Red Feather Lakes Community Library Closes to Reduce COVID-19 Risk

Red Feather Lakes Community Library, located in beautiful downtown Red Feather Lakes Village, has closed in doing our part towards reducing the community risk through the current COVID-19 virus episode. We greatly regret this.

A little bit first, about our town. If not a resident, you may not be aware where Red Feather Lakes Village is and what it is. It’s not Breckenridge or Aspen – locals are appreciative of that – and does have a two-block unpaved Main Street, a source of local accomplishment.

There’s a certain amount of traffic daily, but that’s as likely to be ground squirrels crossing as it is vehicles or people. We like it that way.

Watch that first stoplight, however; it’s 30 miles south in LaPorte.

There’s just the right number of amenities: a general store, hardware store, gas pump, a couple of area restaurants, a downscaled supermarket, three churches, three real estate offices, a post office, and a library: us. What more do you really need?

A Big Mac? Well, that’s 30 miles south or north. We recommend the local, superior variant.

And of course, great fishing through either Forest Service lakes or privately owned and stocked reservoirs that can be accessed through the summer by permit. As well as great hiking, ATV access, meadows, streams through thousands of acres of Roosevelt National Forest.

But, the cares and issues of the world sometimes intrude here as well — and we’re now back discussing the COVID-19 outbreak.

We’re closed because of the deteriorating situation statewide. Increasing numbers of affected individuals within the state and county, increased jurisdictional closing orders and the fact that the library attracts people – coming in for a book, DVD, junior science kit, to use a computer or find a magazine.

That’s normally a good thing. But while our clientele is currently exceptional in practicing social distancing (though normally an unusual concept to most folk here) there’s a current vulnerability in numbers.

So, we’re closed. However, continuing to do the things that we do best. That’s getting wanted materials into the hands of users. We offer online resources available at  https://redfeather.colibraries.org/downloads/ including currently, not only the subscription library products, but links to other important resources as well, frequently designed for children and/or learning. These are often time-limited: available through April or to the end of the current outbreak but otherwise excellent tools for learning, reading and listening that can supplement any online learning program.  Check ‘em out.

And, an important endnote. The 2020 Census is upon us, and it’s critically important that you and us are counted. State and federal funding for the next 10 years will be based, in a significant way, on the count taken this year. That means you. That means us.