Garfield County Library Column: Our Library Heroes

Throughout my career, I have participated in many library conferences. My favorite part is one of the highlights: the awards ceremony.

Very often, awards highlight the quiet work that has been going on in libraries for decades. People who are attracted to library jobs are motivated by service. So we will see a volunteer who has been selling books for 35 years, donating tens of thousands of dollars to libraries. We will meet a worker who introduced hundreds of children in her small town to the joy of fairy tales. We will recognize a local entrepreneur who has sponsored important programs.

These people deserve to be celebrated. They didn’t expect recognition. But they made a difference in their communities. Sometimes we need to hear from others how important our work really was and is.

The Colorado Association of Libraries (CAL) is one of the state “chapters” of the American Library Association. Its task is primarily to provide professional training and promote the meaning and value of our services. I am happy to announce that the Garfield County Public Library won the award at the recent annual conference Three CAL Awards.

The first was the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Award. We were nominated by a state library employee who was very impressed with our Spanish Services team.

This committee, currently chaired by Parachute Branch Library Manager Amaranda Fregoso, is a response to Garfield County’s demographics. About 30% of our population speaks Spanish; student population is approaching 60%. Our focus on Spanish and bilingual programs, our efforts to recruit and value Latino employees, and our targeted attempts to grow our Spanish collections all demonstrate true leadership in the state. As many as 500 people showed up at our Spanish Heritage Festival. (And check out this year’s festival, which begins on September 29 from 2-7 p.m. in our Shooting Branch Library.) We currently have two branch managers and additional bilingual staff at all locations. We have increased our Spanish collections by 1% – doubling our current offering in one year. I should also say that previous chairs Ana Gaytan (New Castle Branch Library Manager) and Alex Garcia Bernal (Education and Events Manager) presented their good work at the conference with Amaranda. And they delighted the audience. We have only just started our work. However, it looks like we are ahead of the pack.
As part of this work, we are also adding several new services. Effective immediately, we are adding live English-to-Spanish translation at our regular board meetings. We are also experimenting with providing live interpretation via Zoom. We realize it may take some time for people to hear about it and get to know it. So spread the word.

The second award was Library Partnership of the Year. Our community-wide interviews in November and December 2024 found that “mental health” is one of six key issues in the county. American public libraries are often non-threatening places for people struggling with problems. The award, presented by Rifle Branch Library Manager Amy Tonozzi, recognizes our partnership with Discovery Café on “a uniquely holistic, full-service program that supports homeless, addicted and disenfranchised people in Garfield County by offering everything they need, in one place to move from crisis to dignity and independence. We provide conference space in our Shooting Branch Library. In return, they provide support so that our residents can help themselves. Executive Director Gabe Cohen was on hand to accept the award.

The third award went to Outstanding Library Trustee 2024. The CAL Awards Committee, which reviewed numerous nominations in multiple categories, selected Library Board Chair Adrian Rippy-Sheehy. In today’s often contentious political climate, many long-standing cultural and educational institutions, especially schools and libraries, are under attack. We need civic courage to resist the influence of partisan politics. Adrian has demonstrated this courage time and time again by adhering to our institutional goals and principles with decency and decency.

Not all our heroes wear capes. But it’s not hard to find them. Just visit the library.

Jamie LaRue is the executive director of the Garfield County Public Library District. His opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the Library Supervisory Board. Please email your comments to [email protected].