EVERYBODY

popular at Anythink and Arapahoe library districts, with each concert drawing hundreds of attendees.

Fink noted how Anythink Libraries also has an artists-in-residence program through a partnership with the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art. e district’s also partnering with the City of ornton to build a 35,000-square foot nature library so people can engage with nature in an accessible way, he commented.

For Arapahoe Libraries, Whelan highlighted the Library For All program, which is for adults with disabilities and their caregivers. It also has a Memory Café for adults with memory loss, their caregivers and families.

Events like these have become crucial ways for participants to connect and interact with those in similar situations, Whelan described.

At Douglas County Public Libraries, the popular brew tour is return- ing this year, which encourages patrons to support local breweries and co ee shops. Kerri Morgan, special events manager, said the district also hosts several literary trivia nights, library-wide scavenger hunts and similar events throughout the year.

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

“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 o er 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, sta members emphasized how libraries are increasingly important meeting places. So, the buildings must re ect that.

More libraries now feature built-in 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.” e premise is that a person’s “ rst place” is their home and their “second place” is work. us, “third places” like parks, churches, co ee 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. eir popularity’s also growing among work-from-home folks who’ve lost their “second place” and want to work a free, o ce-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 re ect the people they serve, and adapt to their needs and interests. us, their districts are very responsive to patrons’ feedback for new items, events and programs.

“( e 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 o er all those elements of service, where would (people) get them from?”