The Henniker community should be congratulated for supporting some form of a public library in town since 1889. Once housed in a rented room, our predecessors had the foresight to realize the importance of a library for this community. In 1903 the participants of the Town Meeting voted to accept the gift of a library from George Tucker and, subsequently, the land purchased by Henry A. Emerson. Our leaders recognized that this gift was the embodiment of the principles and values that a library afforded a community. This gift was hailed as “a monument, landmark, and record of freedom of thought.” (Program for the dedication ceremony of the Tucker Free Library).
The gift of George Tucker totaled $49,000. Of that $16,811 (34%) was used to build the library. Today, the remaining $32, 189 (1905 amount) has a value of $253,935 and provides 32% of the trust fund revenue generated by the Town Trust Funds for the Tucker Free Library. A study of Town Reports indicates that the Tucker Free Library has received, as interest from our trust funds, a total of $992,152.18 since 1903. That is money that the library did not have to ask the town to supply through annual appropriations.
In 2009, the trustees received notification that the Tucker Free Library was one of three beneficiaries of the estate of Ann Soderstrom. The portion of the estate that the library was to receive was $189,114. If it was decided to use the Ann Soderstrom money in a similar fashion to the George Tucker donation; 34% on building renovations and the remainder put into a trust fund, in 100 years this fund could be worth $6,303,825. It has been suggested that we use some of the Ann Soderstrom money to bridge the budget gap in 2010. If we did the future value of the fund would drop to $5,677,766. If all the money were put into a trust fund then the future value could be as high as $9,551,192. If we are forced to bridge the budget gap with this money then the value is reduced $626,059 to $8,925,133.
This year we must ask the Henniker community to show their support for the Tucker Free Library. We need your help. Our budget was cut by $16,080 for this fiscal year. We anticipate that we can bridge the gap with additional revenue generated by our trust funds but we still have a deficit of $12,396 ($8,367 increase in operation expenses and a $3,020 decrease in revenue).
WHAT DOES THIS BUDGET CRISIS MEAN TO THE TUCKER FREE LIBRARY AND THEREFORE THE HENNIKER COMMUNITY?
- Hours reduced.
- Book budget reduced.
- Magazine budget reduced.
- Building maintenance/repairs reduced.
- Reduced utility costs through reduction of hours.
- Programming reduced.
- No computer equipment purchased or repaired.
- Personnel expenses cut.
For 105 years the trustees of the Tucker Free Library have guided the direction of growth of the Tucker Free Library. They have been deliberate stewards of an architecturally outstanding building in this town. They have, through their collective wisdom, provided this community with a cultural and educational resource that promotes that "knowledge and learning... are essential to the preservation of a free government." (RSA 202-A:1).
The Board of Trustees has been fiscally considerate when making appropriation requests from the Town of Henniker. Old town reports indicate that the library trustees have a long history of fiscal conservatism; making do, stretching every dollar, and trying to make the best decisions possible -- always with an eye on the taxpayers.
· The Board of Trustees has gone through the budget process with every other town department and acted responsibly when asked to make fair and proportionate cuts.
· At Town Meeting last year, the TFL Board reduced our appropriation request by $5,454. It was also decided that we would forgo a vote on our expendable building maintenance trust fund, which saved the taxpayers an additional $5,000. These were hard decisions, but like everyone else, the Tucker Free Library tightened its belt and made cuts.
· One of the most commonly asked questions of 2009 was "Why aren't you planting shrubs and flowers in front of the library?" In light of the economic hardships that many members of our community faced, the Board of Trustees decided to address only the safety and building maintenance concerns posed by the front of our building. While all felt the cosmetic enhancement of a garden would be nice, they concurred that it was fiscally irresponsible to use tax dollars to make such cosmetic improvements. A fund was set up and so far $500 has been donated to purchase plants for a garden area.
· The trustees also agreed that painting the exterior of the library and new carpeting should be delayed until the economy improved. They felt that since many members of our community were putting off their own home improvements, the library should do so as well.
· Fiscal responsibility also translates to the careful and deliberate utilization of heating and air conditioning equipment. The programmable thermostats at the Tucker Free Library are password protected. They are set at 67 degrees during the chilly fall and spring months while the library is open. Recognizing that some patrons may be coming to the library for warmth, the thermostats are set at 69 degrees during hours of operation in the harsh cold months of winter.
· During the summer, staff members open windows early in the morning and use box fans to draw in the cool air. Since humidity is the enemy of our library collection, it is only during the extremely humid weather that the air conditioner is actually employed.
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