by Rachel Hunter

The Gouverneur Public Library warmly welcomed Ashley Morrison as its new library director, effective January 6, 2025.

Ashley Morrison, a Maryland native, earned her Bachelor’s in Educational Studies with a concentration in Elementary Education from Western Governors University and a Master of Science in Library Science from Pennsylvania Western University. She has been employed at college and public libraries since 2017. She moved to Northern New York with her husband, who is currently serving in the U.S. Army, stationed at Fort Drum. Morrison was employed at the Henderson Free Library (Henderson, NY) in 2023 as a part-time library assistant for six months before taking the full-time position as the library director. Morrison joined the Gouverneur Public Library Director in January 2025, and is excited to see what adventures lie ahead.

“Growing up I went to the library all the time,” she said. “I went to all the story times, did all the programs. I got all of my volunteer hours through the library. And then in college, I worked at my college library for a while. I always liked being in the library, so when the chance came up… I took a job as a clerk, and I just decided that I was going to stick with it… I really like it here. The staff is great. The board is great. The community has been great. It’s a really good experience.”

Library Director Morrison is looking forward to expanding the library’s programming and outreach. The library’s once-popular children’s storytime will now be dubbed as a “Family Story Time,” open to children of all ages. It will be held on Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. in the library loft. The event will feature book readings, singing, crafts, and more. The change is to encourage North Country families to attend, and take advantage of the resources of the local library.

The Gouverneur Public Library also plans to hold “School Break Activities” during the Gouverneur CSD’s Mid-Winter Break. The schedule includes: DIY Sticker Making (Feb. 18, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.), Craft Stations (Feb. 19, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.), Lego Challenge Day (Feb. 20, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.), and Craft Day (Feb. 21, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.). No RSVPs are required.

The Gouverneur Public Library has also announced the return of the Bubble Show Extravaganza by Jeff Boyer on Wednesday, July 23, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. shows. Space is limited for this popular event, and registration is required.

The Gouverneur Public Library will host an author event featuring Tessa Wegert on Thursday, July 10, 6:30 p.m., in the library loft. Tessa Wegert is the author of the popular Shana Merchant mysteries, the most recent of which is “The Coldest Case,” along with the upcoming North Country thriller series. Her books have received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Shelf Awareness and have been featured on PBS and NPR Radio. A former journalist and copywriter, Tessa grew up in Quebec and now lives with her husband and children in Connecticut, where she co-founded Sisters in Crime CT and serves on the board of International Thriller Writers (ITW). The author will present on her Shana Merchant series that is set in the Thousand Islands. More details will be reported as information becomes available about this event.

The Gouverneur Public Library will continue to promote its recurring programs: Legos At The Library (third Monday of the month, 4-5 p.m.), Empowerment Book Club (meets monthly at Jumbo’s), Young Adult Book Club (meets monthly at the library loft), Yarnivores (Tuesdays, 1 p.m., in the loft), Financial Fridays with Peaceful Finance with Mickael (every other Friday, 2-4 p.m., in the library loft), and the Summer Reading Program (sign-ups begin in June). See updates online via the library’s page on Facebook.

The library today (Jan. 31) wrapped up the Winter Reading Challenge, which encouraged North Country residents to dive into reading throughout the winter months.

The Gouverneur Public Library, a member library in the North Country Library System, has been serving the local community since 1886. The library looks forward to continue serving the community by supporting literacy and providing much-needed services, programming, and access to technology that are free to the community. In addition to circulating books, audiobooks on CD, DVDs, and periodicals, the library also offers the loan of musical instruments, snowshoes, fishing poles, discovery backpacks, and so much more. Patrons can use the online NCLS card catalog, and have their desired reading selection delivered right to the Gouverneur Public Library for pick-up.

The Gouverneur Public Library, 60 Church St., Gouverneur, is open on Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The library is closed on Saturdays. For more information, visit gouverneurlibrary.org or call 315-287-0191.