Discover Great Reads from Great Places with the Roadmap to Reading at the...

NHLA New Hampshire Library Association has recently established The NHLA Emerging Leaders Award that is bestowed on library staff members who demonstrate growing interest and participation in library leadership. The intent is to promote active involvement in NHLA and to continue supporting their professional development and networking opportunities.
For more information, and to nominate an individual, please visit: https://www.nhlibrarians.org/Pages/Index/229454/nhla-emerging-leaders-award

Highlighting the importance of wildfire prevention across New Hampshire, Gov. Sununu has proclaimed Aug. 4-10, 2024 as “Smokey Bear Week,” in the Granite State coinciding with Smokey’s 80th birthday on Aug. 9, 2024. Events and programs are taking place statewide to help celebrate Smokey’s milestone birthday and to continue sharing his well-known message that “Only you can prevent wildfires.” 🐻🌲📚

Smokey has his own website where you can learn about fire prevention and being outdoors. Among the activities is The Forest Services’ “Smokey’s Reading Challenge” which provides a reading list of books for all ages that address not only wildfire prevention but also science and outdoor recreation. The list, along with activities and incentives for achieving self-set reading goals, can be downloaded from smokeybear.com/individuals-reading-challenge. The national program runs through Nov. 28, 2024.

The New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands also has information (and coloring pages!) about wildfire prevention on their website, here: https://www.nhdfl.dncr.nh.gov/forest-protection/wildfire-prevention

Several New Hampshire libraries are also incorporating Smokey into this year’s national Collaborative Summer Reading Program theme, “Adventure Begins at Your Library” by creating displays of books and other materials related to wildfire prevention and by hosting Smokey Bear with N.H. Forest Rangers serving as guest readers!

Individuals | Smokey Bear Reading Challenge Celebrate Smokey Bear’s 80th Birthday. Join Smokey in learning about wildfire prevention and the environment. Read books, take action, and have fun!

The NH Digital Newspaper Project has put together a survey to gather information about digitized newspaper collections across the state of New Hampshire, including those held by libraries, academic institutions, historical societies, and other cultural organizations. This survey is designed to gather information about digitized newspaper collections across the state of New Hampshire. The data you provide will be shared with Library of Congress National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP), in order to enhance and improve access to New Hampshire papers beyond those already digitized for the NDNP.

For the purposes of this survey, a digitized newspaper collection is defined as free-access, online newspapers (both historical and currently published) that have been digitized from paper copies or issued as electronic editions of print newspapers. This primarily means historic issues, although PDFs of current print editions, if they are freely available to the public, can also be included. Born-digital content (news sites, e.g. washingtonpost.com) which may or may not be representative of print content, should NOT be included in the survey.

In the Fall, the plan is to conduct a separate survey to identify paper and microfilm holdings of NH newspapers.

This survey will remain open until Sunday, August 18, 2024. Please complete this survey only ONCE by any one NH organization.

Questions about this survey should be directed to Mary Russell, NH State Library ([email protected]) or Toben Traver, Dartmouth College ([email protected]).

Complete the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NHnewsDIGITAL24

New Hampshire Digital Newspaper Project | Dartmouth Libraries An NEH-funded initiative to provide digital access to historically significant New Hampshire newspapers.

To celebrate the 2024 NH Adventure Challenge this summer, NHSL staff have created a fun and insightful display in our lobby with great ideas and resources for patrons!
The 2024 NH Adventure Challenge runs through August 31, 2024 and is brought to you by the NH State Library and its many partners as part of the 2024 Statewide Summer Reading Program, "Adventure Begins At Your Library"! 📚🐦🐾🌿📸🥾🪨🌻🛶⛺️🎣🌽🍓🐻

Check out our webpage for more info. about the 2024 NH Adventure Challenge: https://www.nhsl.dncr.nh.gov/2024-nh-adventure-challenge

Come check out the current display in our Map Gallery, "Knit Democracy Together" before it's gone! This display will be at the NH State Library until July 2, 2024.
"Knit Democracy Together" is a collaborative art project combining knitting circles and discussion about the U.S. electoral system.
Follow the link for more details about this project: https://knitdemocracy.org/ 🧶🏛

Financial support for this project was provided by New Hampshire Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The NH State Library is hosting a workshop, “Libraries Are For Everyone: Accommodations in the Library for Increased Access” on June 14 from 1:30-3:00 PM. All interested NH library staff are welcome to attend! This presentation will cover the topics of neurodiversity and universal access. Then, based on a case-study of the Public Library, participants will learn about opportunities to make changes to their library space that provide a more welcoming and accessible environment for library patrons with visible and invisible disabilities and neurodiversity.
Please contact Mindy Atwood ([email protected]) to register!

Calling all new NH library directors!
Please join us at the State Library on June 14 for a New Directors' Workshop from 10 AM to 3:00 PM.
Please contact Mindy Atwood ([email protected]) to register!

NHSL staff gave Jill Witham, our Van Service Coordinator a lively welcome back after being out on medical leave. Welcome back Jill, we missed you! ❤️📚

The NH State Library will be hosting a workshop, “Libraries Are For Everyone: Accommodations in the Library for Increased Access” on June 14 from 1:30-3:00 PM. All interested NH library staff are welcome to attend! This presentation will cover the topics of neurodiversity and universal access. Then, based on a case-study of the Hooksett Public Library, participants will learn about opportunities to make changes to their library space that provide a more welcoming and accessible environment for library patrons with visible and invisible disabilities and neurodiversity.
Please contact Mindy Atwood ([email protected]) to register!

To celebrate Spring and the coming of warmer weather, NHSL staff created a beautiful display in the lobby featuring birds from books, prints and video from our collection! What better way to celebrate this time of year than with the colorful sights and sounds of our feathered friends. 🐦🐣🦆🦉🐦‍⬛🪺

Check out this Library of Congress (LOC) blog post featuring an interview with Toben Traver from Dartmouth Libraries talking about New Hampshire's participation in Chronicling America, LOC's digital historic newspaper project. A number of institutions have contributed to this project, including the NH State Library! A huge thanks to Dartmouth Libraries for spearheading this amazing collaboration with the Library of Congress and for keeping NH history alive! 📰🗞

Exploring New Hampshire Newspapers in Chronicling America | Headlines & Heroes New Hampshire content is new in Chronicling America! Read our guest post by Robin Butterhof, a Digital Conversion Specialist in SER, and Toben Traver from Dartmouth Libraries (NH) who share about how the NH newspapers were selected, what content they contain, and some tips on how to search in them.

It's called multitasking! Have a great weekend everyone, but don't try to do TOO much at once! 🧘‍♀️🧘📚

As part of our celebration of Robert Frost's 150th birthday, NHSL staff have compiled Public Domain video footage of Frost on his farm, as well as audio excerpts of the poet reciting three of his poems: “The Pasture”, “Mowing” & “After Apple Picking”.

NHSL FROST 150 In honor of New Hampshire native Robert Frost’s 150th birthday, please enjoy these clips of the poet at home in NH, reading three of his works, “The Pasture”...

Happy 150th Birthday to NH's own Robert Frost! Our amazing Circulation team created a wonderful display in our lobby to celebrate the occasion.

The list of Ladybug nominees has been announced! Click the link below to see what titles have been chosen as finalists for the 2024 Ladybug Picture Book Award! 🐞📚

Ladybug Nominees for 2024 Based on two rounds of voting by New Hampshire's library community, we have chosen The Ladybug Picture Book Award nominees for the 2024 Lad...

LAST CALL!

The Final 2024 Ladybug Nomination Survey will remain open until Sunday, 3/24/2024. Click the link below to get your votes in! 🐞📚🗳

Ladybug Picture Book Award 2024 Nominee Selection - Final Round Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free.

The Center for the Book at the New Hampshire State Library is excited to be partnering with the NH Book Festival! This inaugural event is happening October 4th & 5th and is perfect for book lovers throughout the state. Mark your calendars and get ready for two amazing days of author talks, panels, book signings and more! 📚

📚✨ SAVE THE DATE ✨📚

Booklovers of all ages, mark your calendars for October 4th & 5th! The New Hampshire Book Festival is coming to Concord, NH in 2024. Join us for a two-day celebration of authors, conversation, and community. Experience live presentations, panels, and book signings by nationally recognized authors, all happening at the Capitol Center for the Arts, Gibson’s Bookstore, and South Main Street.

Get ready for a literary adventure at the 2024 New Hampshire Book Festival, made possible by our Presenting Sponsor, Ledyard National Bank. Circle the dates and keep an eye on our social media for all the exciting updates and announcements!

SCHEDULE
Friday, October 4th:
10:00 am | Children’s Keynote
7:00 pm | Adult Keynote

Saturday, October 5th:
10:00 am - 4:30 pm | All-Day Festival
4:30 pm | Page-to-Screen Family Event

How to Stay Informed:
✅ Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, and X for all the latest author announcements and festival updates
✅ Sign up to receive news and updates on our website: https://www.nhbookfestival.org/contact

📖 New Hampshire Book Festival 📖
October 4th & 5th
Concord, NH
www.nhbookfestival.org

Being the first day of Spring (yay!), I thought seeing one of the beautiful cherry trees at The Library of Congress would be a lovely way to get into the Spring spirit! Warmer weather, here we come! 🌱🌞

Happy peak bloom! 🌸🌸🌸 Genetic testing in the 1990s confirmed that TWO cherry trees on Library of Congress grounds — including the one pictured, which needs a "cane" but still blooms beautifully — are originals from the 1912 gift to Washington, D.C., from Japan.

Quite amazing considering that fewer than 10 living trees in D.C. are documented originals! Propagations from these trees have been re-planted around the Tidal Basin and elsewhere in order to continue the original genetic lineage of D.C.'s cherry trees.

Photo by Shawn Miller/Library of Congress

Sharing Visions, a joint effort by the New England State Library Agencies, presents the Sharing Visions 2024 Virtual Conference from 1:00-3:30pm via Zoom on Thursday, March 28, 2024. This conference brings together library practitioners and others interested in resource sharing developments for learning and sharing.

Sharing Visions Resource Sharing 2024 Virtual Conference Sharing Visions, a joint effort by the New England State Library Agencies, presents the Sharing Visions 2024 Virtual Conference from 1:00-3:30pm via Zoom on Thursday, March 28,...

Here is an exciting opportunity to take part in a public book group discussion of the book, Small Town, Big Oil: The Untold Story of the Women Who Took on the Richest Man in the World- and Won by New Hampshire author David W. Moore!
Click below for more information.

Great Bay Book Group Community Discussion Announcing an exciting opportunity to take part in a public book group discussion of the book, Small Town, Big Oil: The Untold Story of the ...

See the announcement below for information on the Ladybug shortlist and voting! The Final Round 2024 Ladybug Nomination Survey is now open and will remain open until Sunday, 3/24/2024!🐞📖🗳

Ladybug 2024 Shortlist The first round of Ladybug Picture Book Award voting closed earlier this week and we are ready to move on to round 2. We have heard from ...