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Posted on Posted in Community, General

There has been a lot of conversation regarding the annual visitor/door count number collected by the Goffstown Public Library and stated at the town deliberative session. There has been a call to collect the number of unique visitors instead, and that to do otherwise is misleading and lying to the community.

I responded to comments truthfully and factually. We gather and report statistics as required:

 
  • The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), an agency of the federal government, collects public library data nationally every year. As part of this process, the IMLS requires the NH State Library to collect the same data from all public libraries in NH that is being collected in every other state. They use this data to better understand library programs and services, and to see how our libraries compare to those in other states.
  • All public libraries in the US are required to report data in the same way so that the numbers are meaningful and comparable.
  • The specific wording that the IMLS uses to explain this item (door count and number of visitors) is as follows: “This is the total number of persons entering the library for whatever purpose during the year.”

As Library Director, I will continue to gather and report numbers as required by IMLS and NH state law: RSA 202-A:12 (g). Please address further questions and comments to trustees@goffstownlibrary.com.

 
~ Dianne Hathaway, Library Director

Posted on Posted in Community, General

Town & School Candidate Information

2023 Candidate Information Booklet – view on your screen or print your own copy.

These booklets were compiled in collaboration with the Town Clerk’s office and Town Clerk Cathy Ball. All information was provided voluntarily by the candidates, and all spelling or grammatical errors are their own. Paper copies will be available at the Goffstown Public Library and at the Town Clerk’s Office.

Elections will be held in Goffstown on March 14, 2023. For more information:

Lions Club Candidates Night 2023

A crowded room of seated people looking at a speaker at a podium at the front.
February 2023 Candidate's Night at Goffstown High School

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

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

Posted on Posted in Adult, Community, General

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