Library Roundup

Working at the library and helping people who aren’t regular users sometimes allows us to see misconceptions people have about the public library. We’d like to dispel some of the more common things we hear.

One of the most common questions we get asked here at the library is “How much does it cost to get a library card?” and some people are surprised to find that we don’t charge anything for it. Anyone who lives within the Goshen Central School District is eligible to sign up for free and it always has been. We only charge a fee if you’ve lost your library card and need a replacement.

We also hear concerns about fines for late materials. We used to charge fines for books and movies several years ago, but not anymore. While every library sets their own policy regarding fines, here at the Goshen Public Library, we only charge late fees for museum passes, board games, and yard games. That’s not to say that you don’t need to return things, as once things are overdue by a certain amount, they get marked as lost and patrons are charged for the entire cost of the item. Don’t get discouraged if this happens to you. Once we get that item back, the charge is waived, and you can keep using the library as if it never happened.

Another misconception: If you have old books that you don’t want any more, you can donate them to the library and we’ll put them in our collection. As much as we appreciate that our patrons think of us with donations, we generally don’t have the room to add older titles to our collection, even if they’re in great condition. Instead, those books can go to the Friends of the Library, where they may sell them as a fundraiser for the library.

A lot of times, people think that everyone who works in the library is a librarian. This is not strictly accurate. Librarians are specialized professionals that have received a master’s degree in library science or information science and are required to have state certification. Librarians are in charge of running the library and maintaining the collection. But librarians can’t do it alone. The library wouldn’t run without library assistants, circulation clerks, technical processing clerks, and our facilities and administrative teams.

Electronic books – eBooks – are the subject of other misconceptions in different ways. Some people are unaware that we even have eBooks, but they’re available through Libby and Hoopla (ask at the reference desk for more information). Other people assume that we can provide people with as many copies as needed without restriction or that they cost as much as physical books. The unfortunate truth is that publishers are very strict when it comes to licensing eBooks: they’re typically much more expensive than physical books or have strict limitations on how many times they can be checked out or how long we’re allowed to make it available.

If you’re unsure about an aspect of the library or how things work, you’re always welcome to ask us directly. We hope to see you at the library, located at 366 Main St. in Goshen. For information, call 845-294-6606.