FREE LIBRARY

“We wanted to create a space for people to pause and enjoy the green belt that we’re on and the bike path is on,” she said. “Especially through covid, it was a way that I felt like we could put wellness out in the world with something as healthy as reading that creates a mindful, peaceful experience, but also gets them outside and active.”

Monson said the library quickly became self-sustaining once it opened and has since become a xture in the community.

“People often comment to thank us or leave notes,” she said. “It’s like an identity of our family, which we love.”

On top of being a way to build community, little free libraries improve access to literature. Unite for Literacy, a publishing company that tracks book deserts, estimates only a third of Colorado homes have more than 100 books.

Amber DeBerry, Director of Community Engagement for Douglas County Libraries, said improving access to reading materials, whether that’s books, magazines, journals or comics, is important because reading bene ts everyone.

“If you have access to books prior to the age of ve, your success rates in school drastically increase,” DeBerry said. “For people who don’t have the opportunity or ability to purchase books, libraries are an incredible community asset.”

In Dianne Shantz’s neighborhood in Adams County, she noticed there weren’t nearly as many little free libraries as more a uent areas of Denver, so Shantz built one in 2021.

Shantz used a thrifted co ee table and an old kitchen counter with a repurposed replace door to create a weatherproof library and food pantry near her community’s shared mailbox, which provides steady foot tra c.

“I’m proud to say (the library) is self-sustaining because it shows that there was a need there, and that’s true of the pantry too,” she said.

Shantz said she enjoys having opportunities to share her love of reading and tries to stock the library with books she knows her visitors will read.

“Being new to the neighborhood, it’s given me a chance to meet my neighbors,” she said. “A lot of Hispanic people live in the area, so I try to include Spanish books. One lady likes Danielle Steel, so I put those in when I can.”

For Kate Garland, a graduate of Castle View High School in Castle Rock, building a little free library was a way to memorialize her friend and fellow student Brooke Adams, who died in April.

Garland met Adams through the school book club she started and they bonded over reading.

“Brooke and I both loved the ‘ e Summer I Turned Pretty’ series by Jenny Han and somebody donated the entire set so we made sure that those were in there,” Garland said. “Some of Brooke’s other friends also picked booked they thought she would like.”

When Adams died, Garland worked with Adams’ family, school o cials, the school’s Technology Students Association and book club members to build the library and host a book drive to ll it. Materials for the library were donated by the local Ace Hardware and community members donated more than 1,000 books during the drive.

“ e community support around it and the continuing book donations have been really rewarding for me and the book club and the TSA members who helped,” she said.

As Garland heads to Arapahoe Community College, the stewardship of the library will pass on to other students in the book club.

“We wanted to make sure it would keep going, even after I’m gone,” she said.

To nd these little free libraries and more, go to littlefreelibrary.org.

Thu 7/27

Nature Series: Naturalist

@ 3pm Jul 27th - Jul 28th

Bison Ridge Recreation Center, 13905 E. 112th Avenue, Commerce City. 303-2893760

Crafty Corner: Picture Matting (7/27)

@ 4pm

Eagle Pointe Recreation Center, 6060 E. Parkway Dr., Commerce City. 303-2893760

Reverse Mortgage Myths (7/27) @ 4pm Eagle Pointe Recreation Center, 6060 E. Parkway Dr., Commerce City. 303-2893760

Lazy B Chuckwagon Dinner & Show

@ 9:45pm

Fort Lupton Recreation & Parks De‐partment, 203 S Harrison, Fort Lupton. 303-857-4200

Fri 7/28

Sat 7/29

AL. 7/31 Growing Naturally

Nature Play (2)

@ 9am / Free

Bird Conservancy's Environmental Learning Center, 14500 Lark Bunting Lane, Brighton. 303-6594348 ext. 53

Pirates Run for Booty @ 7:45am / $8-$25

108th Ave & Colorado Blvd, Car‐penter Park - SOUTH SIDE, Thorn‐ton

Leagues Cup Group StageColorado Rapids vs Deportivo Toluca FC @ 7:30pm / $25-$250

DICK'S Sporting Goods Park, 6000 Victory Way, Commerce City

Tue 8/01

Seth Beamer: Westminster

Neighborhood Nights (Solo Set)

@ 6pm

Irving Street Library, 7392 Irving St, Westminster

Manolito Y Su Trabuco @ 9pm

Mariscos El Berrinche's, 7850 Sheridan Boulevard, Westminster

Sun 7/30

Colorado Rockies vs. Oakland Athletics @ 1:10pm / $12-$300

Coors Field, 2001 Blake St., Denver

Mon 7/31

Storytime in the Park @ 3pm

Bison Ridge Recreation Center, 13905 E. 112th Avenue, Commerce City. 303-2893760

Craft Masters Challenge 2: Nature @ 4:30pm

Jul 31st - Aug 3rd

Bison Ridge Recreation Center, 13905 E. 112th Avenue, Commerce City. 303-2893760

Colorado Rockies vs. Oakland Athletics

@ 6:40pm / $12-$300

Coors Field, 2001 Blake St., Den‐ver

Colorado Rockies vs. San Diego Padres @ 6:40pm / $10-$300

Coors Field, 2001 Blake St., Denver

Legal Self-Help Clinc @ 2pm

Anythink Wright Farms, 5877 East 120th Avenue, Thornton. morgan@ hayday.org, 303-405-3242

Horse Trek @ 3pm Aug 1st - Aug 2nd Eagle Pointe Recreation Center, 6060 East Parkway Dr., Commerce City. 303-2893760

Jenny Shawhan @ 5pm Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center, 6700 N Gaylord Rockies Blvd,, Au‐rora

Colorado Rockies vs. San Diego Padres @ 6:40pm / $10-$300

Coors Field, 2001 Blake St., Den‐ver

Wed 8/02

Priscilla Block @ 7pm Adams County Fairgrounds, 9755 Henderson Rd, Brighton

Thu 8/03

Gambling Trip The Wild Wood Cripple Creek (8/3) @ 2pm Offsite, 6060 E Parkway Drive, Commerce City. 303-289-3760

Jordan Davis @ 7pm Adams County Fairgrounds, 9755 Henderson Rd, Brighton