1914-1922

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En 1914, los miembros del Woman's Club recaudaron fondos para comprar dos lotes en Davis Hill (actualmente en la esquina opuesta a Donut Haus); estos lotes estaban pensados como el sitio para una nueva biblioteca, pero el plan nunca se desarrolló. En 1916, la biblioteca se instaló en la escuela Estes Park School, ubicada en la esquina de Park Lane y MacGregor Avenue. Esta primera biblioteca tenía una colección de 262 libros alojados en una habitación de la escuela. Abierto dos tardes a la semana, y solo durante el año escolar, la biblioteca estaba a cargo de Florence Bond. Su salario era de $1.50 por semana. En 1920, la biblioteca se vio obligada a buscar otro espacio en el Hotel Hupp y en otros establecimientos comerciales.

1922 – 1963

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La mujer de Estes Park Club raised $5,000 to build and furnish a small stone and stucco building in Bond Park, which opened in September of 1922.The name was officially changed to Estes Park Public Library and it was open five days a  week.  Through the generosity of Mrs. Eleanor E. Hondius (pictured) and her son Pieter Hondius, Jr., an addition was added in 1935;  it more than doubled the size of the library.    Bond retired in 1941. Ora Carr, who had been the assistant since 1938, took over and stayed for 24 years.

1963 – 1970

La Sra. EL Lacey fue nombrada bibliotecaria en 1963. La biblioteca estaba abierta seis días a la semana de 10:00 a. M. A 12:00 p. M., De 2:00 p. M. A 5:00 p. M. Y de 7:30 p. M. A 9:00 p. M. En 1968, la Sra. Phyllis Hurt se convirtió en bibliotecaria. La Junta de la Biblioteca (que todavía estaba compuesta por miembros del Club de Mujeres) votó para unirse al nuevo Sistema de Bibliotecas de High Plains, que ofrecía talleres y ayuda para “modernizar” las operaciones de la biblioteca. La biblioteca fue ampliada y remodelada y el nuevo edificio se inauguró en octubre de 1969. Hurt se retiró en 1970.

DreierLibSketch(sml)1970-1980

Ruth Deffenbaugh was hired as the librarian in 1970. She and Lennie Bemiss started the Colorado Collection and organized the volunteer effort that produced the newspaper index and the beginnings of the oral history program. By this time, the Town of Estes Park was providing a substantial amount of annual funding for salaries, utilities, insurance, etc. An addition of 900  square feet was added to the west side of the building in 1978. A Friends of the Library group was established in 1978 to “promote the use and awareness of the library’s resources and facilities and to provide and promote financial support.”

1980-1985

Ruth Deffenbaugh se retiró en 1980 y fue reemplazada por Ted Schmidt. Fue el primer director de biblioteca que no era miembro del Woman's Club y también el primero en tener una Maestría en Bibliotecología. Cuando Schmidt añadió las horas de los domingos en 1984, el personal aumentó a 6 personas a tiempo completo. Treinta voluntarios activos contribuyeron con 2.100 horas de servicio. Schmidt se desempeñó como director hasta que su familia se mudó a Missoula, Montana en 1985.

1985-1990

MVC-002FJudy Hoxsey fue contratada en 1985 para ayudar a desarrollar un plan y construir una nueva biblioteca. Además, la Fundación Biblioteca se incorporó en 1985 “con el propósito de promover y promover el bienestar” de la Biblioteca. Hoxsey organizó un comité para realizar un estudio del sitio para la nueva biblioteca en 1986; Se eligió la esquina suroeste del Estacionamiento Municipal. Además, Hoxsey llevó a cabo una campaña para establecer fondos permanentes para la Biblioteca ofreciendo un distrito fiscal separado en 1988. El distrito sería financiado por 2.5 millones de impuestos sobre la propiedad dentro de los mismos límites que el Distrito Hospitalario. Los votantes aprobaron el Distrito de Bibliotecas Públicas de Estes Valley el 8 de noviembre de 1988.

1990-1998

In 1990, seven full time and three part time staff members began the huge task of inputting library holdings records into CARL (the new library computer system). More than 12,000 records were inputted by the end of the year and for the first time the library’s collection was automated. A fax machine, electric typewriter, three CARL terminals with a multiplexer and modem were  added  to  help  streamline  workflow. The groundbreaking for the new library building took place on  August 22, 1990. Staff began re-registration of 9,000 plus library cardholders for conversion to the CARL System in March 1991. On April 27th, 1991, Masonic Lodge number 183 laid the corner stone for the new library building. For two weeks in June books were moved with forklifts to the new location, and on June  23rd, 1991 the new building opened its doors to the public for the first time.  In 1991 the library offered the first  public access Internet station. In 1997, 4,615 computer users lined up to use four Internet computers. Hoxsey retired in May of 1998.

1998-2005

El nuevo director de la biblioteca, Ed Volz, llegó en septiembre de 1998. La biblioteca 2nd story addition, 2002Board asked for a bond issue for $735,000 in bonds for library expansion in 1999. This issue failed but voters passed a separate issue approving an override of the TABOR amendment. This allowed the library to collect, retain, and expend all revenues that the current 2.39 mill levy would generate. This was also known as de-Brucing. The construction bond issue passed on its second try in 2000 to fund a second story addition, which opened in 2002. The Library migrated its online database from CARL to TLC in September 2001. At the suggestion of Volz, the Board asked for a mill levy increase in November 2004 to fund improved staff salaries and maintain current hours of operation. This was successful in large part due to the volunteer work of Don Widrig and Lee Lasson, who organized  the YFTL “Yes for the Library” campaign.

2005-2007

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In 2005, the staff consisted of 9 full time employees with 8 part time or substitute workers. The collection contained approximately 45,710 volumes, 200 magazine subscriptions, 15 newspaper subscriptions and 5,886 audio books, music CDs, videos, DVDs, and CD-ROMS. Volz resigned on May 13, 2005.  New director Claudine Perrault arrived at the end of September of  2005. In April and May of 2007, the 1st floor was remodeled and the computer commons was created on the second floor.

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En 2008, el enfoque de la biblioteca se centró más que nunca en proporcionar recursos para nuestros niños. Los programas para niños se ampliaron y la asistencia a estos programas ascendió a más de 12.000. Gracias a las generosas subvenciones tanto de la Library Foundation como de Friends of the Library, se llevó a cabo una renovación y la habitación de los niños fue completamente remodelada para su uso en el siglo XXI. El área de uso común de computadoras, que ahora tiene un año, vio aproximadamente 30,400 horas de uso de los usuarios y los artículos se prestaron más de 181,000 veces.

2009 – 2010

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2009 was the ‘Year of the Archive’ with substantial funding coming from the Friends of the Library for improvements to the library’s Local History Collection. New shelving, numerous programs for the public, new history web pages, and the digitization of both historic newspapers and oral histories were among the projects taken on by the staff. In addition, 2009 saw a re-branding of the library with a new logo, new library cards,  and a new name, the Estes Valley Library. In 2010, again with funding from the Friends of the Library, the upstairs staff office areas were remodeled.

2011

CCC coin-copper1Book1ValleyLogoIn 2011 the Estes Valley Library launched the first One Book One Valley, a series of community read programs.  September kicked off with, “A Walk in the Woods” by Bill Bryson. The event ran through October and drew almost 1,000 participants. New emphasis was placed on staff development, with board-approved closure days dedicated to 21st Century skills. The popular financial literacy program, Common Cents Counts, received additional FINRA grant funding, making another year of financial programs possible.  The library’s Internet connection speed was 10mb/sec and the first foray into social media began with Facebook.

2012

Automation continued to play a big role in library activities with the launch of the first digital collection service and RFID tagging of the entire physical collection. Two self-checkout stations were installed and were immediately used by 80% of cardholders.  An automated RFID Book Return was also installed in the atrium. A library satisfaction survey was launched yielding data on library district strengths and weaknesses.

2013

Increased operating costs were taking a toll on the library’s ability to continue current service levels.  Library stakeholders strategized funding approaches.  Conclusion: 1) investing in fund development would yield new donor dollars, and 2) a $25/per average household increase in tax funding would prevent service cuts and add critical services requested by the public.  A campaign was launched by library supporters for an increased mil levy, with high hopes for a successful November ballot.

The year was defined by the Flood of September 11.  One Book One Valley went forward in the wake of the flood, with the redemptive story “Plainsong” by Kent Haruf.  The Treasury of Gratitude project was launched to tell the stories of the many residents affected by the flood, and to express their gratitude to local businesses, volunteers, and community members for their help during the recovery.

Finally, Election Day arrived; and while the vote was close, the spirited people of the library district voted “Yes”.  Beginning January 1, 2014, the library district’s property levy would grow from 3.28 to 4.52 mils.

2014

Cumpliendo las promesas electorales, se crearon dos nuevos puestos y se contrató a un Guía para adolescentes y un Guía técnico.

In partnership with the Estes Park Museum, the library’s “Mountaineer Oral History project” was successfully finished, capturing stories of the early history of Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park mountaineers.

Five new children’s educational computers were added in the children’s computer room.  With post flood funding from the Community Foundation of Northern Colorado a new computer lab was created and dedicated to supporting local businesses and employment in flood recovery.

El Director de la Biblioteca fue galardonado con la Asociación de Bibliotecas de Colorado como el "Bibliotecario del Año" en respuesta a los servicios de la biblioteca a la comunidad inmediatamente después de la inundación de 2013.

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Se creó una sucursal de biblioteca nueva y única en Eagle Rock School. Un mensajero comenzó a correr entre las dos ubicaciones cinco días a la semana. La velocidad de conexión a Internet de la biblioteca se incrementó a 50 megabits por segundo.

 

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2016 fue un año particularmente emocionante ya que se invitó a la comunidad a unirse a la celebración del centenario de la biblioteca. La Biblioteca de Estes Valley expandió su departamento de Servicios para la Juventud y la Familia con la contratación de un Bibliotecario para Adolescentes y un Coordinador de Extensión para ELL. Con la incorporación de Overdrive y Hoopla, la biblioteca comenzó a ofrecer más de 300.000 títulos para leer, escuchar y mirar. La colección del archivo de historia local se transfirió al Museo de Estes Park durante un período de seis meses. La biblioteca y el museo se asociaron para planificar la digitalización de la colección de periódicos históricos de Estes Park. 

2017

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Después de años de planificación y dos meses de construcción, el nuevo y funcional diseño del segundo piso se hizo realidad. Gracias a cinco generosos donantes, el segundo piso ahora ofrecía un Makerspace, una sala silenciosa con chimenea, dos salas de estudio adicionales y una sala de computadoras mejorada.

Following a 2012 survey, the Estes Valley Library conducted a community study to gauge overall satisfaction levels of the services provided, how important those services were to different constituencies, and how to best reach the community in terms of its ongoing communication efforts.   The results of this survey would help drive library goals into the future. 793 responses were received.

 

2018

En marzo, la biblioteca abrió un lugar para recoger y dejar fuera del sitio en el This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is twig3-1024x731.jpgEstes Valley Community Center called The Twig (smaller than a branch). This project occurred after almost all community survey respondents indicated that lack of parking in the summer was a frustrating aspect of library use. Equipment for the Twig was funded by an anonymous donation to the Estes Valley Library Friends and Foundation. The mini branch included an automated locker system for holds pickup and a drive through book drop.

Los departamentos de la biblioteca se reestructuraron para incluir programas y servicios de extensión que ahora abarcan programas para adultos, adolescentes, niños, familias y ELL; Servicios de cuentas de usuario que ahora contaban con personal en ambos mostradores de servicio; Servicios técnicos que adquirieron instalaciones; y Administración. La velocidad de conexión a Internet de la biblioteca se incrementó a 1.000 megabits por segundo.

2019

El 9 de abril, Estes Valley Library Friends & Foundation celebró la apertura de Cliffhanger Used Books en 191 West Riverside Drive, ofreciendo miles de libros, DVD y CD de música en buen estado. Todos los ingresos ayudarían a Friends & Foundation en su misión de apoyar a la Biblioteca y sus servicios. La librería estaría atendida 42 horas a la semana por un equipo de voluntarios. Tres unidades de apartamentos por encima de Cliffhanger servirían como la primera opción de vivienda para la fuerza laboral para el personal de la biblioteca. 

Setenta y ocho voluntarios contribuyeron con 3.614 horas de servicio a la biblioteca, mientras que el personal aumentó a 27. 

Las circulaciones de colecciones digitales alcanzaron una cifra sin precedentes de 20.000, y la “Biblioteca de las cosas” experimentó un aumento de 66% en circulación. Gracias a un nuevo sistema de registro en línea para la lectura de verano, los participantes del programa para adultos aumentaron en 141%. El programa de aprendizaje del idioma inglés tuvo un crecimiento continuo con 921 citas de tutoría a cargo de 39 voluntarios. 

En un esfuerzo por cumplir con la Iniciativa Verde de la biblioteca, se instaló iluminación LED de alta eficiencia en todo el edificio. La Biblioteca y el Museo de Estes Park hicieron grandes avances con el proyecto de Digitalización de Periódicos Históricos, proporcionando 1925-1948 de Trail Gazette en alta resolución, contenido de búsqueda de palabras, disponible en línea. 

2020

The Library spearheaded a community-wide campaign to create the Village Catalog: one mega catalog that now includes collections from the Library, all three Park R3 District school libraries, and Eagle Rock School. The collection totals over one million items, physical and digital, all available at catalog.estesvalleylibrary.org.

On March 17, the major global event came to the Library’s front door: the COVID-19 pandemic caused the building to close. Many services remained “open”: first via chat and phone, then later with curbside delivery. Patrons borrowed collection items online, then traveled to the Library and remained in their cars while masked Library staff deposited their orders in the trunk. Curbside service was one of many pandemic-influenced services that staff implemented. Others included virtual community “Zoom rooms,” Grab & Go kits, and virtual programming. Many of these creative additions are still active services today.

The first floor reopened to public visitation on June 16. The Library became a point of distribution for COVID test kits and masks, assisting in protecting the health and safety of our community.

October brought other challenges to the Library’s doorstep: the Cameron Peak and East Troublesome fires caused an entire evacuation of the Estes Valley. Luckily, our heroic local, regional, and federal first responders (along with some help from Mother Nature) kept the fires at bay and the Library reopened later that month.

In the spirit of local collaboration and partnership, paired with valuable and productive discussions, the Library joined forces with Estes Valley Restorative Justice Partnership to start Community Conversations. These monthly events focused on creating space and building capacity for Estes Valley residents to engage on difficult issues.

2021

Due to COVID-19 related restrictions, the pandemic continued to impact daily life, including how patrons used and engaged with the Library. Grab & Go kits remained popular and many programs stayed virtual (including popular and signature events like One Book One Valley and Young Chautauqua).

Joyfully, the Library’s second floor reopened on July 6, more than a year after the building closed due to the pandemic.