April 9, 2025
The NH statutes and information on this page relate to the governance and administration of libraries in the state.
An Executive Order issued Friday, March 14, 2025 calls for the reduction of statutory functions and elimination of non-statutory functions of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), an independent federal agency that supports libraries and museums in all 50 states and U.S. territories. This decision will greatly impact the Hudson community and residents of the Granite State.
The New Hampshire State Library currently uses $1.5 million of IMLS money to fund the Interlibrary Loan program (ILL) as well as the online catalog and van service to support it. In 2024, the Rodgers Memorial Library loaned out 1,506 items to other libraries using the ILL service and borrowed 1,134 items from other libraries to fulfill RML patron needs.
The State Library also uses IMLS funds to provide Libby, the eBook, eAudiobook and digital magazine platform managed by Overdrive. In 2024, Hudson residents borrowed 12,644 eAudiobooks, 7,778 eBooks and 3,484 digital magazines using Libby. The State Library also uses the money to provide Talking Book services.
What can I do?
If not available, this funding will:
Dramatically affect the above-mentioned services we currently provide to our patrons,
Cripple the collaboration between New Hampshire libraries, and
Drastically reduce access to materials that our patrons currently use.
If you value the services mentioned above - services provided using IMLS funds - please contact your Congressional Delegation to express why the IMLS is important and how its loss will impact you and your fellow residents, not only in Hudson but in the state of New Hampshire.
Click on the tiles below for more information about the IMLS, the Executive Order, library services funded by the State Library with IMLS funds, and how funding cuts would impact NH libraries.
