New library director pledges to serve entire district

By Cherry Sokoloski
North Forty News

"Libraries are the best bargains in town," said the new executive director for the Poudre River Public Library District.

Holly Carroll's enthusiasm for libraries goes back to childhood, when her parents took her to the local library for story time. "I lived in the library," she remembers, and knew from an early age what her calling in life would be.

Carroll said she intends to "look beyond the boundaries of Fort Collins" and be responsive to the entire district's needs. The community of LaPorte has been pushing for a library of its own, but since that's outside the parameters of the library facilities plan, Carroll couldn't comment on the likelihood of that happening.

The new director, 57, has spent more than 30 years as a library professional. She holds master's degrees in library science and public administration.

Most recently Carroll served as deputy director of the Cleveland Public Library, a system including a main library and 28 branches. The population of Cleveland is about 430,000. While there, she taught courses in library management at Kent State University.

Carroll also served as director of the Willoughby-Eastlake Public Library, a system that serves seven communities outside Cleveland with a combined population of about 66,000. She opened a small community library there as part of a new community center.

To better serve outlying areas of the district, Carroll and her staff are looking at "cost-effective and effective models" of library services for people who live more than five miles from the existing facilities. She would like to install additional book returns before the end of this year.

The staff will consider expanding Book Express and adding more online services, so that people can download both e-books and music from remote locations. Some adult programming in the rural communities is also a possibility, Carroll said.

Carroll said that despite the many changes in library technology, the basic tenet of the public library system remains the same.

"It's the cornerstone of democracy, unique to America," she stated, with features like access for all, freedom of speech and the availability of an apolitical place "to hold the important discussions" of civic life.

Carroll took over the reins of the library district Sept. 8 amid a surge in library usage. During 2009, Carroll noted, library circulation has increased 28 percent over 2008. She credits that growth to the new Council Tree Library and the fact that, in a poor economy, borrowing books becomes more attractive than buying them.

The new director laughs at the notion that online services can replace a library building. "That's certainly not the case here," she said, pointing out the recent increase in circulation.

One on-site library service that's very important, Carroll said, is early childhood literacy. Another is the community center function. "It's one public institution that serves all ages," she noted.

Carroll has found the Fort Collins area to be "welcoming and open, a literate community that values its library." Beyond the district boundaries, she plans to remain active in state and national library organizations. She has already joined the Colorado Association of Libraries, which appointed her to the legislative committee.

Living near the mountains is a new experience for Carroll and her husband, Bob, who took early retirement to make the move to Colorado. She said one of the attractions for them was "the quality of life and a better balance of personal and work." The couple, who have two grown children, enjoy hiking, bicycling and cross-country skiing.