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The Library will be OPEN during Presidents’ Day on February 20, 2023.

Presidents’ Day, the third Monday in February, is a federal holiday honoring our first president, George Washington, whose birthday is February 22. We also traditionally honor President Abraham Lincoln, whose birthday is February 12. (archives.gov)

For Teens

The Teen Room has a selection of non-fiction, biography, and fiction books on display each month. Tweens and teens are encouraged to celebrate Presidents’ Day the Library way!

  • Read up on presidential history with some historical non-fiction.
  • Conduct research about an inspiring president in the e-library.
  • Try a book with fictitious presidential characters.

For More Information

Learn More in the E-Library

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Changes in 2022

Visitors were happy to stop by during the additional days the Library was open in 2022. We were open three more federal holidays: Presidents’ Day, Juneteenth, and Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples Day. And we remained open on Saturdays through July and August for the first time in many years. These additional hours remain for 2023 with no increase in staff hours.

You’ll now find it easier to browse books, and enjoy more seating at Library events, thanks to the new mobile shelving installed during 2022 on the first and second floors. These adjustable shelves provide room for books of all sizes, and extra space so they aren’t packed together too tightly. Stop by and check them out! This project was funded through the Institute for Museum and Library Services’ “Grants to States” program, part of the American Rescue Act Plan of 2021, and was facilitated by the New Hampshire State Library.

Savings for Everyone

The total saved by Goffstown patrons in 2022: $1,121,811.93
This is an average of $541.42/patron!

This number was calculated based on the circulation of physical items and does not include digital materials.

A pink piggy bank bounces as a gold coin is dropped into the slot in it's back.

2022 Most Circulated Items

The Goffstown Public Library’s Board of Trustees Had an Eventful 2022

Our efforts to expand and renovate the 113-year-old library are ongoing. Privately held trustee funds were previously used to complete a feasibility study (2019) and geotechnical survey (2021). This year, the Trustees received the results of a fundraising feasibility study conducted by Strong Resource Group. We held several listening sessions to receive the public’s input and feedback on the proposed addition. In light of continually rising construction costs, the Trustees agreed to move ahead with a petitioned warrant article for a bond vote, asking voters to approve a 7.2 million dollar bond for construction.   

The Trustees participated in numerous community events in 2022, hosting coloring and lawn games during a chilly Old Home Day in June. In August, the Trustees hosted a table at National Night Out to share interior and exterior addition plans. In October, the Trustees participated in the Pumpkin Regatta for the first time, with Board chair Samantha Homan serving as captain and crew.   

November saw the return of the much-loved Once Upon a Pie competition, hosted by the Board and the Goffstown Public Library Foundation (with gracious permission from the Friends of the Goffstown Public Library). We were truly excited to see so many people enter the competition and join us that evening to eat pie, bid on pie, and engage in some friendly rivalry.   

One of our proudest moments as a Board was the successful nomination of Dianne Hathaway for the New Hampshire Library Trustee’s Association “Library Director of the Year” award. This honor follows the 2019 recognition of the Goffstown Public Library as Library of the Year. We are thrilled to see Dianne’s dedication, knowledge, and experience recognized, and touched by how many people joined us at the award presentation in September.   

The trustees are planning more events and activities in 2023. Keep an eye on the library’s website and Facebook page for details.

2022 Annual Report PDF document

Posted on Posted in Adult, Community, General, Kids, Teens

The Library will be CLOSED during the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday on Monday, January 16

This will be a staff training day.

2023 is the 28th anniversary of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. Established to honor the life and legacy of Dr. King, it’s the only federal holiday that is also designated by Congress as a national day of service. On this day, we embrace the idea that citizenship involves taking an active role in improving communities.

For More Information

Learn More in the E-Library

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Looking for something new to read or listen to? We’ve compiled a list of staff favorites of 2022, we hope this inspires you to pick up something new! Place your request or check one out today and enjoy a good read.

Dianne's Favorites of the Year

Every December our Director, Dianne Hathaway, selects her favorite book of the year. In 2022, she read over 60 books, nine of which have been rated with 5 stars, the highest she rates any title. These are the finalists, in no particular order:

  • Dolphin Junction by Mick Herron
  • Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
  • Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
  • I Was Here by Gayle Forman
  • The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles
  • Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen by Jose Antonio Vargas
  • The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker
  • Walk the Blue Fields by Claire Keegan
  • The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager

Dianne’s favorite of 2022 was Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan.

Staff Picks

Books are displayed atop bookshelves, beneath the words Staff Picks at the library.

Staff Picks are on display year-round on the shelves at the center of the second floor, and they change often. You can also browse this selection when you visit our online catalog and scroll down to 'Staff Reads' at www.goffstownlibrary.com/search.

Weekly Staff Picks on YouTube

Watch Librarian’s Pick of the Week episodes on our YouTube channel and see what the latest suggestions are for reading. Subscribe and never miss an episode!

Posted on Posted in Adult, General, Kids, Teens

Books encourage boundless exploration and allow readers to spread their wings. Stories give flight to new ideas and perspectives. Reading—especially books that set us free—expands our worldview. Censorship, on the other hand, locks away our freedom and divides us from humanity in our own cages.

The books featured during Banned Books Week have all been targeted for removal or restriction in libraries and schools. The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom tracked 729 challenges to library, school, and university materials and services in 2021. By focusing on efforts across the country to remove or restrict access to books, Banned Books Week draws national attention to the harms of censorship.

Books Unite Us. Censorship Divides Us.

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