One of the most common questions we get asked here at the library is “how much does it cost to get a library card?” Of course, we don’t charge anything for a library card to anyone who lives within the Goshen Central School District. We only charge a fee if you’ve lost your library card and need a replacement, but signing up for a new library card has always been free of charge!
There are other library myths and misconceptions that we’d like to dispel. The first is that we charge fines for late materials. This one was true up until a few years ago. While every library sets their own policy regarding fines, here at Goshen we’re almost entirely fine free; we only charge late fees for museum passes and board games. That’s not to say that you don’t need to return things; 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 you don’t want any more, 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. Even still, they won’t take any book, the sad truth is that if you have old dictionaries, encyclopedias, textbooks or anything too well-loved, your best option is probably to throw them away or recycle them.
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. 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 (the people who check books in and out), technical processing clerks (the people who catalogue things for the collection), and our facilities and administration teams.
And lastly, another common misperception: that all libraries are pretty much the same and have similar things in their collections. While all public libraries try to keep up with popular releases, library collections can vary a surprising amount! Some libraries have entire collections (for example non-English language materials or blu-rays in addition to DVDs) that neighboring libraries don’t have. Since all library cards in the Ramapo Catskill Library System can be used at all other RCLS libraries, try visiting some of our neighbors and see what they have for checkout!
Just a reminder, we have all kinds of programs here at the library every week; you can access our full online calendar by going to goshenpubliclibrary.org.
Goshen Public Library
Goshen