Goshen Library Board: Hours Extended to Thursday Nights, New Children’s Coordinator
02/19/25
On Tuesday February 19th, Goshen’s Public Library Board of Directors held their monthly meeting. Board attendance included Chairwoman Henrietta Horvay, Library Director Linda Senkus Benedict, Goshen Public Library’s Children’s Program Coordinator Courtney Murray and Board members Josephine Jones, Patricia Sanders, Anne Green, and Johanna Kimball. Lynette Miller was excused from the meeting.
For Benedict’s Library Director’s report, she announced that the Goshen Public Library had their first staff meeting on Wednesday, February 5th. Here, Benedict and the library staff discussed the library’s hours and how the library wasn’t open past 6 pm. Library staff suggested changing from the current 10 am-6 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 9 am-6 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays, to 10 am-6 pm every day of the school week save for Thursdays which will run from 10 am-8 pm. The Board overwhelmingly agreed with this proposal and Horvay noted that the Library had similar hours before the COVID-19 Pandemic. Benedict suggested having the changes begin on Thursday, May 1st to “make the library open to additional taxpayers” and expand night event programming. Jones then motioned to accept the new library hours effective May 1st. This was unanimously approved. Saturday hours of 9 am-12 pm will remain unchanged.
Summer hours will be discussed at the next Library Board of Directors meeting. In July and August, the Goshen Public Library is currently scheduled to be open from 10 am-6 pm every day of the week save for Tuesdays, which run from 9 am-6 pm, and Saturdays which run from 9 am-12 pm.
Benedict is hoping to go to the 2025 American Library Association Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from Thursday, June 26th to Monday, June 30th. Here, thousands of library professionals and friends of libraries will come together to exchange innovative ideas. Registration rates for the event range from $205 to $755 depending on ALA membership status and number of days attending. Horvay claimed that there’s not enough money in the library budget to cover the registration and hotel costs for the event and that they’ll have to get permission from the Board of Selectmen and Board of Finance to get more funds due to the town’s spending freeze. Benedict expressed further interest in attending the 2025 Connecticut Library Association Annual Conference in Mystic from Sunday, April 27th to Tuesday, April 29th, featuring speakers, workshops, exhibits, and opportunities to connect with fellow library professionals. Registration costs for this event range from $180-$390 depending on CLA membership status, days attending, and time of registration.
Horvay then introduced the new Children’s Program Coordinator, Courtney Murray. Benedict announced that Murray will be hosting a story time and arts and crafts toddler program every Wednesday starting at 11 am on Wednesday, March 5th. Murray explained that she previously worked for the Washington Depot-based nonprofit education organization ASAP! featuring in-school and after school programming and a summer camp to engage hands-on learning. ASAP! helps families in over 100 towns across Litchfield, Hartford, Fairfield, and New Haven Counties. Murray graduated from the now closed Cazenovia College in 2012 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, specializing in Photography with minors in Art History and Journalism. She previously worked as a Circulation Assistant for the Baltimore County Public Library in Maryland.
