James LaRue - myliblog

I forgot to record this when it happened. Back in April. the Post Independent posted their winners of the 2025 Locals' Choice Awards. Garfield County Public Library District won twice: I edged out New Castle Branch Manager Ana Gaytan for the #1 Librarian; she came in at #2. They even gave us a plaque, on display at our HQ. Thank you, Garfield County!

Garfield County has some wonderful libraries, most of them built about a decade ago following a successful public vote on a bond issue. But 10 years is long enough to call for a second look and to freshen things up. Our first building refresh is the New Castle Branch. Branch manager Ana Gaytan cut the ribbon on May 28, 2025. Jenn Cook, former New Castle branch manager (now Technical Services Director for the district) held one end and I held the other. Just beyond was a couch, chairs and Spanish materials for all ages. I recommend a visit. The project, completed on time and on budget, reflects the changing use of the public library. We still check out a lot of books — over half a million a year. And just try to get through our displays without grabbing something. The book will endure. But these days just over 50% of our checkouts are virtual. That includes ebooks, audiobooks, and movies. It also includes electronic research tools: a vetted list of information sources for anyone from st...

This month I’d like to write about two related issues: government information and threats to children. First is the purging of data on federal websites. Beginning in January of 2025, according to NPR , “several webpages from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with references to LGBTQ+ health were no longer available. A page from the HHS Office for Civil Rights outlining the rights of LGBTQ+ people in health care settings was also gone … The website of the National Institutes of Health’s Office for Sexual & Gender Minority Research Office disappeared . (Most of these pages could still be viewed through the Internet Archive .)” So I went to the Health and Human Services website about vaccination. There was a link to a video about the pros and cons of vaccines. First the video went down. Then the link was gone. Today? Best check. This is disturbing for several reasons. Government performs many functions. Gathering ongoing reports about everything from census numbers t...

I don’t mean to brag, but since about 5th grade, I have developed — dare I say? — a superpower. I can read and walk at the same time. I’m not just talking about audiobooks. I mean I can stroll along busy streets, through intersections, and around natural hazards, all while actively reading a book in my hands. I can follow the story. I have trained my peripheral brain to alert me to physical threats. Why did I need to develop this skill? To put it simply: some books I just can’t set down. It’s not a surprise that I can still follow the story while strolling. Sometimes I can’t get out. The first books to completely capture my attention were science fiction. I discovered Robert A. Heinlein somewhere around 5th grade. I got so into that story (Have Spacesuit, Will Travel) that I was glued to it from my first awakening to final, heavy-lidded blink. I learned that there are very few things you actually have to stop reading to do: showers and sleep, mainly. Walking to school and back was easy...