Director's Notes

 Welcome to the 75th year of Garfield County Libraries! We are so pleased to have made so much progress in the past few years and are proud of our new facilities and growing collections. Whether you are looking for print or digital resources, computer access or wifi, or attending a fifth day program, we know you are finding your local public library to be the “go to” place in town. While we look to our past over the coming year, we believe that it’s essential to keep an eye on our future.

 Welcome to the 75th year of Garfield County Libraries! We are so pleased to have made so much progress in the past few years and are proud of our new facilities and growing collections. Whether you are looking for print or digital resources, computer access or wifi, or attending a fifth day program, we know you are finding your local public library to be the “go to” place in town. While we look to our past over the coming year, we believe that it’s essential to keep an eye on our future.

The District has been very focused on construction for the past two years, and this trend will continue into 2013. You should see all six libraries open by late October of that year, and with that will come the next phase in our growth and renewal. While new, larger facilities are a big part of our long-range plan, so is making sure that we can operate those facilities into the future. Lately our financial forecast has been greatly hampered by some difficulties with state sales tax collections, and we are hoping that once this is over, the District can get back on track.

The New Castle Branch Library will reopen on April 14, 2012, with a Grand Re-Opening Ceremony that will start at 10 a.m. Join us for refreshments and giveaways until 2 p.m. The new library will feature a beautiful new fireplace and reading area, local history room, teen area, interactive children's area and new community meeting room. There are still donor opportunities at the new library. Contact Kelsy Been at 970-625-4270 or by email at kbeen@gcpld.org for more information.

September brings school, changing colors and free replacement library cards! Every year we celebrate National Library Card Sign-up Month by offering free replacement cards to those who have lost theirs or simply want an upgrade to the shiny new key cards we offer. Normally, replacement cards are $3 which helps us cover the cost of the new card, but we want to encourage everyone to use their local library and want to make that a little easier this month.

I am often asked why libraries matter in our frenzied, Google-based world of up-to-the-minute information. The truth is that we are busier than ever and not just with people seeking to use our computers. Our libraries are checking out more books and movies, seeing greater attendance at programs and assisting people with their job searches, resume writing and career development. Many of you recognize that libraries are a great community resource for these reasons but some of you may need a little more convincing, so here goes:
 

Welcome to our new web site! We have made this change to better serve our patrons and hopefully have created a web site that will be easier to navigate, easier to find the information you are seeking and better at telling you what's new at the library. Along with the new web site, we've also created a new logo for the District that reflects all six libraries.