The Rodgers Memorial Library Board of Trustees met on April 15 to review ongoing work at the historic Hills Memorial Library building, where staff have been clearing out remaining materials following a heating system failure in March.
Library Director Linda Pilla explained that the issue stemmed from a timing problem with the building’s new heating oil vendor.
“We have a new vendor, and all of you with heating oil at your house know you have to get down a timing where you fill your tank before it gets empty, and the vendor has been working at getting that timing fine-tuned, and we missed it,” Pilla said. “I got down to Town Hall to report the problem, and the person I left a message with was not in, so the problem got left over the weekend. By the time we got the tank refilled, the fuel line had gotten clogged. This was like a perfect storm.”
With the help of town staff and a local contractor, the line was eventually cleared. Despite initial concerns, the outage did not result in frozen pipes or interior damage.
Meanwhile, the long-term effort to remove books, shelving, and other materials from the Hills building continues.
“The upstairs room is now clear of all books, and the guys are on a last sort of walkthrough to make sure everything is out,” Pilla said. “We’re going to work to dismantle the bookcases downstairs. There’s no way to get them out now that we don’t have a ramp over there, so the cases will have to be taken apart. The wood is not in very good condition.”
Many of the shelves were described as “temporary” and in poor shape, raising questions about how much of the remaining interior infrastructure can realistically be salvaged.
The future of the Hills Memorial Library building; opened in 1909 and listed on both the National Register of Historic Places (1984) and the New Hampshire State Register (2012); remains a topic of active discussion. The Trustees will appear before the Hudson Board of Selectmen on April 28 to discuss governance and next steps for the building.
“We’re on the agenda for April 28,” Pilla said. “The public meeting starts at 7 p.m., and we’ll be in the public section.”
Selectman Bob Guessferd encouraged residents to attend and share their views.
“Not sure exactly where you are in the agenda, we’ll see, but we’re not going to be talking about any other buildings, I don’t think, that night,” Guessferd said. “When you’re facing the building, it’s on the left hand side. People typically can go in the door on the side, go down the stairs, and the more the merrier.”
Several Trustees expressed interest in attending the meeting, noting that the Hills building was under their oversight until recently and remains an important part of Hudson’s cultural and architectural history.