Things have happened since the last demand for a school district’s card catalog – all local. That Gunstock thing. The primary and general elections. And now we’ve got the Belknap Delegation Budget screwup. But it is time to get back to that card catalog.
This research project has a number of facets based on findings from the various Districts within NH. Not least of which is how well they are willing to follow the law (the listing of all the books in a District’s libraries is not exempted from right-to-know like personnel records or school safety plans).
Some complied immediately and without complaints or concern (Gilford). Some had questions and a bit of pushback (Berlin). Others I have to circle back on because they refused. Thankfully, I have a persistent streak in me (even if it takes some amount o time).
So today, it was Hinsdale’s turn. I generally send these RSA 91-A Right To Know emails out to all of the members of the School Board; after all, they are the representatives that have been elected to manage the District, and they should be aware of legal items like this. It turned out, however, that NO emails were listed on their new website, so I had to call in to get one – no email failure message yet, so I hope that it has been received. It follows along with the other emails I have sent:
From “Skip” <Skip@granitegrok.com>
To CommunityConnections@Hnhsd.org
Date 3/22/2023 3:07:49 PM
Subject An RSA 91-A (Right To Know ) demand for the Hinsdale Scrhool District Library card catalog.Good afternoon. This email is intended to be received by the Hinsdale School District SAU 92’s school board:
- Holly Kennedy, Chair
- Jeana Woodbury
- Julia Klelee
- April Anderson
- Sean Leary.Vice-Chair
Please find attached to this email a Right To Know demand for the card catalog covering all of the libraries within the District. This Right To Know is copied below.
It is requested that the Responsive Records be returned in a spreadsheet file which all current Library content management systems can do.
Kindest regards,
-Skip
Skip Murphy
Founder, co-owner
GraniteGrok.com | Skip@GraniteGrok.com |
Dominating the political Bandwidth in New Hampshire
Pursuant to the Right to Know Law (RSA. 91-A:4 (I) ), I am demanding access, within 5 business days, to the below enumerated governmental records. Otherwise, if this cannot be fulfilled within that mandated window per RSA 91-A, please advise when the Responsive Records will be made available.
This request is for the Hinsdale / SAU92 School District library “card catalog”. This is for any and all books located in the following:
- District-wide “main” library
- Each school within the District’s “main” library
- If a school has multiple “main” libraries (such as Brockton High, Brockton, MA)
- All classrooms with cataloged books that are tracked by the District.
The information for each Responsive Record shall include:
- Name of the book
- Name of the Author(s)
- Content Summary
- ISBN identification (or other such designated ID)
- Name of the School
- If a School has multiple libraries, a designation of which library is being referenced (in the case of Brockton High, the five libraries: Red, Azure/Blue, Green, Yellow, and the Science libraries)
- Name/designation of the Classroom within a School
Per RSA 91-A:4 IV(c) If you deny any portion of this request, please cite the specific exemption used to justify the denial to make each record, or part thereof, unavailable for inspection along with a brief explanation of how the exemption applies to the information withheld.
As you are aware, in 2016, the New Hampshire Supreme Court ruled that a governmental body in possession of records is required to produce them in electronic media using standard common file formats: Green v. SAU #55, 168 N.H. 796, 801 (2016) . Unless there is some reason that it is not reasonably practical to produce such, explain why it is not practical to comply. I am asking that the Responsive Records be returned in a spreadsheet file (e.g., EXCEL, OpenOffice) which your library system can produce.
Please also note, per RSA 91-A:4 III, III-a, and III-b, you are required to maintain the safety and accessibility of such responsive records. This also includes such responsive records (e.g., emails, query files) which may have been deleted from respective Inboxes but are still available on the applicable email server or in your / email host backup system(s).
Please let me know when these records will be sent to me for inspection. You may email the responsive records to me at Skip@GraniteGrok.com. If the volume turns out to be substantial, I have already set up a Dropbox folder to use in uploading those responsive records.
Thank you for your lawful attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Skip Murphy
GraniteGrok.com
