How EveryLibrary and Allies Stopped the Defunding of the New Hampshire State Library

On Monday, March 24, 2025, the New Hampshire House Finance Committee introduced a shocking amendment to eliminate funding for the New Hampshire State Library completely. Just 24 hours later, we won!

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Without warning or stakeholder input, this draconian budget proposal would have shut down the oldest state library in America, gutting support for every local library in the state.

But within 90 minutes, EveryLibrary launched a full-scale rapid response campaign—and within 24 hours, lawmakers reversed course.

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The Threat
House Finance Amendment 2025-1300h was not about good governance. It was a politically motivated attack on one of New Hampshire’s most vital public institutions. If passed, it would have dismantled:

• Statewide interlibrary loan networks
• Professional development for librarians
• Technical support to rural and small-town libraries
• Core services to students, seniors, families, and communities

As our Executive Director John Chrastka said, “This isn’t policy—it’s politics. And it will hurt real people across the state.”

Our Rapid Response
Just before lunchtime on Monday, March 24th, we were alerted to the finance committee amendment. Within 90 minutes, EveryLibrary launched a complete campaign infrastructure:

• We published a dedicated action center to defend the NH State Library Budget:
• We issued a strong, clear media statement: Read it here
• We sent direct email alerts to our in-state supporters
• We distributed a rapid-response toolkit to local library stakeholders
• We deployed $2,000 in targeted digital ads on social media to mobilize as many Granite Staters as possible before the Tuesday vote.

At the same time, we reached out to our partners at New Hampshire MomsRising to ask them to mobilize more their powerful network of members. They quickly sent out the call to action and put out creative outreach on TikTok and social media. The threat to the state library budget was covered by WMUR and InDepthNH, helping bring statewide visibility to the threat.

Monthly donations of just $3 from people like you made this campaign possible.

The Impact: Immediate, Unmistakable, and Powerful
In less than 24 hours, more than 4,400 people used EveryLibrary’s platform to contact their state legislators. The surge of public outcry was impossible to ignore. Lawmakers cited receiving hundreds of emails from constituents demanding they reject the amendment. By the morning of Tuesday, March 25, the House Finance Committee had reversed course. The proposal to defund and dismantle the New Hampshire State Library was withdrawn.

Infrastructure Meets Action
This wasn’t luck—it was readiness. EveryLibrary’s systems are built for speed and scale. Our tools are easy to use, and we’ve built an engaged, trusted network that takes action when it matters most. We invest when the stakes are high—whether that’s putting money behind digital ads or amplifying local partners on the ground. And we had allies ready to move. 

This win is proof: When libraries are attacked, we know how to fight back—and win.

What’s Next: Vigilance and Readiness
EveryLibrary is the only national 501(c)(4) political action committee for libraries. We were built for moments like this—when libraries need a fast, professional, and effective response to political threats. No other organization in the United States has the capacity to mobilize thousands of people overnight, influence state legislative outcomes, and stand up for libraries in the political arena with the same precision and power.

This is advocacy in action.

This is what your support makes possible.

Donate today to help us stay ready for the next fight—because the next fight is always just around the corner.