Information on Rangeview Library District
- How does the library tie in with the community aspect?
The library system is an integral part of the community based aspect due to the fact that they sponsor numerous programs aimed at reaching different people throughout the community. The target ages for these programs differ but the library system does its best to reach all age groups appropriate to their needs. The main objective of the library system is to promote universal literacy throughout the community and the list of programs reflects this goal very clearly.
- How does the library system work (i.e. independently or together)? How inter-related are the libraries with the different schools in the area?
The six libraries throughout the Rangeview district work very closely with one another. For example, there are many instances where certain events will take place at a different location each week (i.e. intro to yoga and origami).
As for the relationship between the libraries and the schools, there is some level of connectedness. The library infiltrates the schools in the sense that they distribute information regarding their big events (such as the summer reading program) as well as, for book drive campaigns and things of that nature. However, the school system and the library system are still fairly independent of one another and because Westminster has their own library system the Rangeview district is not involved in that area at all.
- Information on the educational programs offered by the library
Story Time:Aimed at children 3-6 years old. Opportunity for young children to gain exposure to a variety of books and helps them to begin a positive relationship with books and reading. This event takes place all over the county at different times and locations throughout the week (see the monthly event calendar).
Circle Time: Aimed at infants ranging from 0-18mos. Opportunity for parents to expose their child to books and music at an early age. This event takes place at the Northglenn branch every Wednesday at 10:30am and Thursday at 11:00am.
Let’s Make Music: Similar to Circle Time, Let’s Make Music is a program geared toward younger children to expose them to beat and rhythm. This event takes place every Monday at 10:00am in Commerce City.
Chess Club: The chess club is geared toward teens and adults to offer them the opportunity to gather and play chess. This event takes place every Thursday at 3:30 in Bennett.
Horror Book Club: A book club aimed at getting teens involved more involved in reading. This group reads different horror stories and then meets to discuss what they have read. See the Rangeview Library website to see when this group is meeting this month.
Other Various Book Clubs: The library district also sponsors a variety of book clubs throughout the area. These clubs are mainly aimed at adults to offer them the opportunity to read and discuss a variety of material. (Bennett Book Club, Northglenn Reads and Mystery Book Club) (See monthly calendar of events for more information.
Adult Literacy Program: The adult literacy program is a series of one-on-one tutoring classes aimed at promoting universal literacy throughout the county. These sessions are designed to be very non-threatening and are free of charge. Individuals interested in taking advantage of this program should contact Ed Stephen at 303-287-2759.
Easy English Program: This program is an opportunity for the Spanish-speaking population to come to the library and meet in small groups to learn basic English. This is an excellent opportunity for those seeking to obtain basic English speaking skills. Individuals interested in taking advantage of this program should contact Ed Stephen at 303-287-2759.
Constitution Day:“Constitution Day” and “Citizenship Day” was signed into law by President Bush in December of 2004. On this day, all educational instructions receiving federally delegated money from the Department of Education are required to commemorate the September 17th, 1787 signing of the Constitution. The Colorado Association of Libraries has made Constitution Day a state-wide marketing project and will encourage libraries across the state to participate in the activities of this day.
Paws, Claws, Scales: This is a summer reading program aimed at encouraging elementary, middle and high school students to keep up with their reading over the summer. For each round students must read 10 books or 10 hours (depending on reading level and age) to redeem their prize. In addition to the incentive program, each week a different library in the district will host a special event (i.e. snake handler, etc.) At the end of the summer students turns in their completed logs to redeem their final prize. The summer reading program runs from June 1- July 29.
Creature Feature: This program has a very similar structure to that of the children’s summer reading program. For every ten hours students read they are rewarded with a prize. Reading logs can be picked up at any of the six branch locations or the Bookmobile to track reading hours
Volunteer Opportunities with the Library:The library offers volunteer opportunities on an individual basis depending on each branch’s need at a given time. Anyone interested in volunteering for the literacy program or the easy English program should contact Ed Stephen at 303-287-2795. Information regarding any other opportunities is available by contacting your branch of interest directly. The telephone numbers for each branch are:
Bennett: (303) 644-3303Brighton: (303) 659-2572
Commerce City: (303) 287-0063Northglenn: (303) 452-7534
Pearl Mack: (303) 428-3576Thornton: (303) 287-2514
Administration: (303) 288-2001
- Other possible resources to look into
Adams County Food Bank: Multiple services provided to the county
Head Start Program: Literacy Fair in May