Little Free Libraries expand access — and hours — for Red Feather Lakes Library patrons

Though we discussed the issue at length last month, we want to emphasize again how important the Friends of the Library are in providing library services to the Red Feather Mountain area. Their assistance – through both fundraising and library advocacy – has been essential in completing and promoting many library projects.

You may remember the ubiquitous public red laptops that replaced several old and obsolete machines at the library. They were purchased with a federal grant – but the Friends provided sufficient matching funds to make the opportunity possible. The same applies to our continuing “Library in the Landscape” project, funded by a Colorado GOCO and Larimer County grant – made possible in part by Friends of the Library funding.

By Creed Kidd,
Library Director

The number of books, books on CD and DVDs purchased annually is greatly increased by supplemental funding by the Friends. Several of the programming opportunities you enjoy are funded by the Friends.

For example, this August Thomas Jefferson (aka Jack Van Ens) returns to discuss the nastiest U.S. election – no, not 2016, but the election of 1800. In early August our Summer Reading Program finale – a visit from the Butterfly Pavilion – will be co-sponsored by the Friends and SEEC.

We’ve discussed the Friends-initiated Little Free Library project. Friend’s Project chairwoman Shirley DeLano provides more detail:

Little Free Libraries was started to bring books to the community were libraries were not accessible. Libraries are open for a limited hours, so Little Free Library brought a concept that books were available 24/7. Many of the libraries were in yards and neighbors would gather to share events of the day and often times get acquainted. The Friends of Red Feather Lakes board along with the staff of the library and the library board thought it was time that our community had access to books 24/7, thus the idea of the LFL emerged. Our first Little Free Library is in place located on Highway 74E at the mailboxes on the north side of the road (Green Mountain Meadows). We have had many visitors and comments about this and in the near future we will have an additional three: at the library in Red Feather Lakes, at Crystal Lakes and at Western Ridge Restaurant. So if you need a book to read and the library is not open, please visit our LFL and enjoy reading. Reading is for pleasure, knowledge and something we cannot acquire on the internet. The motto of Little Free Library is “Take a Book—Return a Book.”

Beyond that, there are a couple of things we need to mention, both beginning Saturday, May 13. The first is new summer library hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week, running through mid-September.

The second is the start of the library’s 2017 Summer Reading Program. This year’s theme is “Build a Better World” and offers incentive prizes for all ages for recreational – or informational – reading. Join us for a summer Readathon.