EVERYBODY

Its thrice-a-year Storybook Holiday events are especially delightful, she added. These themed nights at the library bring classic stories to life at springtime, Halloween and the winter holidays. This fall’s will be “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”-themed, complete with interactive trick-ortreating.

“When you walk into the library, it’s almost like walking into a living expression of that piece of literature,” Morgan said of the Storybook Holiday events. “ … It’s all about making positive, lifelong memories inside the library.”

During the pandemic, virtual events became incredibly popular, and districts continue to offer hybrid options. Whelan said, for Arapahoe Libraries, it’s about engaging people no matter where they’re at — in the world, or in life.

“When we talk about getting people into the libraries, that doesn’t physically have to be walking through the doors,” she continued.

Preserving the ‘third place’

With libraries evolving as technology and community needs do, staff members emphasized how libraries are increasingly important meeting places. So, the buildings must reflect that.

More libraries now feature builtin cafes for people to relax, meet and/or work. Fink said Anythink

Libraries wanted its branches to feel like “high-end bookstores,” and help patrons “create special moments of joy or delight” through their library experiences.

Fink described how, in sociological terms, libraries fall into the “third place.” The premise is that a person’s “first place” is their home and their “second place” is work. Thus, “third places” like parks, churches, coffee shops and gyms are crucial for civic engagement and social interaction.

Libraries as “third places” are increasingly important for young parents looking to get their children out of the house and meet other local families, Morgan described. Their popularity’s also growing among work-from-home folks who’ve lost their “second place” and want to work a free, office-type environment.

Morgan emphasized how, unlike some “third places,” libraries are completely free and open to everyone.

“It’s a place where, if you want, you can be entertained or educated,” she said. “It’s almost like a choose-your-own adventure.”

Gall, Grant and others emphasized how should reflect the people they serve, and adapt to their needs and interests. Thus, their districts are very responsive to patrons’ feedback for new items, events and programs.

“(The library)’s something that everybody can enjoy without feeling like there’s a price tag attached,” Grant continued. “ … If the library wasn’t there to offer all those elements of service, where would (people) get them from?”