Library Roundup

Thanksgiving is almost upon us and here at the library, we’re thankful for having a supportive community here to keep us going. If it wasn’t for the public support that we have, we would still be in our too-small building with out-of-date materials, and little to no events being hosted. It’s thanks to the residents of Goshen that we have been able to expand to the degree that we have, and we are extremely grateful for it.

And of course, the day after Thanksgiving is Black Friday, something a few folks look forward to but is generally considered one of the most miserable days of the year for shoppers and retail workers alike. Some retailers go as far as opening on Thanksgiving and have online “Cyber Week” sales to encourage people to shop through the holiday of Thanksgiving and the entire following week.

As a remedy for this, the nonprofit organization Adbusters declared the day after Thanksgiving “Buy Nothing Day” – a day to give yourself a break from shopping and draw attention to overconsumption. One of the ways you can get your urge to shop in without actually buying anything: visiting the library. We’ll be open our normal hours (10 a.m.-6 p.m.) on Black Friday and this is a great chance to browse and see what’s new here at the library. We’re constantly getting new books, both fiction and nonfiction, as well as audiobooks, music on CD, DVD and Blu-Ray discs, puzzles, games, and more!

Browse our shelves and bring enough books, movies, and video games home to keep you entertained without spending a cent! If online shopping is more your style, the “buy nothing” library alternative to Cyber Monday is to browse our online catalog which also includes digital audiobooks, ebooks, and streaming movies.

However, with all of that said, if you’re looking to brave the crowds and go shopping for Black Friday, or are placing an online order we are running two collection drives right now. The first is in partnership with the Goshen Ecumenical Food Pantry and we’re collecting electric kettles and coffee makers through the end of the year. We have also started a toy drive in partnership with Operation Toy Train! We’ll be collecting new, unwrapped toys in our upstairs Just for Kids section through Dec. 11.

If you find yourself in a position to donate an electric kettle, coffee maker, food, or a toy, we’re here to help make sure it gets to someone in need.

The Goshen Public Library and Historical Society is located at 366 Main St. in Goshen. For information, call (845) 294-6606.