July 2024

 

Note from the Executive Director

 

Dear Friends of the Library,

Wow-what an incredible first six months in this position with our amazing organization, we have been busy! I feel so lucky to be leading this group in their efforts to support the fantastic Clearview Library District. We are planning many big things for this upcoming year and I hope you join us along the way. We had an amazing group retreat in June  where we finalized a strategic plan which will lead us smoothly to achieving our goals over the next year. Thank you for all of your support and please make sure to take a close look at our newsletter as we have changed up the format. Thanks for being a friend of the Clearview Library District!

 

Friends & Foundation Recap

The Friends & Foundation Board has been working diligently to improve operations, support the Clearview Library District, and be active in our community. Take a look at what we’ve been up to recently:

• Clearview Reads 2024 featuring Sarah Penner at Windsor High School was incredible! See below for a full recap of this fantastic event!
• Roku Sticks for digital content streaming are now available in the Clearview Library Explore Kits provided exclusively to our patrons by the Friends & Foundation. 
• We were excited to be part of Bookmobile Day on May 11, 2024 at the Severance Library. Two of our board members, Wendy Niccoli and Tami Bothwell, represented the Friends & Foundation and entered the Chili Cook Off! Bookmobile is always a blast and we are so ecstatic that our district is able to have a bookmobile for our community. 

Board members Tami Bothwell and Wendy Niccoli at Bookmobile Day.

• The Summer Adventure Program Kick Off at the Severance Library on June 3, 2024 was an absolute BLAST. We were so happy to be able to provide camp themed bookmarks for everyone to color and take home and to be able to see so many wonderful members of our community coming out to enjoy the event and sign up for the summer reading program to encourage retention of literacy skills over the summer months. Additionally, we were proud to receive a grant form OtterCares NoCo to sponsor a portion of the most loved attraction at this event- the mobile rock wall! Thank you to our board members and volunteers that helped us make this event a success- Joann Perko, Tami Bothwell, Wendy Niccoli, Blair Pakowski, and ToniRae Andres.

Mobile rock wall at the Summer Adventure Kickoff.

• Bike To Work Day took place on June 26, 2024 where our board members Lisa Turk and Wendy Niccoli and our volunteer Joann Perko were able to work alongside Clearview Library District employees at the Windsor Library to hand out snacks and cheer on cyclists taking part in this day. We are thankful for these friendly faces that supported this event which helps to improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gasses, and lessen traffic congestion while having a ton of fun.

Board members Wendy Niccoli and Lisa Turk with volunteer Joann Perko at Bike to Work Day.

• The Friends & Foundation had an extremely productive retreat in June where we finalized a Strategic Plan for the upcoming year, updated the bylaws, and worked alongside the wonderful Communications Specialist for Clearview Library District, Christine Henschler, to work on a brand refresh. Keep your eye out for these updates on our website, social media pages, and around town!

 

The Libraries of Northern Colorado

By Vicki Urquhart

Colorado is unique in that you can get a library card from ANY library in Colorado as a resident, regardless of the zip code you live in. Lucky for us, Northern Colorado is rich with libraries. I made this discovery when first considering a move to Windsor and wanting to learn more about the community. Naturally, I searched for libraries. Later, after making our move, I set out to explore some of them, keeping driving times to 30 minutes or less from my home. 

First up, Home Sweet Home- our Clearview Library, Windsor; Driving time: 15 minutes - I quickly made Clearview my “home” library. Built in 1997, it has undergone two remodels to better serve its steadily increasing number of patrons; today, the district includes a branch in Severance, and the library has installed a new book return at the entrance to Safeway. Borrowed books can be returned to any of the three locations.

First impression: There is a fresh look and feel here. The new color scheme, paint, carpeting, and furniture create a cohesive, open, and airy environment. Similarly, use of color and light in the Severance Library makes it inviting and comfortable. 

Point of interest: Both Windsor and Severance have a seed library that allows patrons to “borrow” seeds to plant in their home gardens. The Friends and Foundation has a mini seed library available on the bulletin board at the Windsor Library as well! At harvest time, borrowers leave some plants in the ground to go to seed. Once collected, these seeds are returned to the library for someone else to borrow.

Here is the Friends & Foundation mini seed library bulletin board at the Windsor Library:

 

Next, Old Town Library, Fort Collins; Driving time: 30 minutes - This sprawling two-story building is part of the Poudre River Public Library District and has branch locations on Harmony and Council Tree. The current building opened in 1977, but Fort Collins’ first public library was founded 120 years earlier by Andrew Carnegie.

First impression: From its garden-like approach outside to its soaring staircase inside, this is an impressive building filled with art, books, study rooms, meeting spaces, specialized collections, and much more. Check out this massive sculpture they have on display:

Point of interest: The library is installing a native pollinator and sensory garden onsite at its Administrative Center on Olive Street. It opens this summer. 

Then, I visited the Loveland Public Library; Driving time: 20 minutes - In 1901, the Women’s Improvement Society established this library, and by 2023, it was housed in the first building in Loveland to receive LEED certification. The library recorded 800 daily visitors in 2023 and aims to cater to all age groups through a wide array of services and offerings.  

First impression: Inviting grounds and a story walk around nearby Foote Lagoon encourage both reading and being outdoors. Inside, large conference rooms help facilitate community engagement, and a second-floor maker space provides a home for crafters, builders, and others.

Point of interest: The library has an art entrance with a galleria with five display cases. Every quarter, the library Art Selection Committee takes art submissions then chooses specific pieces for art shows in these display cases. The Galleria program introduces artists to the community, adds to their juried exhibition credits, displays their work to advantage, and provides them with the opportunity for sales. This is one piece currently on display- this bronze sculpture titled, “Flyer”, is a creation of local artist Charlotte Szynskie.

Finally, I headed south, to the Glenn A. Jones, MD, Memorial Library in Johnstown; Driving time: 20 minutes - The Johnstown library is part of the High Plains Library District. In addition to serving its residents, It also delivers library services to neighboring Milliken by sharing a space at the Mill Haus Coffee shop, a popular gathering spot. 

First impression: Johnstown describes itself as “small town” with “big-city amenities,” and this library qualifies. Beautiful wood tables, chairs, and shelves warmly welcome visitors to its stacks, while large windows make this library a lovely place to sit and read.  

Point of interest: In 2022, the library added a Library of Things, a collection of items for loan that you might not expect to find among traditional library materials. A similar program is offered at the Windsor and Severance Library locations.

It may not have been your typical Colorado adventure, but I had headed in all four directions, and at the end of each short trip, discovered one of my favorite things—a public library. Gratified, I pondered my next library road trips— Greeley to The LINC? Boulder Public Library? Estes Valley Library? You bet!

 

Featured Board Member 

Tami Bothwell, Board Treasurer-Promoting the power of reading 

Tami Bothwell has something in common with Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of the Little House on the Prairie series--they both lived in De Smet, South Dakota. While in the fourth grade, however, Tami moved with her family to Yuma, Colorado, where she spent most of her free time riding bikes with friends, headed to the pool or the library, and given a choice between the two, the library usually won out. Growing up, Tami read constantly, even on the trampoline!

Once she graduated from high school, Tami left Yuma to attend Colorado State University, where she earned a degree in Human Development and Family Studies. Knowing she wanted to work with children, she added courses with a Child Life Specialist emphasis, which led to an internship at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland (formerly Children’s Hospital Oakland) in Oakland, California. There, she was able to apply her knowledge of play therapy with the children. It was challenging, she recalls, but also, great life experience.

Time passed, and Tami married a young man she had dated in high school. Deciding to make one more move, she and Doug left California and settled in Windsor, later welcoming daughter Meghan and son Andrew. Tami had earned a teaching certificate from Metropolitan State University in Denver and began teaching at Range View Elementary in Severance. Although she no longer is in the classroom, Tami is serving as a library aide at the school.

Over the years, Tami had many different work experiences—from the audiology department to an Urgent Care Clinic—but her choices were always tied to her two passions of working with children and reading and literacy. It is no surprise that the girl with “her nose always in a book” eventually found herself thinking about volunteering with the library’s Friends & Foundation, and in 2022, she joined the board as its treasurer.

Being treasurer has been a “learning curve”, she says. During board meetings, she reviews the budget, summarizes financial reports, and raises questions about the need for new expenditures. Tami’s fiduciary duties can seem like a lot at times, but she says the role has given her a sense of accomplishment.

Looking back, Tami credits reading with helping shape who she is today, and she encourages others to read when, where, and as much as they want. She believes that a public library serves everyone, all ages, all backgrounds. She’s lived in Windsor 27 years now and wants to see the library continue to grow and expand to meet its full potential. 

Tami visits family in De Smet every year. Her grandfather is now 102, and is in “amazing shape,” telling jokes and good-naturedly embarrassing the younger generation. She is looking forward to more visits with him. And, as you might expect, Tami doesn’t really mind those annual drives to South Dakota--it gives her time to read a book.

 

Clearview Reads 2024

Clearview Reads 2024 was a major success. Sarah Penner, the author of The Lost Apothecary, spoke about her current novels, what’s to come with her writing, and on her extensive research of poison. We were so happy to see so many members of our wonderful community and to have a truly magical evening including a sold out VIP mixer meet and greet with Sarah Penner, an apothecary bottle contest, and a book signing after the author talk. Thank you to the Murphy Family and The Weld Community Foundation for partnering with us to make this event possible, to Windsor High School for allowing us to use their space, to our partner Words of Windsor for selling books at the event, and to our sponsors- Fransen Pittman, Edward Jones, Manweiler Appliance, and Windsor Lake Coffee Shop.

 

Donor Thank You

Thank you to the donors who generously supported the Clearview Library District Friends & Foundation between April and June. All donations to our organization are deeply appreciated and will directly benefit our community through enhanced library programs, services, and resources. The ongoing commitment of our donors to fostering literacy and learning within our district through our organization is truly commendable. Together, we are creating a stronger, more vibrant community.

We would also like to give a special thank you to all of the donors who donated specifically in memory of Sara Nesbit. These donations will go directly towards a new picnic table at the Windsor Library in the employee break area dedicated to the memory of Sara. Your thoughtful contributions not only honor her memory but also support our library's mission to enrich our community through literacy and learning. Your kindness and generosity are truly appreciated and serves as a touching tribute to Sara's legacy.

 

Book Review-Never Give Up: A Prairie Family's Story

By Ruth Bunner

Tom Brokaw’s Never Give Up: A Prairie Family’s Story is a tribute to his dad’s motto, “Never Give Up” and to the work ethic needed to survive in South Dakota prairie towns. Reading about his grandparents Bristol Hotel, you picture the harshness of prairie life, the comfort of home cooked meals, and the tenacity of his father Anthony “Red” Brokaw.  As the youngest of ten children, Red drops out of school after the second grade to work with hotel tenant and Swedish immigrant, Oscar, in his repair and drilling business. They become the “go-to pair” on the prairie and are “on call to solve the toughest problems” in Bristol and beyond. Tom’s mother, Jean, shares the family tenacity, making a home for her three sons during WWII, while Red, “who could build anything,” helps with the construction of Fort Randall Dam. Construction of the Black Hills Ordnance Depot, called Igloo, had an impact on four-year-old Tom’s strong belief in civil rights. As he says, “Mother and dad raised us to be colorblind.” He stood up for the rights of his Native American friends, as more and more of their land was used to create Fort Randall and Gavins Point Dams along the Missouri River. Never Give Up: A Prairie Family’s Story is a thoughtful 150-page tribute to the values and lessons Tom Brokaw carried into his broadcasting career from his South Dakota heritage.

In the world of so many books, I hope you find some time to get lost in this one. Never Give Up is available in book format at the Clearview Library District.

 

Did you know….?

• There is still time for all ages to sign up for our Summer Adventure program to encourage reading! Prizes are available for all ages, stop into the Windsor or Severance Library or click HERE to sign up today before the end of the program in early August.
• Clearview Library Book returns can be dropped off at three locations? At the Windsor Library, the Severance Library, and at the book drop-off in the parking lot of the Safeway in Windsor

• The Clearview Library District provides a library of things, called Explore Kits, to check out. Things available for checkout include drones, Roku sticks for digital streaming, a KitchenAid mixer, a sewing machine, a metal detector, a guitar, and more!

• Adventure Passes are available through the Clearview Library District with a library card. These passes, when reserved online, include entry to places like the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, the Butterfly Pavilion, Gardens on Spring Creek, and Rogue Play. Each pass is unique in how many free passes are included and many include discounted prices for additional tickets and member pricing onsite for food and gift shop items.

Upcoming Events

• The Summer Adventure Program wrap up carnival will take place at the Windsor Library on August 3, 2024. Please follow our website and social media for the announcement of time, activities, and vendors.
• Severance Days will take place on Saturday September 24, 2024 at Community Park in Severance and the Friends & Foundation will be present alongside the Clearview Library District. The event will run from 10:00 AM with a parade and will end at 9:00 PM following fireworks (weather permitting).
• The Windsor Harvest Festival will take place from August 31-September 2, 2024 primarily at Main Park with other events taking place at Boardwalk Park and Eastman Park over the weekend. We will be in Main Park alongside the Clearview Library District on September 1 and 2 and would love to see you there!

 

Have ideas? Comments on the newsletter? Want to add something? Email us at [email protected] with the subject line “Newsletter Input”.

 

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We encourage our followers to take part in Giving Tuesday (every second Tuesday of the month) and to invite others to grab a library membership on Friend Friday (the last Friday of every month). Or, donate today by clicking here.