LaPorte leaders push district for local library

By Cherry Sokoloski
North Forty News

An actual, bricks-and-mortar, honest-to-God library: that's what the LaPorte Area Planning and Advisory Committee wants for its community. Not just Internet access to materials, but walk-in-and-browse access.

The Poudre River Public Library District has no plans at present to open a library in LaPorte, but that's not deterring the county advisory group from asking.

"There's a lot of enthusiasm from LAPAC for a local library," said committee member Mandy Kotzman.

LaPorte, along with Bellvue, Livermore and other rural areas, became part of PRPLD in 2007, after voters approved the new taxing district. Everyone within its boundaries, roughly the same as those of Poudre School District, pays a 3-mill property tax for library services.

Of district residents who responded to a recent survey, 25 percent live five miles or more from the nearest district library. LaPorte is six miles from the Main Library.

According to North Forty News estimates, about 11,500 people live close enough to LaPorte to find a library there more convenient than Fort Collins. That number includes families in and around LaPorte, Bellvue and Livermore.

Increased revenues

Prior to 2007, Fort Collins owned and operated the library system. The city's budget for library operations in 2006 was about $3.5 million. In 2009, projected tax revenue for the district is double that at $7 million.

Members of LAPAC would like district officials to use some of that additional revenue to open a library in LaPorte. However, they're not asking the district to construct a new building, and they're not asking for a large facility. They point to three vacant commercial buildings along LaPorte's main street, saying the district could rent one of them for library services.

According to Kotzman and fellow LAPAC member Cordelia Stone, the committee came up with several advantages to having a building. Many of the pluses have to do with community-building, not just access to library materials. A library is a social environment, they noted, and a good destination for a family outing.

A library building would not only benefit families, the two women said, but would also be a "downtown amenity" for LaPorte.

Library services could include Internet access, reading programs for children, book clubs and a community meeting place. In addition, a library would be a safe, educational place for children to hang out and would allow people to browse through books.

"If I don't know what I want to read, I like to browse," said Stone.

She also pointed out that when LAPAC wants to host a public meeting, space in LaPorte is very difficult to find.

Kotzman said having a local library would encourage people to adopt "greener" habits such as walking or biking to the library.

Sarah Myers, director of the Red Feather Lakes Library, agreed with LAPAC that a library facility serves more functions than simply checking out books and materials.

"You can get to know your neighbors and your community through the library," she said. "People with like interests get acquainted here."

A library is also a "major community attraction," Myers noted. "People say, 'This is why I'm in Red Feather - the library means so much to me.'"

Myers said that in a university setting, online resources make good sense. For the general public, however, she thinks a blend of online and in-person services is a better approach.

The Red Feather Mountain Library District operates with annual tax revenue of about $130,000.

Future facilities

The library district held an open house for its draft facilities master plan on June 25. The plan suggests adding another large library to the system in the future, possibly in the Mountain Vista area north of Fort Collins. That area is predicted to be "the next boom area," according to communications manager Paula Watson-Lakamp.

However, she pointed out, Mountain Vista is not necessarily the location the district would choose for a new facility. Other options mentioned in the report are Timnath and LaPorte.

The plan suggests increasing services in outlying areas including convenient book drops, library materials by mail, virtual library services for home-schoolers and express services for delivery and pick-up of library materials.

One possibility for express services would be materials dispensers. These are 24-hour vending machines, similar to Red Box for movies, that could hold the most popular DVDs, best sellers and books that people have placed on reserve.

Dispensers are "the new focus for serving people in outlying areas," said Lu Benke, director of children's services for the district. Benke has also been in charge of finding ways to serve outlying areas within the district.

The draft plan suggests placing book dispensers in several outlying areas, including LaPorte, Livermore, Waverly, lower Rist Canyon, Poudre Park and the southeast corner of the district.

Benke and other library officials spent several months in 2008 gathering opinions about desired library services in the district's rural communities. They attended a LAPAC meeting last fall. Citizens expressed enthusiasm for additional book drops and liked the notions of books by mail and dispensers.

"Convenience was a big issue," Benke said.

A grant-funded Book Express for rural children, with materials sent by mail, is currently in operation as a pilot program.

Benke said government entities such as LAPAC and the county commissioners have been more vocal than individuals in suggesting a library building for LaPorte.

Comments welcome

Notification about the facilities open house went out too late for the June issue of the North Forty News, but Watson-Lakamp said it is not too late to comment on the draft facilities plan. People may see the plan on the district's web site, www.poudrelibraries.org. Comments may be made via that site; by e-mail to interim director Ken Draves at kdraves@poudrelibraries.org; or by mail to Ken Draves, Main Library, 201 Peterson St., Fort Collins CO 80524.

In addition, citizens may attend the July 6 meeting of the district's board of trustees to ask questions or voice opinions about the facilities plan. The meeting is set for 4 p.m. in the Main Library.