Friends of the Library
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Vol X, No. X This newsletter is a publication of the Friends of the Library.
President:
Secretary:
Treasurer:
Newletter: Friends of the Library is a non-profit organization supporting the Spanish Peaks Library District.
Hours
Monday 10am-6pm
323 Main Street |
New at the Library
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Many thanks to everyone who came out to make the groundbreaking party a huge success! The company and the food were terrific. The Huerfano World, the La Veta Signature, and the Pueblo Chieftain all ran great coverage of the event, and citizens and organizations donated about $3000 to the building project. Look for more fundraisers and social events in coming months as the building project really starts to move. If you'd like to contribute time, materials, or labor – either to fundraising events or directly to the new building – contact Monica at 738-2774. If you'd like to know what the FOL is working on, come out to one of our meetings (upcoming dates and times on the second page of this newsletter), or contact Jerry at 738-2426. |
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Coming Soon March 15-21: National Library Lovers' Week. Show your library love with an expansion pledge, a book donation, an FOL membership, or just a nice word for the hard-working library staff. Help us celebrate with the Walsenburg Women's Club, which has generously offered to provide refreshments for patrons and staff on April 17 from 4-6 p.m. We've just bought a movie screening license! Watch the Huerfano World for announce-ments about movie events at the library. Upcoming Friends of the Library Meetings: March 14 April 11 May 9
2:30 p.m.,
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In the Stacks
by Beth There is a lot of new and exciting stuff going on in materials and services in the first quarter of 2007! The change I'm most excited about is the ability to place pre-release holds. We've changed the way we handle cataloging: we now put new items in the catalog when we order them, not when they actually arrive on our doorstep. So you can place holds on titles from your favorite authors before their books are released. Search the catalog for the call number “PRE” to find our many exciting upcoming books. Just a couple from the next few months: Too Late to Say Goodbye / Ann Rule (April 10) Animal, Vegetable, Miracle / Barbara Kingsolver (May 1) Back on Blossom Street / Debbie Macomber (also May 1) Bad Luck and Trouble / Lee Child (May 15) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows / J. K. Rowling (July 21) Of course, if we don't have something – either on the shelf or on order – that you'd like to have, please submit a purchase or ILL request by email from our webpage, by telephone, or at the circulation desk. |
The Children's Library
SO MANY BOOKS.....SO LITTLE TIME! We are moving forward at a fast pace, new childrens and YA books on the shelves every week. John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to Children's literature was awarded to The Higher Power of Lucky, and the Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children went to Flotsam. Come and check out these and other award winning books. Interesting and educational story hour presentations are held every Friday at 10:30, Families are welcome. In April, the Dance on Tap group will dance and teach tap steps at that time. At our SPLD web site, click on the Story Hour calendar for daily events. April 15-21-07 We will be celebrating National Library Week. April 22-28-07 We will celebrate the Week of the Young Child; April is also the Month of the Young Child. |
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Year-end Financial
Report
Beginning balance
Total disbursements:
*expansion transfers included in the above amounts.
Deposit breakdowns:
$2,438.37 
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The President's Corner
It’s hard to believe that another year has past and it’s 2007 already. Where does the time go? If you were lucky enough to miss out on the snowstorms at the end of the year great! If not I guess you suffered it out with the rest of us. Good news on the library front. If you’ve driven by the old high school you may have noticed some big exhaust tubes exiting a window on the northeast side of the building. Those are the exhaust vents for the asbestos removal apparatus and they are a sign that the construction of phase 1 of the new library is about to start at long last. What I think is great is that the library will be using geo-thermal energy for heat which technology is at the cutting edge of energy conservation. There was a ground breaking ceremony for the new library scheduled for the 4th of February, and hopefully some of you managed to attend. However, the library has only enough funds to barely complete the first floor. |
Again your generosity is solicited to help make the project a success.
On the Friends of the Spanish Peaks Library front we again hosted an appreciation dinner for the library staff. This dinner took place at Aly’s Fireside Inn and was a great success. We also contributed to the purchase of earphones, children’s books and audio books for the library. The Friends helped the Library Kids Club with their float in the Parade of Lights Parade the day after Thanksgiving. A reminder that dues became payable at the first of the year. The dues are $5.00 for a single member. $8.00 for a family, $20 for a corporate membership and $50 dollars and over for a special friend membership. Don’t forget that the more members we have the more we can help the library. You can drop your dues off at the library at 323 Main St. Walsenburg, Co. 81089 or mail them in to the same address. Thank you for your support in 2006 and your continued support in 2007.
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Library Expansion: The Year in Review
In December of 2005, the Spanish Peaks Library District took possession of the former Huerfano County High School building at 415 Walsen in Walsenburg, Colorado, and signed a contract with Joseph Montalbano, principal, studiotrope, llc. to prepare a master plan document describing the work necessary to rehabilitate (the correct historic preservation word) the building for use as a library and learning center for the community. In January, SPLD received a State Historical Fund award from the Colorado Historical Society in the amount of $255,000. In February, SPLD granted a Deed of Conservation Easement to the Colorado Historical Foundation for the property known as Huerfano County High School and received the Master Plan document from studiotrope, llc. indicating that the total cost for rehabilitation of the school building will be much higher than was suggested in the original assessment done for the Huerfano County Historical Society. In March, SPLD was notified that a partial funding award in the amount of $248,000 would be granted by the Energy/Mineral Impact Assistance fund through the Colorado Department of Local Affairs. In April, the Board voted to hire Paul Wember of Wember Inc. to act as Owners Rep to assist SPLD in hiring a Construction Manager/General Contractor (CM/GC). In May, the first of two hazardous materials assessments were done in the school building; The Kenneth King Foundation awarded the project $2500.00; the architect met with Walsenburg Planning and Zoning Committee to discuss design and parking issues. During May and June, with the assistance of the Friends of the Library, members of the Save Our Schools group, Walsenburg Women’s Club and great volunteers, items left in the school were sold raising almost $1,000.00. In June, the architect led a walk-through of the building with the prospective CM/GC firms pointing out the work that would need to be done. Mechanical, plumbing and electrical systems will have to be replaced, all the floors will have to be reinforced to meet current code; exterior structure will have to be stabilized and returned to its original condition; an elevator and stairway will have to be added on the north side when the gymnasium is removed; windows should be replaced to restore original historical look and all work would have to meet the Secretary of the Interior standards for historic preservation. When the structural work is completed a 21st Century library facility will be created on the first floor. A written survey was conducted and a public meeting was hosted by the Architect at the Library to discuss preliminary design ideas and obtain feedback from the public. In July, H.W. Houston was hired as CM/GC and has been working actively with the architectural and engineering team to create detailed plans. A small group of board members began meeting on a weekly basis with the Library Director to respond to issues raised by the weekly owner/architect/contractor meetings. Results of the second asbestos testing showed the need for a major cleanup in the basement and crawl space areas of the building – previous asbestos abatement in 1988 had left asbestos on pipe joints and scattered in the dirt. (In December, while completing the $43,000 worth of abatement work, all of the original asbestos insulation removed from the steam pipes in 1988 was found buried in two 18 inch trenches under the girls’ locker room; to encapsulate and cement over this area will cost an additional $25,000. During August, members of the Board and architect Montalbano met with the Huerfano County Coalition, as well as county and city officials to encourage other public and private agencies to join in this project as the second and third floors of the building are well-suited for offices and classrooms. Architects from studiotrope, llc. met with staff of the Colorado Historical Foundation concerning easement requirements. During the class of 1956 reunion, Tess Mullarkey found a photograph in a 1953 yearbook that was taken from the football field showing the back of the building, refuting the original architectural assessment that the current glass block windows in the stairwells were original. A copy of this photograph was taken to the first discussions between the State Historical Fund architects, studiotrope and the Library Director to support the plan to reopen the main stairwell at the first floor and replace the windows. SHF architects have to approve the final construction documents before work can begin. In September a second grant application was submitted to the SHF for the cost of replacing the windows at a cost of almost $400,000 (awards will be announced in February). Bill Wood and engineers from San Isabel Electric Association met in Denver with the architects and engineers to discuss plans for the building, particularly the need for upgraded electrical service and the possible cost savings of installing a geothermal heating and cooling system. A geothermal system is likely to lower operating costs in the building by two thirds. Mark Rodman of Colorado Preservation Inc. attended a board meeting to participate in discussions about continued fundraising possibilities. Early estimates from HW Houston for replacing basic infrastructure and moving the library into the first floor came in at $1,887,159.00. Currently the District has raised $1.2 million in grants, local donations, and savings. In October, board and staff members attended Philanthropy Days, and a decision was made to hire a person to help with fundraising. A second meeting was held at the SHF and our architect received unofficial approval of his design changes. His design for a new north entrance was especially well received. At the end of November, Joseph Montalbano met with the board to discuss design and budget issues for the project; a decision was made to proceed with work on the first floor with the hopes of raising the additional $500,000 needed for this first phase; the addition of the north entrance and parking lot will be phase two at a cost of $500,000; work on the second floor will be left until additional partners or tenants are found. Work is proceeding on establishing final cost estimates and finding cost-saving options. In December, members of the 4-H board were given permission to take plumbing fixtures and doors for use in their renovations at the fair grounds. Asbestos abatement work began. The possibility of selling the current library building was raised at a board meeting. Plans were made to hold a groundbreaking party to unveil the new library logo and show the community the design for the new library space.
Knowledge is innate within all souls.
Our libraries are the heart,
We vow to support all programs
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