Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s new budget outlines her administration’s priorities, but it overlooks a critical need: appointing a state librarian. Libraries are the heart of our communities, offering job resources, digital access, literacy programs and civic spaces. They serve job seekers, students, small businesses and families, ensuring free and equal access to knowledge. Two months into her term, though, Ayotte has yet to fill the vacancy that directly impacts these essential places. This gap stems from a last-minute decision by the previous administration to withdraw the nomination of a qualified librarian, leaving us without an advocate at a time when libraries are facing tighter budgets, increased demands and political pressure. With libraries across the country being bullied into removing books from their shelves, strong state leadership has never been more essential to defending equal access to information. Without a state librarian, we risk losing federal funding that supports public libraries, digital literacy programs and workforce development initiatives. Smaller libraries, in particular, rely on state coordination to secure grants and sustain essential services. Meanwhile, Ayotte has prioritized expanding Education Freedom Accounts, diverting public dollars to private education while leaving institutions we all use without centralized leadership. Families deserve choices in education, but we cannot afford to neglect the public resources that serve all Granite Staters. This is an easy fix. Ayotte should act swiftly to appoint a qualified state librarian.

Ethan Underhill

Portsmouth