[This column originally appeared in the Post Independent on Oct. 25, 2024.]
In 2017 a sudden drop in tax revenues from oil and gas properties precipitated a library crisis. Almost overnight, a third of the staff lost their jobs.
In 2019, Garfield County voters approved an ongoing mill levy of 1.5. Included in that ballot language was a series of promises: restoring library hours; keeping our libraries well-maintained and in good repair; retaining qualified staff; providing books, technology and materials; providing educational classes and events, including literacy programs to help children and teens learn to read and do homework, train veterans and job seekers for new careers; prepare students for college and careers; help seniors fight isolation and prevent the effects of aging; and finally, to do all that “with citizen oversight and an independent annual audit of expenditures.”
I thought it would be interesting, just as today’s crop of election-seekers are making their own promises, to highlight how well we’ve kept ours.
Our Citizens Oversight committee, which has been meeting and reviewing our accomplishments regularly (in addition to annual audits), met recently and reviewed what we’ve been up to with 6A in 2024. Here are some of the standouts:
In 2017 a sudden drop in tax revenues from oil and gas properties precipitated a library crisis. Almost overnight, a third of the staff lost their jobs.
In 2019, Garfield County voters approved an ongoing mill levy of 1.5. Included in that ballot language was a series of promises: restoring library hours; keeping our libraries well-maintained and in good repair; retaining qualified staff; providing books, technology and materials; providing educational classes and events, including literacy programs to help children and teens learn to read and do homework, train veterans and job seekers for new careers; prepare students for college and careers; help seniors fight isolation and prevent the effects of aging; and finally, to do all that “with citizen oversight and an independent annual audit of expenditures.”
I thought it would be interesting, just as today’s crop of election-seekers are making their own promises, to highlight how well we’ve kept ours.
Our Citizens Oversight committee, which has been meeting and reviewing our accomplishments regularly (in addition to annual audits), met recently and reviewed what we’ve been up to with 6A in 2024. Here are some of the standouts:
- Under facilities we have been working on several projects: building refreshes for Parachute and New Castle, a new outdoor awning at Silt, security officers in Glenwood and Rifle, and a membership in Clean Energy Economy for the Region (CLEER) which is helping us do a deep dive on exactly how we use energy in our buildings. Every one of our libraries is now open 7 days a week.
- Under recruiting and retaining staff we added a summer youth internship, funded an interim archivist for the Glenwood Springs Historical Society, and offered stipends to 12 of our Spanish-speaking staff (the better to serve that part of our community). We also sent 15 employees and 5 board members to the annual Colorado Association of Libraries conference.
- Under materials we added thousands of books in English and Spanish, and many databases to help both students and business people.
- Under programs, we offered our Hispanic Heritage festival, which saw over 500 attendees. Earlier in the year, our Dia del Nino festival reached some 300 attendees. This is in addition to many other programs for seniors and children.
- Under technology, we added smart door counters (to help us better align our hours with public demand), new automated materials handlers at Carbondale, Glenwood Springs and Rifle (to automatically check in returned materials, which keeps them moving), and replaced 60 aging computers for both public and staff. We also unveiled our new website on April 30, 2024.
None of these would have been possible without that additional funding.
Beyond all that, we also completed (at the end of 2023) 90 interviews with community leaders as part of an environmental scan. This information drove the development of our new long range plan.
In the words of citizen representative Ksana Oglesby, “6A funding has been so impactful for our libraries, and the library district staff have shown their appreciation for the community’s support by giving us everything we asked for when we passed it, and more. Thanks to 6A, and the efforts of the library district staff, our libraries are thriving community centers, with something for everyone, whether you read or not. I always leave the committee meetings feeling uplifted by the evidence of what we can achieve when we come together to support those things at the heart of our community. “
Would you be interested in joining our Citizen Oversight Committee? The term is two years, and requires only a letter of interest. For more information, see our webpage at https://gcpld.org/citizens-oversight-committee/.
Beyond all that, we also completed (at the end of 2023) 90 interviews with community leaders as part of an environmental scan. This information drove the development of our new long range plan.
In the words of citizen representative Ksana Oglesby, “6A funding has been so impactful for our libraries, and the library district staff have shown their appreciation for the community’s support by giving us everything we asked for when we passed it, and more. Thanks to 6A, and the efforts of the library district staff, our libraries are thriving community centers, with something for everyone, whether you read or not. I always leave the committee meetings feeling uplifted by the evidence of what we can achieve when we come together to support those things at the heart of our community. “
Would you be interested in joining our Citizen Oversight Committee? The term is two years, and requires only a letter of interest. For more information, see our webpage at https://gcpld.org/citizens-oversight-committee/.
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