This quarter, I’d like to reminisce.
My favorite memories are of the Saturday afternoons when my mom dropped off me and my siblings at the local library. It was a 2-story brick and granite structure near the end of our downtown, with a lay-out similar to our Goffstown Public Library. The children’s section was in the basement area. It was a cool, quiet space where I could peruse to my heart’s content, make my choices and settle in to read until it was time to go. It was only that…books. No programs, no workshops, no museum passes, no on-line resources. But I loved it still.
These days, libraries are so much more. Visit the GPL. Get a library card. Open a world of possibilities. Go to https://goffstownlibrary.com/. Open their calendar. Sign up for their monthly newsletter, delivered to your in-box. Stop in to meet the friendly and knowledgeable staff. Get book recommendations, find out about new releases or get help with research. If they don’t have a particular book, you may request it from one of the 15 libraries in the GMILCS consortium.
You can sign up for programs or workshops, join book discussion or knitting groups or sign up for museum passes. Check out the seed library for your gardening needs; Grow a(n extra) Row to supplement the local food pantry. Got a Kindle, Nook or iPad? Borrow books or magazines on-line through the e-library. There is so much available to you and your family!
But something you WILL notice, our wonderful facility is bursting its seams. A library building that was fitting for a population of approximately 5,000 in 1909 is woefully undersized for a community of over 18,000.
Come, see for yourselves. You will be welcomed and greeted with a smile.
Evelyn Redmond, Vice Chair, Goffstown Public Library Foundation