Library Roundup

It’s the end of summer and many kids and parents are thinking about “back to school” so this is a good time to remind our patrons of the ways the Goshen Public Library and Historical Society can support the educational goals of today’s youth (or anyone looking to expand their mind).

First and most obviously, the library is the home to countless books - both fiction and non-fiction. With a Ramapo Catskill Library System card, you have access to the holdings in all the public libraries in the region. If you talk to a librarian, we can request books from other libraries to be picked up here or at another library if that’s more convenient. Of course, books can be returned to any of the RCLS libraries for maximum convenience. No matter what type of book you’re looking for - fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art books, graphic novels, or anything else - we can help connect you with your needs. If no RCLS library has what you are looking for, ask us about InterLibrary Loan services. We can request books from outside the library system for Goshen cardholders and have gotten books from across the country, even from the Library of Congress!

But books aren’t all we have. We also have several educational databases that offer fantastic learning opportunities. If you visit our website goshenpubliclibrary.org and click on “Digital Services” under “Services” you can find a host of databases - online resources that are available with your library card. One that students may find especially valuable is Britannica School, an online encyclopedia aimed at all grades and reading abilities. While not as ubiquitous as Wikipedia, Britannica is still heralded as one of the most authoritative encyclopedias available.

Another great database for students is Gale in Context: Elementary (formerly Kids InfoBits), which introduces elementary school students to database searching with easy-to-use resources featuring age-appropriate, curriculum-related content. We also have National Geographic for Kids available completely free for all Goshen cardholders. For older students, try Gale OneFile: High School Edition, Opposing Viewpoints or Gale Presents: Petersons Test and Career Prep.

Another powerful resource available at the library are our librarians. While many people assume that anyone who works in a library is a librarian, the definition of a librarian is a professional with a postgraduate degree who is specialized in uniting people with the information they’re looking for. If you’re working on a project or trying to study a particular subject, try talking to one of the librarians either downstairs at the reference desk or upstairs at the children’s desk. Librarians have been called the original search engines, and as the big companies like Google provide continually worse search results, our professionals continually strive to give better service. Our information specialists can help you find the resources to elevate your studies and give your grades a boost.