Cindy Raspiller

As an elected Library Trustee in the Town of Mont Vernon for more than 20 years, I strongly oppose HB 1214. This bill would allow our Select Board to assume governance of the Daland Memorial Library. The Select Board is already challenged to provide effective oversight of other town functions, and adding the library would only increase that burden. Having an independent board of library trustees is a time-honored New Hampshire tradition because democracy depends on equal access to information that is free from direct government oversight. Our library trustees are knowledgeable, elected officials who answer directly to the voters of the town. We are deeply invested in our community and directly accountable to the public we serve. We take our responsibility to safeguard intellectual freedom seriously. We also work diligently to ensure responsible stewardship of both public funds and, in Mont Vernon’s case, significant donated resources. These include the generous legacy of our benefactress, Sophia G. Daland, who left the bulk of her estate to the town to establish the original library, and whose Trust has maintained the building for more than 100 years. More recently, the Mont Vernon Library Charitable Foundation, formed in 2015, has supported a capital campaign to build the new library, now nearing completion. The new library stands as an outstanding example of a successful public–private partnership. The Town bond covers less than one-third of the total project cost; the remainder was made possible through private donations and dedicated fundraising. This project would not have succeeded without a slate of committed, elected library trustees guiding the process and navigating its many complexities. Library trustees establish policies that prioritize community needs while providing stability and continuity beyond shifting political priorities. Allowing the Select Board to take over library governance undermines this independence and risks politicizing library operations, collections, and services that are intended to serve the entire community equitably. HB 1214 weakens a proven governance model and threatens the stability, neutrality, and public trust upon which New Hampshire libraries rely.