The Connection sat down with Jamie LaRue, Director of Douglas County Libraries, and had a discussion with him about Castle Pines North’s great need for a local public library.

While CPN would ultimately like to see a permanent library branch in either a newly constructed building or in a CPN storefront, these options are not financially feasible for the library system at the current time. However, Douglas County Library Director, Jamie LaRue, is working on a three-day-per-week bookmobile service for CPN starting in May.

When plans for the bookmobile are finalized, the Library District will send a direct-mail notice to CPN residents. The information will also be posted on the CPN web site.

Following are questions The Connection asked Mr. LaRue, and his responses.

Q: An article recently appeared in the Douglas County News-Press about a new bookmobile in Roxborough. Is this the same bookmobile that will travel to CPN?

A: Yes, it is the same bookmobile. The bookmobile is designed to move and it will be shared by the two locations.

Q: Have the negotiations to establish a new bookmobile service in Castle Pines North been finalized?

A: Just about. My target is May for opening the CPN service stop for the bookmobile, three-days-per-week, and right now I don’t see any significant impediment to preventing that from happening. We do have to determine a location for the bookmobile to park, and we have to create a staffing schedule. That’s proceeding apace and I don’t see any significant obstacles.

Q: Where do you think the bookmobile will be parked?

A: We were not successful in our talks with Safeway. It looks like we are GOING to be successful at a King Soopers location. Our third option would be to park near the Castle Pines North Metro District building — but I’d rather hang onto the visibility of the King Soopers lot if we can. (It’s amazing how often library visits get paired with grocery trips.)

Q: How long do you think the bookmobile will be around?

A: Our lease for the bookmobile is through the end of 2004 — although there’s a good chance we can stretch it for another year.

Q: What are the plans for a permanent library branch in or near Castle Pines North?

A: It is unquestionably the case that CPN is ready for a library. Short term, the answer is a bookmobile. Longer term, we have two options on the table. The first is the possibility of building a “regional” library, perhaps at the I-25 interchange between Lincoln and Surrey Ridge (near the new Sky Ridge hospital). We’ve found that the larger (40,000 square foot) libraries are far cheaper to operate than two smaller ones. The second option is to construct a new building in or around CPN, or lease a local storefront. However, I don’t see any new branches for at least five years, absent an election of some kind.

Q: Do you have any other comments that you would like to share with the residents of CPN?

A: Thanks for your continued interest in library services. It can be a challenge to keep up with Douglas County’s astonishing growth. But we know you’re there, and we’re coming to you just as quick as we can get there.

To contact Jamie LaRue with questions concerning the Douglas County Library system or to voice your appreciation of CPN’s upcoming bookmobile service, send an e-mail to jlarue@dclibraries.org, or call him at 303-688-7656.

For more information on Douglas County Libraries, visit their web site at
www.DouglasCountyLibraries.org