This past weekend, some folks on social media reported a misunderstanding about the use of public space at the Goffstown Public Library for candidates to meet with community members. Space at the Goffstown Public Library is used for a variety of purposes by members of the community, including:

• Tutors meet with students at the Goffstown Public Library.
• Financial advisors meet with clients at the Goffstown Public Library.
• Job hunters engage in online interviews at the Goffstown Public Library.
• College students meet virtually with other students and with professors at the Goffstown Public Library.
• Real estate transactions have occurred at the Goffstown Public Library.
• Homeschool families meet for playdates at the Goffstown Public Library.
• Folks who work from home use the Goffstown Public Library as their offices (including our WiFi and electricity).
• Neighbors sit and chat while their teens are engaged in library programs.
• Community members meet with others for reasons unknown to Goffstown Public Library staff—and we don’t feel the need to know.

All of these uses are appropriate and welcome. However, these activities are neither scheduled nor endorsed by the Goffstown Public Library staff or the Library Board of Trustees. Public space at the Goffstown Public Library can be used for whatever the community needs, including for candidates to meet with voters, as long as library policy and other visitors are respected. Please email me at dianneh@goffstownlibrary.com with any questions or comments regarding this situation.

~ Dianne Hathaway, Library Director