Conway, Wolfeboro help defeat unpopular library bill

CONCORD — After hearing from Conway Public Library’s director, Jeff Beavers, and over 1,000 other people, the N.H. House Municipal and County Government Committee voted unanimously on Tuesday to recommend that  House Bill 1214 be killed in the full House.

The motion to recommend the bill be deemed “inexpedient to legislate” was made by state Rep. John MacDonald (R-Wolfeboro).

The 15-0 committee vote came after testimony from lawmakers, library officials and municipal leaders, many of whom warned the proposal could undermine the long-standing independence of library trustees.

Along with MacDonald (vice chair), members are Republicans Diane Pauer (chair), Marie Bjelbork, Joe Guthrie, Tom Dolan, Deborah Aylward, Linda Franz, Sly Karasinski, Denis Murphy and David Walker; and Democrats Laurel Stavis, Julie Gilman, Jim Maggiore, David Fracht, Eleana Colby, Dale Girard, Stephanie Grun and Catherine Harvey.

HB 1214, which had been sponsored by Rep. Kristine Perez (R-Londonderry), would have allowed town voters to place public libraries under the authority of selectmen or town councils while reducing library trustees to an advisory role.

Perez told the committee the measure was intended to give communities flexibility, particularly where libraries face administrative challenges.

“Libraries are very different now,” she said, noting their growth from small collections housed in town buildings to complex organizations with staff, facilities and budgets to manage. Some smaller towns struggle to recruit trustees, she said, while larger libraries may require expertise in finance, human resources and operations that volunteers may not possess.

Perez emphasized the bill was optional, not mandatory, and framed it as a tool towns could choose if they needed additional oversight or administrative support.

“This is not political and has no political intent at all,” she said, adding that the goal was to help libraries “remain strong in every community.”

But critics questioned whether the bill would instead expose libraries to political pressure and disrupt a governance model that dates back more than a century.

Jeff Beavers, director of the Conway Public Library, testified on behalf of both the Conway library trustees and the town’s selectmen, which jointly opposed the legislation. Reading from a letter signed by both, Beavers said the proposal would replace “a proven professional governance model” with direct political control that could jeopardize library operations statewide.

Library trustees, he said, serve as a buffer that protects intellectual freedom and First Amendment rights by insulating libraries from short-term political disputes and censorship pressures. The bill, he argued, would break from a deliberate tradition of independence built into New Hampshire law since the 19th century.

“This bill undermines what has been consistent New Hampshire policy for more than a century,” Beavers said.

Testimony throughout the hearing overwhelmingly opposed the measure. Committee members heard repeated concerns that existing law already allows collaboration between library trustees and municipal officials when needed, without changing governance structures.

MacDonald suggested the legislation was aimed at addressing isolated local issues rather than a statewide problem.

Perez had noted her library had closed due to mold but denied her bill had anything to do with that issue.

“It’s pretty clear from the testimony that we received here that this particular bill is to deal with the problem at one particular library,” MacDonald said.

He added that in his own community, trustees “have done an outstanding job,” and he saw no reason for sweeping changes.

Public input reflected similar sentiment. Committee members reported that 1,355 people signed in remotely in opposition, compared with seven in support. Seven people also spoke against the bill in person.

The committee’s recommendation to kill the bill now moves to the House consent calendar for final consideration.