Summer Experience Logos - Lighthouse, kids reading books on a fish, sea serpents coming out of books.

The 2022 summer reading theme was Oceans of Possibilities, celebrating the ocean with themed programs and activities to support a love of reading and learning. Participants enjoyed Oceans of Possibilities program for every age group – Adults 17+, Tweens and Teens ages 10-18, and Children preschool ages and up.

Fabulous! This summer you logged:

Kids
Participants = 179
Badges Earned = 1,731
Reading Minutes = 100,341
Activities Completed = 373

Tweens  & Teens
Participants = 60
Badges Earned = 775
Reading Minutes = 42,260
Activities Completed = 163

Adults
Participants = 63
Badges Earned = 373
Books Read  = 231
Activities Completed = 93

"Thank you for an amazing summer."

"It’s hard to believe that summer is coming to an end already. We did not think at the beginning of June that we would be having such an incredible three months. At the end of the school year my kids had the opportunity to visit the Goffstown Public Library. When they were there they learned about all of the exciting events the library would be hosting over the summer. They came home ecstatic to be done with school and begin their new adventures. In addition, my children had the chance to join Beanstack which rewarded them for reading. They were both already avid readers, but this incentive made them even more excited about going to the library.

Now that the summer has come to an end, my kids have read a combined 4,000 minutes. I couldn’t imagine my son or daughter ever reading that much, especially during the summer. Along with all of the reading they were able to attend events hosted by the library. They got to learn all about Whales & Seals, attended a movie matinee, enjoyed a family game night and got to be a pirate for a couple of hours. We were also invited to the Whale Mobile and mosaic art, tie dye and an underwater tea party, but couldn’t make it. They are all fun times we are sorry that we missed.

All in all, this is one of the best summers we ever had. We can’t thank the staff at Goffstown Public Library enough for all that they do. Patti was our main contact, but we are so grateful for everyone who works there. The effort and care you put into making each and every day an event filled one for my kids, is so appreciated. I can only hope that the library can continue these events every year and be able to expand their already beautiful library so more of the community can enjoy it."
childrens with date
Danielle F.

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"Our kids had a great time at all of your events/activities this year, thank you for your efforts!"
childrens with date
Brandon and Stephanie R.

Summer Adult Prize Winners

Four smiling adults at the Library holding either tote bags, books, or t-shirt prizes.

Adults, kids, and teens read, participated, and completed challenges for their chances to win. Participants enjoyed a wide range of programs this summer — from crafts and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) activities to discovering more about our marine ecosystem.

Kids playing with bubbles on the grass under a tent on the Library lawn.
On teen poses as if she's being choked while others gather under a tent to solve the mystery.
Kids dressed as pirates with tattoos and eye patches search the lawn for treasure while our Director walks the plank.
Four paintings featuring a purple and red sunset with a silhouette of a dolphin jumping over the waters.
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Pop-Up Book Club: Secrets of a Summer Night
Tuesday, August 16 at 6:30pm
Stark Hall, 3 Church Street

Whether you read romance novels by the score or are interested but not quite sure where to start with the genre, come together in community and give historic romance a whirl! Delight in and discuss the first book in Lisa Kleypas’ racy Regency-era Wallflower series, Secrets of a Summer Night:

“Proud and beautiful Annabelle Peyton could have her pick of suitors—if only she had a dowry. Her family is on the brink of disaster, and the only way Annabelle can save them is to marry a wealthy man. Unfortunately, her most persistent admirer is the brash Simon Hunt, a handsome and ambitious entrepreneur who wants her as his mistress.

Annabelle is determined to resist Simon’s wicked propositions, but she can’t deny her attraction to the boldly seductive rogue, any more than he can resist the challenge she presents. As they try to outmaneuver each other, they find themselves surrendering to a love more powerful than they could have ever imagined. But fate may have other plans—and it will take all of Annabelle’s courage to face a peril that could destroy everything she holds dear.” – HarperCollins

Copies of the book are available to check out from the Library. The e-audiobook and e-book are available in the hoopla app with no holds, and no wait necessary – there are unlimited digital copies.

No registration required.

August is Read-A-Romance Month, 31-days devoted to the pleasures of these ‘will they or won’t they?’ lighter reads. Romance is a multifaceted genre which can take place in the past or the present, featuring diverse settings like a modern medical milieu, school grounds, medieval castles or the everywhere and nowhere of time travel. Romance can be comedic, riff on religious tenets or perplex with the paranormal. In short, any story story set in any place or time can be a romance– it simply takes two people, a will and a way. Don’t wait until February or Valentine’s day to dip into these satisfying reads–dive in today!

A Romance for Every Reader

Before you dismiss all romance books as ‘bodice rippers’, take a look at some of the related subgenres:

African American Romance • American Romance • Category Romance
Christian Romance • Clean Romance • Comedy Romance
Contemporary Romance • Erotic Romance • Fantasy Romance
Fiction • Historical Romance • Interracial Romance
Lesbian Romance • Love Inspired Romance • M M Romance
Medical Romance • Paranormal Romance • Romantic Suspense
Science Fiction Romance • Time Travel Romance • Western Romance
Young Adult Romance • … and more!

 

Romance titles, like any other genre, are available in book format, Large Print, audiobooks, e-audiobooks, and e-books. You’re sure to find a great romance when you search the catalog or hoopla digital.

Read-A-Romance Month was conceived and launched in 2013 by Bobbi Dumas, a Kirkus Review and National Public Radio contributor.

The Library will be OPEN during the Juneteenth Observance holiday on Monday, June 20, 9am – 5pm

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.

Originating in Galveston, Texas, the observance of June 19th as the African American Emancipation Day has been celebrated since in 1865, and has since spread across the United States.

The day was recognized as a federal holiday on June 17, 2021, when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law. Juneteenth’s commemoration is on the anniversary date of the June 19, 1865 announcement of General Order No. 3 by Union Army general Gordon Granger, proclaiming freedom for enslaved people in Texas – two and a half years after Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, and two months after the Civil War ended.

During June, please visit & borrow from the book displays on the second floor and grab a “What is Juneteenth” bookmark.

Read more »

grey speech bubble with library logo inside, text says Community Conversations Civics: Get Engaged. Get Involved.

Join the Goffstown Public Library for the 2022 Community Conversations focusing on Civics. We will investigate how citizens can and should work together to solve public problems. Our series of programs will include book discussions, trivia, events in partnership with the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College and the Geisel Library at Saint Anselm College, along with empowering explorations and conversations about how we the people can and should steer the ship of our democracy.

FEBRUARY – APRIL 2022

The full schedule of events can be found at www.goffstownlibrary.com/communityconversation and include opportunities for engagement for all ages, along with book lists, resources for further learning, and links to informational websites.

See all the Community Conversation programs and events, and register to attend at the Goffstown Public Library calendar at https://bitly.com/GPLCC2022

Experts in their fields have been invited to present at events including:
James T McKim
James T. McKim
Dr. Quixada Moore-Vissing
Dr. Quixada Moore-Vissing
Robert D. Putnam
Robert D. Putnam
Shaylyn Romney Grrett
Shaylyn Romney Grrett
Democracy starts and ends with the will of the people — but what happens when only a very few people actually engage in the democratic process? How much do we as individuals know about the workings of our government? Australian writer and director David Stevens wrote
The Truth is still the Truth, even if no one believes it.
A lie is still a lie, even if everyone believes it.

How can and does civic discourse move forward if different citizens have different definitions of what the truth is? How can we communicate with those with whom we vehemently disagree without vilifying them or demeaning ourselves? These questions —and myriad others— are at the core of this year’s Goffstown Public Library community conversation.
We hope you will join us.
Elizabeth at the Library
Elizabeth Weilbacher
Head of Adult Services

For more information, please contact Library Director, Dianne Hathaway at dianneh@goffstownlibrary.com, or 603-497-2102.

Looking for a good read? Our staff always have something to suggest … read on!

Dianne's Favorites of the Year

As the calendar winds down, our Director, Dianne Hathaway always selects her favorite book of the year. In 2021 she read just under 60 books, still off her pre-COVID pace. She had many favorites (see below), and after weeks of pondering, the one that rose to the top is The Guncle by Steven Rowley!

  • A Measure of Belonging: Writers of Color on the New American South by Cinelle Barnes

  • The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

  • The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab

  • The Prince of Mournful Thoughts and Other Stories by Caroline Kim

  • West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge

  • Where the World Ends by Geraldine McCaughrean

  • The Guncle by Steven Rowley

  • The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw

  • Bring Your Baggage and Don’t Pack Light by Hellen Ellis

  • The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline

  • Call Me Esteban by Lejla Kalamujic

  • The Shell Collector: Stories by Anthony Doerr

Introducing Pick of the Week Short Videos

New in 2021! Brought to you by Goffstown TV and our staff – “Librarian’s Pick of the Week” short videos. Catch each episode on YouTube and see what titles are on our minds.

These short videos also air on local access Comcast Community Ch. 16 (Goffstown).

Staff Picks

Staff Picks are a year-round display at the Library that you can browse when you visit our online catalog, too. Scroll down to Staff Reads whenever you visit www.goffstownlibrary.com/search.

For Further Reading