CHILIS’s greatest strengths lie in its energetic, committed, and generous members.
During this exciting yet challenging time for libraries, CHILIS is leading New Hampshire Youth Librarians to quality library service to children and their families.

Our achievements this year include three excellent readers choice lists for youth, two stimulating one-day conferences, an exciting summer reading program, and the selection of inspiring and accomplished Debbie Lafford from the Pelham Public Library as the CHILIS Children’s Librarian of the Year. These accomplishments are built on commitment to quality library service to youth and our beliefs that:

Only the best is good enough for children.
Meetings should be full of the gift of laughter.
An exchange of ideas is a basic ingredient of any meeting.

Libraries are changing fast. It seems that every day there is something new device or service for youth librarians to buy and incorporate. Just as we anticipate and embrace the innovations of the future, CHILIS nurtures the traditional initiatives like summer reading programs and state readers choice awards that have helped to define us and continue to express our quality and core values. In the coming years, with shrinking resources and greater demands in our communities, the role of CHILIS in developing and supporting competencies cannot help but increase. Excellence and hard work of member volunteers will lead us into a bright and interesting future. I eagerly anticipate it, and thank you for the opportunity to lead CHILIS on this part of the path.

Respectfully submitted,

Gail Zachariah
CHILIS Past President