by Rachel Hunter
The Gouverneur Public Library has a new library manager – Greta Schrader of Gouverneur.
A Gouverneur native, Schrader graduated from Gouverneur High School with the Class of 1991. She graduated from SUNY Oswego in May of 1995 with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and History. She worked in various office setting before finding her niche with the Gouverneur Public Library.
“It is very interesting every day,” Schrader said. As a lover of books and history, Schrader has hit her stride at the Gouverneur Public Library, enjoying the connection with the community, providing people with the library’s many services, etc. She started working part-time last fall, and took the full-time position as library manager in April 2021. With a service-oriented mindset, Schrader looks for new ways every day to help out all those who enter through the library doors. The library staff enjoys helping patrons find books, answer questions, assist people in developing computer skills, and so much more – and they do it on a daily basis.
The Gouverneur Public Library opened its doors to the community in mid-May after the COVID-19 pandemic crisis forced certain restrictions. Now, appointments are no longer required and patrons are not required to wear a mask if they are fully vaccinated. The community is quickly coming back to enjoy all the services at the Gouverneur Public Library – and Schrader and the library staff are welcoming them back with open arms. All patrons are welcome to take advantage of all the library’s resources, including getting books from any of the 65 libraries in the North Country Library System (NCLS) through its online database.
“We’re here to get people in the community the services that they need,” Schrader said. “There’s a lot that the library can offer people, and not everyone knows what we have here, especially through NCLS. We’re tied with 64 other libraries and if we don’t have a book, we can find it for you from the other libraries which is a very convenient option. And with your library card, you can do free online classes and so much more. In the winter, we do snowshoe loan and right now we have a fishing pole lending program… I’m hoping that people come in and use those. We have a lot of resources here for people.”
The Gouverneur Public Library is looking to bring back programming, suited to the needs of those in the local community. Schrader announced to the Gouverneur Tribune Press that the Gouverneur Library’s Storytime for Preschoolers would resume on July 8 and will be held every Thursday at 10:30 a.m. “That is very exciting,” Schrader said. “Alissa Collier has volunteered her time to head that up for the summer. She has a lot of great ideas… We are just slowly building stuff back, and just taking it one day at a time, as everyone else is.”
The Gouverneur Public Library this past week commenced the 2021 Summer Reading Program. It started on July 5, and runs through July 31. Schrader said that, as of press time this week, there were over 40 participants in the Summer Reading Program, and that people are welcome to join at any time.
“We’re keeping it quick, simple and relaxed because people have had quite the year,” Schrader said. “So, we’re doing four categories – Adult, Teen, Children (5-12), and Pre-K (1-4). There’s a grand prize for each category. We’re just doing a book bingo, nine book spots. You can finish if you want to… just pretty relaxed. Every time someone completes a new line they will have another chance at the raffle. We’re going to be doing T-shirts and other small giveaways.”
In addition to all the resources and programming for local residents, Schrader said the Gouverneur Public Library’s loft is being used readily as a community space for public meetings, tutoring sessions and so much more. The library loft project was completed in 2008. The vision was to modernize the Gouverneur Public Library and transform a dull, upstairs portion of the over 100-year-old building so that it could provide needed space. Through contributions by individuals, companies, civic groups, foundations as well as state funding, the library loft became a place where public meetings, group events, and more could be held. As library usage continues to increase, Schrader encourages all local residents to take advantage of this unique space that provides nooks for quiet book reading and more.
A long legacy in the local community, the Gouverneur Public Library is continuing in its mission to improve the quality of life for all citizens of the local community by providing resources and programs that enhance and contribute to individual knowledge, enlightenment, and enjoyment. In partnership with local institutions, the Library continues to encourage a commitment to life-long learning in all patrons. It serves as a gateway to an expanding world of knowledge, and is committed to maintaining a viable collection of materials while keeping pace with technology.
The Gouverneur Public Library is located at 60 Church Street in Gouverneur, and is open Mondays, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesdays, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesdays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Fridays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The library is closed on Saturdays during the summer months. For more information about the Gouverneur Public Library, call 315-287-0191 or visit www.gouverneurlibrary.org.