NHAIS Notes

SW Combination Route Fri 11/6

2026-11-05T12:27:48.851-05:00

Hello, everyone,

I’m sorry for the delayed notification. Due to van driver illness, we are combining and shortening today’s Southwest (SW) route and tomorrow’s SW-A route into one Friday route.

The libraries on these routes who WILL RECEIVE deliveries tomorrow, Friday, November 6, are as follows:

New London
Newport
Washington
Charlestown
Keene
Marlborough
Dublin
Mont Vernon
Weare

We won’t be able to add additional stops. Thank you for your understanding.

Sincerely,
Jennifer M. Finch (she/her)
Reference Librarian and State Data Coordinator
New Hampshire State Library
N.H. Department of Natural & Cultural Resources

No CD van Mon 11/2

2026-11-02T11:42:25.227-05:00

The Capital District (CD) route is cancelled today [Monday, Nov. 2] due to illness. Here is the list of libraries affected:

Boscawen
Canterbury
Loudon
Chichester
Epsom
Pembroke
Allenstown
Hooksett
Bow
Dunbarton
Talking Books
NHTI

Your patience and understanding are appreciated.

Thank you,
Jennifer M. Finch (she/her)
Supervisor, Reference & Information Services and State Data Coordinator
New Hampshire State Library

Lender list build process

2026-10-29T11:01:20.215-04:00

The lender list build process in the NHAIS ILL System determines where your request will be routed. You don't really need to know the details below but understanding how the process works will answer questions like "Why didn't my request go that library when I know they hold the title?"

The lender list build process happens behind the scenes right after you submit an individual request. The request is usually in Awaiting Lenders status less than a minute before it becomes Pending at the first potential lender. With a multi-copy request, the lender list is built before you submit the request--the program first has to establish that there are enough copies held at libraries around the state.

The lender list build process takes the information in the record you chose to create your request (the "source record") and searches the catalogs in the NHAIS ILL System for matching records. The program also checks lending policies before adding a library to the lender list. Once all potential lenders are determined for the list, the locations are sorted according to the Preferred Lender List assigned to each borrower.

Matching criteria are tweaked from time to time to minimize the false positives and false negatives that come up when trying a establish matches across millions of MARC records from hundreds of sources. As of this writing, matching occurs as detailed below. All gathered targets are searched for the first match point available from the ILL request information, then any remaining libraries that were not successfully matched are used to search the next match point, and so on.

ISBN and ISSN
-Searches up to first 3 numbers in record..
-If match is found, no additional validation occurs.
-If no match, moves to next match point.

OCLC Number, LCCN, and UPC (Other Standard Identifier)
-Searches first number.
-If match is found, validation includes:
a. Title
b. Format, if lending policy is used
-If no match, moves to next match point.

Publisher Number
-Searches first number.
-If match is found, validation includes:
a. Publisher Source or Title
b. Format, if lending policy is used
-If no match, moves to next match point.

Title/Author
-Both Title and Author must be present in the ILL request data to perform this search.
-If match is found, validation includes:
a. Publisher date and publisher name
b. Format, if lending policy is used

In the absence of standard numbers or an author in the source record, the program will resort to the following:

Title
- Requires an exact match on normalized titles.
Normalization information:
-Everything before the bracket (245 $a $b $n $p) is used
-Strips symbols and double spaces, lower all cases, changes “&” to “and”
-If match is found, validation includes:
a. Publisher information
b. Format, if lending policy is used
-If no match on the final match point, the lender is not added.

Even if a location makes it onto a lender list, that doesn't guarantee the library will ever see the request. Once a request is Shipped by a lender, none of the libraries below it on the lender list will see the request. Also, when it's time to send the request to a particular lender on the list, the program runs some checks again and others for the first time to ensure the most up-to-date availability. A "no" to any of these questions will lead SHAREit to skip over a potential lender in the list:
-Does the lender still own the item?
-Does the lender still lend the format?
-Is the library currently accepting requests?
-Is the item showing an "available" shelf status (for Z-targets that provide that information)?

Brief ILL outage Tue 10/27 10pm

2026-10-27T10:23:58.479-04:00

The NHAIS ILL System will be offline briefly tonight (Tuesday, Oct. 27) starting at 10 o'clock for software updates. Only behind-the-scenes functions are affected so you won't notice anything different Wednesday morning.

In case anyone is wondering - how to quickly see which libraries around the state serve a similar population size

2026-10-26T13:17:44.768-04:00

With thanks to my colleague here at the NHSL, Jen Finch, head of reference and go-to for all things library statistical 🙂

Someone asked me how to quickly see which libraries serve a similarly sized population. Here are the steps:

Go here: Library Statistics | NH State Library

Scroll down below the photo

Download 2025 Complete Library Statistics (or just take this link, but I wanted you to know where to find it on the NHLS website for future reference) https://www.nhsl.dncr.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt726/files/documents/2025-complete-library-stats.xlsx

Choose the first tab, "Outlet Data"

Sort Column J "Population of the Legal Service Area"

6. Find your library in the sorted list and you'll see which others serve close to the same population size.

Deb Baker
Adult & Youth Services Consultant
New Hampshire State Library

ILL van route update

2026-10-23T13:14:21.985-04:00

Beginning on November 2, delivery directly to libraries that are listed on “North Country” routes will resume. The planned routes are available at the bottom of this [message]. We will also post them to the NHSL website as soon as we can.

Thank you for bearing with us. We will do our best to fulfill all ILL routes in the months ahead, but I want to share that we are still operating without one of our full‑time drivers. As a result, there may be some unavoidable juggling. Thank you in advance for your continued patience and understanding. As ever, our goal is to provide the best service to our public libraires.

Finally, I would like to single out the work of one particular NHSL staff person who has gone well above and beyond “other duties as assigned.” Diana Sklader has been instrumental in figuring how to make the hub routes work and how to return to door-to-door delivery, all while driving more than her fair share of van routes. THANK YOU, Diana!!!

All my best and TGIF,

Mindy Atwood
Administrator of Library Operations :: Assistant State Librarian
New Hampshire State Library

Tuesday
15 Stops

Center Sandwich
Tamworth
Chocorua
Madison
Conway
North Conway
Jackson
Bartlett
Bethlehem
Franconia
Lincoln
North Woodstock
Thornton
Campton
Plymouth

Wednesday
13 Stops

Dalton
Whitefield
Jefferson
Lancaster
Groveton
Stratford
Colebrook
Errol
WMCC - Berlin
Berlin
Gorham
Randolph
Twin Mountain

Thursday
14 Stops

Plymouth
Rumney
Wentworth
Warren
Lyme
Orford
Piermont
Haverhill
North Haverhill
Woodsville
Monroe
Bath
Lisbon
Littleton

NHAIS ILL and the PHP Advisory

2026-10-22T12:11:37.422-04:00

The vulnerabilities to PHP sites announced yesterday by the NSA have been addressed on the NHAIS ILL system. We were notified yesterday by Soutron Global (the company that now owns Auto-Graphics and which hosts our ShareIt software) that there was an issue and that they were addressing it:

"We have identified a security vulnerability in PHP, a component used by SHAREit including for features such as cover images (jacket art). We are treating this as a priority and are applying the fix across our hosted service now. No action is needed from you."

Today we were notified that all is well:

"All SHAREit and VERSO sites, SaaS and remotely hosted, are now running versions that include the needed PHP vulnerability fixes. The team identified every affected product and server, developed a fix and plan, and updated every affected environment within a day of the disclosure. No action is needed from customers."

2026 Public Library Technology Survey

2026-10-21T11:08:08.112-04:00

We have been asked to make New Hampshire public libraries aware that the 2026 Public Library Technology Survey administered by the Public Library Association (PLA) is now open and to share the following:

“This year’s survey explores current and emerging trends in public library technology capacity, building on the findings from the 2020 and the 2023 surveys. Questions on the 2026 survey cover resources for patrons, technology infrastructure, digital literacy assistance and programming, and technology staff and budget; with a special section on Artificial Intelligence. Your participation will allow PLA to share nationally representative data with the field, policymakers, funders, and the media showing the scope of valuable services libraries provide to their communities.

All public libraries are invited to participate in PLA’s annual surveys. Log into your library’s free Benchmark account to complete the survey. One person should submit the survey on behalf of their library – often that’s the library director, administrator, or data coordinator. [A reference copy of the survey is available for preview.] Libraries that complete this year’s survey will be entered into a drawing to win group registration for a live or on-demand, fee-based PLA webinar.

The survey closes December 15, 2026. Take a few minutes to contribute to the national conversation about public libraries as key partners in the work of bridging the digital divide and advancing digital equity in their communities. All inquiries and assistance required to access your library’s Benchmark account should be directed to the project team at plabenchmark@ala.org.

Survey results will be released next summer via summary report, conference presentations, and online webinar. Each year’s survey report spotlights specific results, providing resources and illustrating how and why the data collected from these national surveys can be applied to and benefit your library. More information is available via the survey launch press release or from the PLA Surveys and Data page.”

Thank you,

Mindy Atwood
Administrator of Library Operations :: Assistant State Librarian
New Hampshire State Library
N.H. Department of Natural & Cultural Resources
20 Park Street :: Concord, NH 03301
603-271-2393 (w) :: 603-573-6402 (m)
mindy.atwood@dncr.nh.gov
nhsl.dncr.nh.gov

ILL notes icon

2026-10-19T13:35:51.634-04:00

In the past week we've seen notes icons in the NHAIS ILL System disappear and reappear. This behavior has been observed mostly in the Will Supply/In Process status list but may occur elsewhere, too. It's been reported to Auto-Graphics, which is looking into it.

In one case, a library reported getting an error message after clicking on Acknowledge Notes for a request in Shipped status. Being unable to see the note, Undo Shipped was used to change the status back to Pending, which made the note accessible again.

2025 Library Statistics -- correction made

2026-10-15T10:55:23.460-04:00

Yesterday I discovered an error on the Services tab of the 2025 Complete Library Statistics Excel document posted to the NHSL website. Somehow, I managed to leave out an entire column of data when calculating the Grand Total – All Program Attendance (found in column AS of the Services tab). The result was that everyone’s program attendee numbers were falling short. ☹

I’ve fixed this error and the corrected file has been uploaded to the NHSL site, replacing the incorrect version. It’s available on the Library Statistics page (https://www.nhsl.dncr.nh.gov/librarians-library-staff/library-statistics). If you’ve saved a local copy of the original file for yourself, please download this updated version and use it instead.

I deeply apologize for any inconvenience or confusion the data omission may have caused. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Jennifer M. Finch (she/her)
Supervisor, Reference & Information Services and State Data Coordinator
New Hampshire State Library
N.H. Department of Natural & Cultural Resources
20 Park St.
Concord, NH 03301
Office: 603-271-2060
Ref Desk: 603-271-2144
Jennifer.M.Finch@dncr.nh.gov

Speed improvement in ILL update Tue 10/13 10pm

2026-10-13T09:38:14.126-04:00

The NHAIS ILL System will be offline briefly starting at 10 o'clock tonight (Tuesday, Oct. 13) to update software. Auto-Graphics reports this enhancement:

"We are continuing to work on improving how quickly staff pages load ILL requests. This release includes speed improvements to the Request Manager status lists and to Search by Request Number, which should be most noticeable for libraries with a large number of requests. There is no change to how these pages look or work."

No LR, CD vans Mon 10/12

2026-10-12T09:50:36.273-04:00

Today is Monday, October 12, and the Lakes Region (LR) van route has been cancelled.

Libraries on this route:

Tilton
Franklin
Bristol
Meredith
Moultonborough
Wolfeboro
Gilford
Laconia
Belmont
Concord Public

[Also] today’s Capital ILL route has been cancelled due to illness.

Libraries affected:

Boscawen
Canterbury
Loudon
Chichester
Epsom
Pembroke
Allenstown
Hooksett
Bow
Dunbarton
NHTI

Thank you,
Jennifer M. Finch (she/her)
Supervisor, Reference & Information Services and State Data Coordinator
New Hampshire State Library

Columbus Day van service

2026-10-06T14:16:42.633-04:00

Hi Everyone,

I want to let you know that the New Hampshire State Library will be open and vans will be running on Monday, October 12, 2026, Indigenous Peoples’ Day/Columbus Day.

If your library normally receives ILL delivery on Monday but is planning to be closed, please let us know.

You can either respond to my email or call the Circulation desk at 603-271-2616.

Thank you!

Jennifer M. Finch (she/her)
Supervisor, Reference & Information Services and State Data Coordinator
New Hampshire State Library

ILL fixes and enhancements Tue 9/29 10pm

2026-09-29T13:08:11.082-04:00

The NHAIS ILL System will be offline briefly tonight (Tuesday, Sept. 29) to install program updates, starting at 10 o'clock.

-The “Your Request is being processed - please wait” pop-up will now close automatically after actions such as request status updates. The issue of the pop-up lingering was seen only in some versions of the Chrome browser.

-The Searches with Zero Results report is being removed from statistics reports because it isn’t working.

-The NHAIS ILL System will now be able to match a request to a lender using an alternate identifier from that lender's own catalog record. This won't change how you use the program but it should help more requests match correctly, particularly for lenders whose records do not include a system control number in field 001. The one place you might notice this is when viewing the lender list in the full request record. For each potential lender, you'll see the location code, days to respond (always "3"), local call number if present, and--currently--control number from field 001 if present:

NHHRCR, 3, 973.82 CLAVIN, in00024492847
NHHSVK, 3, 973.82 CLA,
NHHSFC, 3, 973.82 CLA, 2094159

After tonight's update, you may see other numbers if there's no 001 in the lender's record, with the type noted in parentheses:

NHHRCR, 3, 973.82 CLAVIN, in00024492847
NHHSVK, 3, 973.82 CLA, 9781250374509 (ISBN)
NHHSFC, 3, 973.82 CLA, 2094159

In the absence of field 001, the program will use the first of the following: ISBN (020), ISSN (022), OCLC number (035), UPC (024), or Publisher Number (028). If the lender's record has none of these, the program will use the identifier from the record used to create the request.

No SE-C van Tue 9/29

2026-09-29T10:07:11.232-04:00

Today’s SE-C ILL van route is cancelled [Tuesday, Sept. 29]. The affected libraries are as follows:

Manchester
Deerfield
Nottingham
Epping
Newmarket
Stratham
Greenland
Hampton
Hampton Falls
Seabrook
Kensington
East Kingston
Exeter

Thank you for understanding.

Sincerely,
Jennifer M. Finch (she/her)
Supervisor, Reference & Information Services and State Data Coordinator
New Hampshire State Library

No SE, LR vans Fri 9/25

2026-09-25T11:37:16.871-04:00

Today’s SE van route [Friday, Sept. 25] is cancelled due to illness. The affected libraries are as follows:

Northwood
Center Strafford
Barrington
Rochester
Somersworth
Dover
Lee
Durham
Newmarket
Portsmouth
Rye
North Hampton

[Also] today’s Lakes Region (LR) van route has been cancelled. Affected libraries are as follows:

Hill
Bristol
Meredith
Center Harbor
Moultonborough
Wolfeboro
Alton
Gilford
Laconia
Sanbornton

Thank you for your understanding.

Regards,
Jennifer M. Finch (she/her)
Supervisor, Reference & Information Services and State Data Coordinator
New Hampshire State Library

Slowness in NHAIS ILL System Mon 9/21

2026-09-21T14:01:33.426-04:00

Monday, Sept. 21, 2 p.m.: Users have noted slowness in the NHAIS ILL System today. Auto-Graphics support has been informed of this.

SE-A route truncated Thu 9/17

2026-09-17T09:45:16.695-04:00

We’ve had to shorten today’s SE-A ILL van route [Thursday, Sept. 17] due to driver availability. The libraries on this route that WILL be getting ILL bin delivery are as follows:

Stratham
Hampton
Seabrook
Exeter

Thank you for your understanding.

Jennifer M. Finch (she/her)
Supervisor, Reference & Information Services and State Data Coordinator
New Hampshire State Library

No SE-B van Thu 9/17

2026-09-17T09:24:38.711-04:00

Today’s SE-B van route [Thursday, Sept. 17] is cancelled. Affected libraries are as follows:

Auburn
Windham
Pelham
Salem
Derry
Londonderry
Hudson
Nashua
Milford
Amherst
Merrimack
Bedford
Manchester

Thanks once again for your understanding.

Regards,
Jennifer M. Finch (she/her)
Supervisor, Reference & Information Services and State Data Coordinator
New Hampshire State Library

No SE van Wed 9/16

2026-09-16T09:35:14.075-04:00

Today’s SE van route [Wednesday, Sept. 16] has been cancelled. The affected libraries are as follows:

Northwood
Center Strafford
Barrington
Rochester
Somersworth
Dover
Madbury
Lee
Durham
Portsmouth
New Castle
Rye
North Hampton

Thank you for your understanding,
Jennifer M. Finch (she/her)
Supervisor, Reference & Information Services and State Data Coordinator
New Hampshire State Library

2025 library statistics are LIVE!

2026-09-16T08:08:54.592-04:00

The 2025 Public Library Survey statistics have been posted to the NHSL website! You can find them on this page (scroll down about halfway):

https://www.nhsl.dncr.nh.gov/librarians-library-staff/library-statistics

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Sincerely,
Jennifer M. Finch (she/her)
Supervisor, Reference & Information Services and State Data Coordinator
New Hampshire State Library
N.H. Department of Natural & Cultural Resources
20 Park St.
Concord, NH 03301
Office: 603-271-2060
Ref Desk: 603-271-2144
Jennifer.M.Finch@dncr.nh.gov

Brief ILL outage Tue 9/15 10pm

2026-09-15T13:00:00.000-04:00

The NHAIS ILL System will be offline briefly starting at 10 o'clock tonight (Tuesday, Sept. 15). Software will be updated but no user-facing functions will change.

No SE-C van Tue 9/15

2026-09-15T10:26:08.566-04:00

Today’s SE-C ILL Van Route [Tuesday, Sept. 15] is cancelled. The affected libraries are as follows:

Deerfield
Nottingham
Epping
Newmarket
Stratham
Greenland
Hampton
Hampton Falls
Seabrook
Kensington
East Kingston
Exeter

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Regards,
Jennifer M. Finch (she/her)
Supervisor, Reference & Information Services and State Data Coordinator
New Hampshire State Library

Squeezed-together titles now unsqueezed

2026-09-09T08:29:24.915-04:00

The issue with squeezed-together titles appearing in the "type-ahead" suggestions when entering search terms in the NHAIS ILL System last week has been fixed.

MARCit webinar Thu 9/17 10am

2026-09-03T12:01:37.010-04:00

This summer NHAIS introduced a new source of free MARC records for catalogers. Details on how to find and download records in MARCit can be found in a July 1 NHAIS Notes post. This month we're offering a live webinar showing MARCit in action and allowing you to ask questions about this cataloging resource. Debbie Hensler from Auto-Graphics will be hosting the session on Thursday, Sept. 17, at 10 a.m. This session is free, but you will need to register to get the Zoom link.