Mountain Libraries Elevate Minds
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February, 2007

I have always been a library user.  One of the earliest memories I have is sitting in a window seat at a branch library in Denver; I was probably 8 years old.  I was lost in the pages of the book Mystery Island by Enid Blyton.  Since then I have always used, worked or volunteered in a library.  Today I am not only the librarian at Middle Park High School; I am also a trustee on the Grand County Library District (GCLD) Board. 
When my husband Jim and I moved to Grand County in 1981 with our four children one of the first places I located was the small Fraser Library.  It was there with our children that I spent a great deal of time and met a number of people who became fast friends.  My children grew to love and appreciate libraries and all they can offer.  It was a very exciting time when the new Fraser Valley Library was built in 1997.  My husband and I, along with many other community members were happy to contribute both time and money to make this project become a reality.
It is amazing to look at the libraries in Grand County today.  What a difference 26 years can make.  We are fortunate as a community to have five outstanding libraries that provide an amazing amount and quality of services to the people in this valley, both full-time residents and visitors.  A few years ago, the GCLD made the decision to build two new libraries based on the long-overdue need for larger facilities to provide for the increasing demand for library services in both Grand Lake and Granby, and projections of an increasing population.  As of this summer, both communities are now enjoying beautiful new library buildings offering expanded collections, free access to computers, wireless connections and comfortable spaces for study and research.  If you have not visited these buildings, please take the time and do so.  I am sure you will be impressed.
As has been written about in this newspaper for many weeks, the Grand County Library District is in the middle of an exciting Mountain Libraries Campaign created to help pay for the cost of construction of these new libraries.  The Campaign has proudly raised over $1.7 million towards the intermediate goal of $2.4 million with a deadline of March 2007.  An additional $685 thousand in contributions must be raised to make sure we receive the $260 thousand pledged in generous challenge grants from three foundations: the Gates Family Foundation ($200 thousand), the Boettcher Foundation ($50 thousand) and the Gay and Lesbian Fund of Colorado ($10 thousand). A contribution to this campaign is an excellent way to show your support and appreciation for all that our local libraries do for the community.  There are many ways for you to donate that will help meet the requirements for the challenge grants. Contributions may be one large single donation or a pledge spread over five years, with terrific tax benefits as well.  For more information, contact the Grand County Library District at 970-887-9411, www.gcld.org  or your local library.

Thank you,

Diane Bond
Trustee
Grand County Library District 

December 19, 2006

Editor,

The citizens of Grand County should be proud of their library’s Colorado Library of the Year designation in 2005 and their 2006 award winning branches in Grand Lake and Granby.  The latest recognition is a full-page cover on the national Library Journal for December 2006.

These branches were built through the hard work of many citizens and financed by investors who are leasing the buildings to Grand County Library District (GCLD) until we purchase them over time.  It is the same type of lease purchase deal that the library district used for the Fraser Valley branch in 1997 – and, which the district paid off in 6.5 years from tax revenues and donations.  It lets us earn our good fortune by our own efforts.

So, we now have three truly outstanding facilities in our largest population centers and two excellent ones in Kremmling and Hot Sulphur Springs.  And, we all benefit from a comprehensive countywide library district, which is part of Marmot, a regional library partnership that services the rural western slope of Colorado.

Since this is a season in which our thoughts turn to giving, I felt I should remind us all, rich, comfortable, struggling or poor, how each and every one of us can help finance this unique gift all of our citizens and visitors.  Here are three ways:

            1.         Buy things unavailable locally on-line! – Either at home or at one of our library branches from our hard-wired or wireless connections!  Go to www.gcld.org and click on the on-line purchasing link on our home page.  The result will be that every few months the library district will receive a check for a percentage of the amount purchased through this link.  It costs you nothing extra but is a simple way to give, in return, to the library collective effort.

            2.         Attend a fund raising event sponsored by the Friends of Grand County Library where you get full value for your dollars spent in terms of goods and services and the library benefits as well from the donations of the sponsors.

            3.         Are you over age 70.5?  The IRS has also created a means for 2006 and 2007 whereby potential donors, with qualified IRA’s and over the age of 70.5, can transfer up to a six figure amount directly to a qualifying charity (like the Grand County Library Foundation) and exclude the distribution from their annual income.  We are seeking significant Leadership Gifts from such donors.

Now, as President, and formerly Treasurer of the GCLD for the past five years, I am very conscious of an opportunity we have, that if not met, could result in the loss of a quarter of a million dollars already pledged to the Mountain Libraries Campaign. We have until March 2007 to raise an additional $700,000 or LOSE $250,000 in “challenge grants” from two major Colorado foundations.

So, I ask you, would you consider a gift o the outstanding library system in this County, which benefits residents, second homeowners, and visitors, as a gift that keeps on giving?  My wife and I have!

Bill Tetlow
President
Grand County Library District

An Investment in the Future of Grand County                                               12/12/06

The old adage that “time is money” has never been truer than in the creation and nurturing of the Grand County Library District. As the district enters a second decade, with five branches providing above average access to the world of knowledge, thoughts and ideas, the volunteerism behind that advance has been profound. The Friends of the Grand County Library have consistently provided skills and support both at local branches, and at countywide events. We have also received donations from people who “just wanted to say thanks.”

At one of the recent Kremmling Day celebrations, an example of the latter happened in front of my eyes. A summer visitor, who owned property in the west end of the county, came to the book sale and sought out the librarian. Since I was at the sale, and a trustee, the three of us wandered to a quiet spot, and the woman raved about the quality of collection and service provided in this relatively small community. Being a resident of a large, Midwest city, she said we compared favorably with their library system in every regard. At that point, she produced a checkbook, and wrote out a check for several hundred dollars, “to help continue the good work.” It has continued.

In the past three years, your representatives on the Board of the Trustees, I included, made a strategic decision to invest in new facilities in the towns of Granby and Grand Lake. Planning in Grand Lake started first, and in both cases, the target was to provide library facilities for the next twenty years. We engaged the communities in advisory committees, and sought the support and counsel of the town boards. This is where the “time is money” feature really started to kick in. Unpaid advisors served literally hundreds of hours each year in support of the projects.

Staff, too, stretched themselves to maintain the level of service in those two towns while assisting in the planning and construction of the new facilities. Even in the face of the unplanned demolition of the Granby Library housed in the town hall, library services were available in Granby fifty-one of the fifty-two weeks of 2004! A remarkable accomplishment made possible by the sacrifice and cooperation of local volunteers, the Town of Granby and the East Grand School District.

Now we enter the next phase of commitment, in both time and money. Many of you have contributed cash, pledges, and that most precious thing… your own time. Our Mountain Libraries Campaign has already raised $1.7 million. During the next three months, we intend to attract sufficient pledges and contributions to achieve a total intermediate goal of $2.4 million for the guarantee of several years’ worth of lease purchase payments on the two new libraries. Ten percent of the goal, $250,000, will come from already promised challenge grants.  Of course, we only get the grants when you and I step forward and cover the balance of $700,000.

Please remember that 5-year pledges count every bit as much as cash. There are ways to give appreciated assets that avoid some levels of taxation. I think in particular of the success of three regional corporations (Phelps Dodge, Intrawest and Vail Resorts) whose shares did very well these past few years. In addition, do not forget that all contributions are eligible for very special tax benefits since the libraries qualify as Colorado State Enterprise Zone projects.

The underlying assets in which you place your trust and money have been noticed and “appreciated” on the national level. The December issue of Library Journal features the “Year in Architecture” for new library buildings throughout the nation.  The District submitted both of the new libraries for inclusion in this issue. You will be proud to know that the Granby Library will be featured on the cover of that issue. What is more important to me is that the staff is every bit as classy as the new libraries. By contributing to the Mountain Libraries Campaign, you will be guaranteeing that high level of service to you and future generations of Grand County residents and visitors.

Please consider the Mountain Libraries Campaign as both a responsible and impressive way to leave a charitable gift, both for now and the future. Libraries are a legacy to each generation, offering the heritage of the past and the promise of the future.   For more information, contact the Grand County Library District at 970.887.9411, www.gcld.org or email at library@rkymtnhi.com.  
                                                          
John Dolan, Trustee, Grand County Library District

PRESS RELEASE

TO:  SKY-HI NEWS
FROM:  GRAND COUNTY LIBRARY DISTRICT
CONTACT:  MARY ANNE HANSON-WILCOX
PHONE: 887-9411
RELEASE DATE:  AT WILL

By Louise Steneck

I am rich.  You probably wouldn’t know it to look at me.  I wear old jeans and snow boots and drive a five year old Subaru with a cracked windshield.  My one and only house is pretty run-of-the-mill as houses go.  I clip grocery coupons, watch for sales and look forward to the hunting season to help fill the freezer.  I have one television and am still using a rotary phone. 
And yet I am rich, for I have everything I need and most things I want.  I have warm clean shelter, plenty of good food, clean water to drink, and clothes on my back.  When I am ill I can afford medical help and when I’m feeling especially wonderful, I can dress up and eat dinner at a nice restaurant.  I truly want for nothing.
For most of the 60 years of my life, I have felt this way - rich beyond the dreams of the majority of people in the world today.   But just lately, I’ve been wishing I were rich in the way most people in this country think of rich.   Bill Gates rich.  Donald Trump rich.  Millions and millions of dollars rich. 
I don’t want this money for myself – I have everything a reasonable person could want.  I want it so I can give it away. 
I suppose this desire to give money away is a product of both my youth and my age.  I was a true child of the 60’s – one of those wide-eyed innocents who, in their idealistic blindness, believed they could change the world.  I bought into the Beatle’s mantra that “all you need is love.”  Armed with only good intentions, I protested against world hunger and the war and spent a year in VISTA (the domestic Peace Corps) “fighting poverty” on an Indian reservation, which seemed the least I could do while my drafted brother suffered the same year in Vietnam.  Like many of my generation, I believed in the perfectibility of mankind and the inevitable triumph of good over evil.  Not only that, I believed it was possible within my lifetime and I could help make it happen.
Ah, youth! 
It is now forty long, hard years later and while I don’t believe I have become cynical, I certainly have become a realist.  All the idealism of my generation has wrought precious little change and I now see that good intentions are not enough – one needs power to make things happen.  Mother Teresa and Gandhi had the power of faith.  The founding fathers had the power of conviction.  Today’s world leaders, for good or evil, have the power of military might.  And the world’s great philanthropists, such as Bill and Melinda Gates, have the power of money. 
Because I am too old and tired to tilt at windmills anymore, I long for the power to change the world that comes from money.  I have a mental list of causes that would receive my largesse should I ever win the lottery.  Starving children, war-weary refugees, the never-ending fight against disease, the saving of our beautiful blue, but terribly fragile planet, are all there.  But before I took on the world’s problems, I would take care of a problem need right here at home.  I would fork over a boatload of money to the Grand County Library District to help pay for our two beautiful new libraries in Granby and Grand Lake and the many needed essential services they provide at their five branch libraries and online.  I would shower them with money, for I believe libraries and schools are the places where we build a better future.  My generation didn’t get it done, but no single generation does.    All we can do is continue to nurture better educated, well rounded, open minded citizens who are equipped to help solve the world’s many problems.  And libraries do that. 
But, you know what?  I’m never going to win the lottery (mostly because I don’t buy tickets) and I’m never going to be filthy rich.  But that isn’t going to stop me from helping our local libraries and it shouldn’t stop you either.  You, like me, are already rich in all the things that count.  You, like me, have some extra money, which usually gets spent on things that you don’t need and that bring little real satisfaction.  You, like me, can give some of that spare change to help our libraries continue to provide the services we need.  Join me and make a pledge or donation to the Grand County Library District Capital Campaign today.    We won’t change the world, but we might make it just a tiny bit better.  And take it from me; nothing makes you feel richer than giving your money away.  For more information on how you can help please visit www.gcld.org or call the district office at 887-9411.  Thanks.
-30-

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Granby Library Wins AIA Denver Design Award

Denver, Colorado – The Granby Library, designed by Humphries Poli Architects, P.C. (HPA), has been honored with an Award of Merit by the American Institute of Architects – Denver Chapter.  In an awards presentation held in September, the library was noted for its “forthright use of materials that relate to the mountain style of architecture which at the same time has an antique style about it.”
The new 10,700 sf Granby Library is notable in several regards.  Aesthetically it is a distinguished landmark that deftly combines contemporary aesthetics with local materials and historic forms, while taking advantage of the abundant Colorado daylight.  The interplay of tall shed-like forms was derived from the area’s history of agriculture and ranching, wherein long, sloping sheds provide economical protection from the snow.  The wedge-like forms also echo the surrounding mountains.  Two prominent “sheds,” oppositely angled, create a balanced composition that gives equal attention to the town’s new Civic District and the long vistas to the west.  Construction materials also speak to the facility's dual nature, with a brick masonry base proclaiming its civic role, and lap siding and shingles embracing the rural setting.
HPA’s design team and the Granby Library District worked in conjunction to ensure a focused incorporation of unique community characteristics and local appeal throughout the design process.  HPA conducted focus group meetings with the public, library staff, library board, and the building advisory committee to understand the pragmatic needs of the end users.  Additional input was gathered by teachers in the public schools, and through focus groups involving high school seniors, mothers of pre-schoolers, and other specialized groups.  The ideas gained from this effort were at once diverse and imaginative, helping to shape the project and significantly contribute to the project’s success.
Humphries Poli Architects is a Denver-based professional corporation founded in 1994 by Dennis Humphries, AIA, and Joseph Poli, AIA.  The 30-person firm offers architecture, interior design, urban design, and landscape architecture services, and specializes in multifamily housing, libraries, civic buildings, mixed-use, and preservation projects.

COUNTING OUR BLESSINGS – GRAND COUNTY LIBRARIES MATTER

This year, and every year, among the many things for which I am thankful is the role that libraries have played in my life.  My early years were spent in a small town in Idaho, where the library was run by volunteers out of a tiny storefront that had once been the barber shop.  This is where I first met Madeline, Curious George, and the many residents of Dr. Seuss’ strange lands – and I got to take them home!  The lady who issued my first library card made sure that my hands were clean before touching any of the books; early on, I was encouraged to understand that Libraries Are Important.

Several years later, my father’s career took him – and us – to wonderful and exotic locations in Asia, the Middle East, and South America.  In every case, we found that the expatriate community also believed that Libraries Are Important, and we were able to enjoy small libraries of English-language books donated by other expatriates.  In some of the places we landed there was no television, so books became our main source of entertainment. 

In these small libraries I started with the Bobbsey Twins, raced through Nancy Drew and the Little House books, and was eventually allowed into the “grownups’ section” to explore books with more mature and complicated themes.  “The Garden of the Finzi-Continis” and “The Once and Future King” were educations unto themselves.  The newspapers might be two-week-old copies of the New York Times or Miami Herald, but were treated with respect, because they were news from home.  Now, many years later,  the books have been joined by video, the newspapers are up-to-date, and the internet has virtually eliminated the barriers of distance and language. 

And I have landed here, in another small community, where it is my turn to get out the message that Libraries Are Still Important.

One of the many blessings of living in Grand County has been our modern and ever-improving library system. With information accessible to me through the Grand County Libraries, I have been able to start a business, brush up on my knitting skills, find the Blue Book value of my car, and identify the flowers planted by my home’s previous owner.   Our libraries are a safe after-school destination for children and young adults.  My friends and their children have learned to read, researched school projects, discovered local history, checked out old movies, and stayed in touch with friends and families by email.  And if you can’t find it in a Grand County library, Colorado’s amazing Inter-Library Loan services mean that you can probably have it in your hands next week.  All for free!

Well, not exactly for free.  Circumstances conspired to put the Grand County Library District into the position of building two new facilities at the same time.  Generous contributions from large and small donors have brought the GCLD very close to raising the full construction cost of $2.4 million for the two projects, and we would have eventually achieved this goal within a few years.  But several major donors have made offers that we as taxpayers can’t afford to ignore: The Mountain Libraries Campaign has been challenged to raise $735,000 by March of next year, whereupon these donors  will contribute the remaining $250,000. 

Think about it – that’s $250,000 that the GCLD can keep available for materials and instead of debt service.  For anybody who believes, as I do, that Libraries Matter, this is a simple decision. 

There are several ways, big and small, that you can help the Mountain Libraries Campaign meet this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity:

 – If you, your business or your employer are contemplating your year-end tax situation, keep in mind that contributions to the Campaign are not only eligible for the usual federal tax break, but also reap an additional state tax credit.  What a bargain! 

– Donate $100 (or more, please!) to the Mountain Libraries Campaign, and you can have your contribution noted on a plaque in the lobby of the Juniper or Granby library. It’s a great way to commemorate someone important in your life, or simply show your support for the library.

– Purchase a fab blue silicone bracelet for $10 at any GCLD branch and show the world that “Libraries Matter.”

– Get more information about how you can support of the Mountain Libraries Campaign by visiting your favorite library branch, calling 887-9411 or going online at www.gcld.org.

This Thanksgiving I’m giving thanks for living in Grand County, where we have magazines as well as mountains, internet as well as ice fishing, and libraries as well as liberty.  Please join me!
Jill Miles

We love the library.
            In the morning when I ask my two boys what they want to do for the day they say, “Library!!!”  When we get there, they race for the computers then rush to find books, movies, and computer programs to check out of the library.  My wife reserves books online and has me pick them up for her.  I browse the new arrivals then look for a Sci-fi book that I haven’t read. We love the library.
My name is John Kacik.  I am the at-large trustee for your Grand County Library District (GCLD).  I have lived in the Fraser Valley for close to 14 years.  I truly think of this place as my home.  I came as a ski bum and met my wife here.  My wife and I made the decision to stay here and raise a family.  Our children are 4 and 7.  I am still a ski bum.  As a kid, growing up on Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany, my parents would drop me off at the library every Sunday.  My brother and I used the time to read magazines, listen to comedy albums (Bill Cosby, Steve Martin, and yes, even the Smothers Brothers) and check out books.   As a high school and college student I used the library to study or just hide from the craziness around me.   As a family we use the library as a place for education, recreation, programs and just plain books to read.  You can ask any librarian in the Fraser Valley, we spend a lot of time in the library.  My kids now share their parent’s love of the library.  It is a place of comfort.  I feel safe in the library.  I decided to volunteer for the GCLD, because of my love of the library.  I have been on the board of trustees for nearly 3 years.
            The GCLD made the decision to build two new libraries based on many facts. The first stated goal of the GCLD is to provide the physical facilities needed for library services.  Marv Heemeyer brought that goal to the forefront in Granby.  The Granby library was in the town hall and regardless of Marv the space that they had was too small to meet the GCLD goal.  Also, growth in Granby has been unprecedented.  We, the GCLD, saw the need to build a library which will stand up to that growth 20 years down the road.  In Grand Lake, if any of you had been to the old Grand Lake library, the community was in desperate need.   The inflow of people in the summer was swamping the space in Grand Lake.  The Grand Lake branch was far too small to provide library services for this community.    As a result the GCLD decided to build two new libraries, one in Granby and one in Grand Lake.
            I was very excited when the new Fraser Valley Library was built.  Fraser Valley Branch Librarian Mary Anne Wilcox (now director of the GCLD) solicited me for a donation.  I said to myself, I can’t afford to donate at this time, but as I thought about how much I actually use the library I came up with a plan.  I donated a small amount every month for a few years.  This made donating very affordable.  As a result of people like me and other generous Fraser Valley residents, the GCLD was able to pay off the building loan early.  When the two new library projects started I was once again solicited for a donation.  I did the same thing that I had done before.  I set up a payment plan and donated over time.  The Mountain Libraries Campaign was created to help raise money and pay for the construction of the Grand Lake and Granby libraries. The tax advantages of a donation to the Mountain Library Campaign are considerable. 
            If you have not been to the two new libraries in this county, you NEED to go and see them.  They are spectacular.  When the GCLD made the decision to build these buildings, we talked to focus groups.  We built two building that represent what those communities wanted in a library.  These buildings will hold up to the test of time and fit in with both Granby and Grand Lake. 
            Your branch library, be it in Fraser, Hot Sulphur Springs, Kremmling, Grand Lake or Granby, is part of the GCLD.  The branches are connected in many ways.  Our librarians meet to discuss the needs of children, adults, seniors, and computer users.  They spend time developing programs for everyone.  They listen to your needs and work to fulfill them.  
            What I am saying is this:  Please give to the Mountain Library Campaign.  We are in need of donations to make sure that we receive challenge grants that have been promised.  Let’s do in Granby and Grand Lake what we did in the Fraser Valley.  Let’s show our support for the library in a physical way.  Set up a payment plan, or a once a year gift, even if you can’t give very much.  If you love the library like we love the library, now is the time to show it. Please give to the Mountain Libraries Campaign.
John Kacik, Trustee, Grand County Library District
            For more information on how to give please call (970) 887-9411 or visit www.gcld.org.

      The Mountain Libraries Campaign — the official fundraising title for paying for the new Juniper Library at Grand Lake and the Granby Library — needs help.
            Right now it is about $755,000 short of its intermediate goal of raising $2.4 million by March. Worse yet, if the campaign fails to reach it’s goal by March it will lose some $250,000 in generous challenge grants from the Gates Family Foundation ($200,000) and the Boettcher Foundation ($50,000). Another smaller matching grant could also be lost.
            That’s the bad news. $755,000 is a daunting figure. Almost three-quarters of a million dollars to be raised. Where are we going to get that kind of money in Grand County by March? I don’t know about you, but I’m a little overdone on golf a thons, bake sales, garage sales, and even, although it’s fun, dancing the night away to raise money for worthy causes.
But, I’m betting you’re also like me in that you hate the idea of losing more than $250,000 — a cool quarter of a million dollars — because we fall short of what seemed like a reasonable fundraising goal to build those two beautiful, and useful, new library buildings.
            What happens if we fail to meet the goal? Well, the libraries will still get paid for, but at considerable threat to other essentials of a library. Books, programs, research materials and computer capability, to name a few.
            So, let’s don’t even think about failure. It’s not an option. We have 11,000 library card holders. Let’s assume about 4,000 of those are children (we haven’t started breaking open piggy banks yet). That leaves about 7,000 active patrons. If each cardholder would pledge $40 a year — a measly $10 a quarter — for just three years, we’d be over the top. It would be that easy. It could even be easier.
            Donations can be pledged over a five year period to help meet this goal. And the best, most satisfying kind of fundraising is broad based support, with everyone pitching in what they can. I suspect many folks don’t contribute because they feel like their gift might be too small to count. But clearly, from these figures, a lot of small donations could win the day.
It’s a given that those 11,000 cardholders love their library. I think most of us in the community take almost a fierce pride in how far our Grand County Library District has come since the voters approved a unified district just over 10 years ago. The District “regards its collection as a totality; distributed amoung various library facilities and developed to meet the needs of the District’s community at large while striving to be responsive to the specific needs of its immediate communities.” That’s the District’s fancy statement which means it’s one Library with five distinctive branches in Kremmling, Hot Sulphur, Granby, Grand Lake and the Fraser Valley.
            Whether you are in your local library every other day, or just an occasional patron, you know that each library branch is a happening place, a community hub. Almost always a flock of children are gathered around books, the computer stations are full, small meetings go on in various meeting rooms, and best of all, help is always at hand.
            I’ve been lucky enough to get acquainted with all the branch librarians and many of the staffers at all of the libraries through several years of working with The Friends of the Grand County Library, and they are informed, enthusiastic, and love to help you with any question you may have. No such thing as a “dumb question” when it comes to staff help. Computer phobia? They can tame that syndrome and have you browsing down roads you never knew existed. Library staffers love to help, and it shows in great service.
Don’t just take my word for it. I have seen this enthusiasm reflected in the praise from our numerous friends who come for visits. From Scotland, to Texas, to Indiana, to London, they all love our libraries and laud what this small community has accomplished in the information age.
            By the way, there are several kinds of recognition for donations so your name, or someone you want to remember, can be forever on the wall at either of the new libraries.  There’s a tax credit via the Colorado Enterprise Zone designation, bricks from the old Granby Library can be had. Best though, is being part of pride in our community — yeah, it is warm and fuzzy. Trust me.
            Oh, now you want to know if Wayne and I have have put our money where my mouth is. Well, I suspect we are typical of what’s happened with the Mountain Libraries Campaign. The brochure describing the different donation levels, the benefits of a donation, the P.O. Box number (1050 in Granby) to send my check to, and the phone number if I have questions, has been sitting on my desk for weeks (probably months).
It’s going in the mail tomorrow with a five-year pledge. I’ll come up with more than $10 a quarter, just in case I haven’t persuaded every library cardholder to donate immediately.
            I wish I could attach one of the brochures here, but they are at all libraries, and the librarians have details and can answer questions, or if you’ll call 887-9411, ext. 101, you’ll have one in the mail fast.
District Director Mary Anne Wilcox will be pleased to spell out details, and provide naming or commemorative opportunities. What better memorial than a permanent niche in one of our libraries?
            And if Patrick will let me have my old space back here from time to time, I’ll keep you updated on how the effort is going, and what you’re getting for you money at our grand libraries.

-Martha Williams
Op-ed piece sent to Patrick Brower for Sky Hi News ASAP

(9-1-06)The new Granby Library is blooming with beautiful flowers viewed from the recycling center. And all of Grand County’s libraries are blooming with activity. During the week of August 14 – 20, nearly 7,000 people visited Grand County libraries to check out library materials, attend programs and use public computers. And it’s all available for free! September is Library Card Sign-up Month - a time to remind parents that a library card is the most important school supply of all.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 13, 2005

GRAND COUNTY: HOME TO THE COLORADO LIBRARY OF THE YEAR 

(Fraser, CO) The Grand County Library District (GCLD) was named the “Colorado Library of the Year” by the Colorado Association of Libraries Awards Committee. The honor is awarded to one library or library district in the state each year.

The Library of the Year Award honors exceptional accomplishments made by a Colorado library during 2004. Criteria for judging includes: demonstration of noteworthy customer service, community outreach and programming, recognition by external entities, innovative ideas, significant leadership and creative use of resources.

GCLD was nominated in June. Special consideration was given to the library’s professional response following the June 4 th, 2004 destruction of the Granby Library. GCLD Director Mary Anne Hanson-Wilcox will receive the award at the Colorado Association of Libraries Conference in Denver in November.