The Friends of the Goffstown Public Library have been awarded the 2023 Sue Palmatier Award from the New Hampshire Library Trustees Association.
The Sue Palmatier Award is awarded annually by the New Hampshire Library Trustee Association for Outstanding Support by a “Friends of The Library” Group. This award recognizes the tremendous value of Friends of the Library.
If you’ve borrowed a museum pass, participated in a gingerbread decorating workshop, or enjoyed a summer performance on the lawn—it’s thanks to the Friends of the Goffstown Public Library! They work hard year-round to raise funds for programs and items outside the library budget.
The Friends, a 501(c)3 organization provide:
- all the library’s passes to museums and outdoor spaces (at an annual cost close to $5,000),
- furniture in each department, from easy chairs to portable tables,
- Summer Experience program support and sponsor performers,
- funding for youth and holiday events,
- ongoing book sales (on the third floor year-round and twice a year on the lawn),
- beautification of the library grounds each spring,
- and a presence in the Library and the greater Goffstown community.
“Libraries are an integral part of thriving communities and we do our part to help make sure our library is healthy and vibrant in the Goffstown community. We are an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization interested in the Goffstown Public Library. We strive to focus public attention on and stimulate use of the Library. We also support the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights, which expresses the rights of library users to intellectual freedom.”
On November 8, 2023, NHLTA board member Debra Caplan presented the award to the Friends of the Goffstown Public Library.
November 8, 2023 Award presentation by NHLTA board member Debra Caplan
“The Friends are passionate supporters of the library, donating time, money, and effort to helping the Goffstown Public Library achieve its mission. Without them, we would not be able to offer many of the amenities, programs, and services we currently provide to our community.
The Friends’s fundraising efforts, especially the book sales “.. are a massive undertaking, requiring months of collecting donations, and then days of backbreaking labor setting up tables and books. They hold an annual “beautification day” for the library grounds, another task involving significant amounts of hard physical labor. And they do it all cheerfully in support of the library and its mission.
The Friends contribute so much to the Goffstown Public Library and the community, all from a commitment to service and a desire to see the town flourish.”
~The Library Board of Trustees Nomination Submission
Congratulations to the Friends of the Goffstown Public Library, a very deserving group of volunteers!