County archivist urges prompt restoration of 145 handwritten volumes; committee reviews cost and timing

County archival staff told the executive committee that 145 handwritten county volumes require restoration and preservation, citing New Hampshire law that mandates county responsibility for preserving records. Staff said they currently budget about $30,000 per year and that restoring the entire backlog at once would be more cost‑effective in bulk, with materials presented showing several cost scenarios and examples from other counties.

The archives representative said previous annual work completed fewer books as costs rose (from roughly 10 per year to six or seven) and that delaying work would likely increase restoration costs because paper and tape deterioration are ongoing. Committee members discussed timing and affordability; no final funding decision specific to the archives item was made at the executive committee level beyond forwarding the CIP recommendation to the full delegation.

An archives staff member noted: "we have 145 books that need to be preserved" and explained those volumes date back to the 18th century and are used for public research. The committee was given options to fund the project now (bulk restoration) or continue annual allocations.