Chapter 15, Spring 2021
OPEN BOOK The Boulder Public Library Staff Newsletter
In This Issue 2 A Message from Monnie 3 How We Adapted: Programs 11 Staff Spotlight: Aimee Schumm 13 Making the Best of Things 21 A Word from Jennifer 22 Oral History with Amanda Bender 23 Top Social Media Posts 23 2020 Carry-Out Stats 24 Library Limelight: Adriana Martinez 26 Stats from the Stacks: Staff Picks! 28 Volunteer Showcase: Pat Phillipson 29 Signs of the Times 30 Carnegie Cache 33 L-Team Shares 35 Poet’s Corner 36 EDI Column: Challenging Our Biases 38 Staff Milestones 42 In a Past Life 44 Together Apart
No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow. ANONYMOUS All Open Book content is part of the public record.
Chapter 15, Spring 2021
A Message from Monnie Monnie Nilsson, Editor This phase of spring in Boulder can bring wild weather along with the first peek of growth-- grass poking through hard soil, first blooms. Spring weather is a good analogy for what likely lies ahead for us in the coming months. As warmth is again just around the corner arriving after a long and bruising winter, it’s time to hold strong just a little longer as we grow closer to vaccinations for all, as our patrons return in person, and until we can hold reunions with friends and family. Like warm spring weather, we know the end to many COVID restrictions is coming but we aren't there quite yet. So while we continue to make our way through this restless wait, we thought it would be a good time to run a highlight reel of the myriad ways we have expressed our profession's purpose and creativity over the last year, with special emphasis on the variety of virtual programming BPL has offered up to our community. We also wanted to continue to take the opportunity to get to know each other a little better, both at work and in our personal lives, so this edition includes more Staff Spotlight columns, a letter from Deputy Director Jennifer Phares, and some features that illustrate more of who we are when we aren't at work, who we were before we began our work in the library world, and some of the absolutely amazing work the BPL team has accomplished and served up to the community since the last Open Book edition. It's stunning to think that we initially closed our doors more than a year ago, launching us into our virtual and reopening journey. The end of this wild COVID ride is getting nearer. Let's "keep on keepin' on" together as we enter our "new normal." There is much reason to be optimistic. Happy Spring!
Bunny at Meadows, July 2020. Photo credit: Maria Kim
Open Book Team Katherine Bertone Tony Burfield Christine Burke Nicole Docimo Louise Fordyce Julianne Ingram Hannah Lackoff Jennifer Lord Monnie Nilsson Tim Novak Aimee Schumm
In the Spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours. - MARK TWAIN
Jan Wade Aspen Walker 2
Chapter 15, Spring 2021
How We Adapted: A Year of Programs Julianne Ingram The Boulder Public Library hosts an incredible array of events, and y'all -- we didn't let COVID stop that! Although 2020 presented all of us a new set of challenges and schedules to work around, we managed to come together and help each other provide the outstanding programs we're known for - and then some! It's a pleasure to work with such a passionate group of people. Please enjoy the submissions we received from BPL staff about the events we hosted last year, the good, the bad, (but mostly good), and everything in-between. Shout out to all of those who helped get our programs online. To quote my favorite animated show:
"Homies help homies, always." - Finn the Human, Adventure Time. What is a program, event, or service that you planned and are proud of during our closures? I've been able to transform my living room into an outreach kit factory! Each time I assemble the kits takes about an hour or more, but when I see the kids on Zoom opening their bags with smiles on their faces, it is all worthwhile! - Celine BeeChicas rose to the challenge of providing online workshops and are continuing to seek ways to improve how we can make STEAM programming more engaging. One Book One Boulder was an amazing opportunity for civil civic dialogue that I think will make an impact with raising awareness of racial equity and, I hope, be an impetus for positive change. - Kathy
Daily Camera article about BLDG 61's PPE project. Click photo to read. Photo credit: Zack Weaver
We have launched online trainings, "virtual" access to laser cutters and 3D printers and made several DIY project videos. We made and distributed PPE for frontline workers including 3D printed face shields, "ear savers" for elastic band masks, and sewn masks. Robby, our wood shop guru has made, we'll call them "Art Deco" level sneeze guards for multiple C.O.B. buildings including ours. One project we're very proud of was Emily Platzer's sewn mask video tutorial which was in Spanish and English. - BLDG 61 Makerspace I'm very excited to have begun the Community Cooks series. So much of the pandemic has been tremendously isolating and cooking food together (virtually), while sharing cultures and traditions feels like a great way to build community and connections. - Jess Musical Storytime every Thursday on Zoom ! - Ruth and Melanie Winter Reading Challenge and the Holiday Make & Take Kits! - Hannah and Stella 3
Chapter 15, Spring 2021
All ages storytime with Johanna! Click to watch.
Jaipur Literature Festival- JLF Colorado (with Kathy Lane, the remote communications and social media teams, JLF Colorado and Teamwork Arts India). - Aspen Teen events like Teen Chats, Anime Club, Book Queeries and the first ever Teen Summit! - Leanne, Julianne, and Dillon
Scenes from Celine's home and her kit-making factory in prep for a soap felting outreach event. Photo credit: Celine Cooper
Drag Queen Stoytime was a big hit. Also, working with other departments to collaborate on online storytimes has been fun-- currently OSMP is doing a storytime that posts on YouTube every two weeks. Deb, the main storyteller, throws in fun facts about the trails she is filming from and you learn something new every time! - Shannon
A capture of the first annual Teen Summit. Photo credit: Julianne Ingram
Virtual Family Play Festival, online storytimes, Bee Festival, One Book One Boulder parent workshop and Winnie the Pooh A.A. Milne celebration. - Anne
Your Next Great Read and Staff Picks for social media and form-based versions. - Brett, Johanna, and Terzah
An exciting message from Anne to the Winter Reading committee. Photo credit: Hannah Lackoff 4
Chapter 15, Spring 2021 We all adapted in ways we never expected during the past year. What was your biggest challenge with online events? What's a hidden struggle? My biggest challenge was not being in the building to grab outreach supplies when I needed them. It took time and effort (and planning!) to think of everything beforehand, grab it, bring it all home and hope I didn't forget anything! I really miss being in the building overall so that has been a struggle for me. - Celine
Kids 2 and under really shouldn't be on screens and even older kids were on screens much more, so our storytime numbers went way down after the lock down. So overcoming that challenge was really hard. It still is! - Melanie I don't know that any of our COVID-related struggles are very hidden! Constantly changing regulations, particularly regarding kits/prizes: i.e., where can they be picked up, can we give them out at all. - Hannah
The biggest challenge with online events is reaching folks who don't have access to high speed internet, reliable devices for access and may not even know about what we offer. It is also more difficult to be a spontaneous problem solver if technology fails! In-person, you could tag someone else to help. While we're running programs online from our homes or offices, if your wifi goes down, you'd better hope Shannon Kincaid can just take over for you at a moment's notice! - Kathy Honestly I used to consider myself very camera shy. I definitely got out of my comfort zone this past year and am feeling good about it! - Julianne There are always the tech issues that we can all relate to (WiFi being inconsistent, how to get your headphones and mic to work now that you have switched from Teams to Zoom, laggy video, etc.) but overall many of our staff have gotten closer, and we have come to rely and trust each other more, truly embracing the "We've got your back" mentality. 😊 - Leanne
Aspen's fireside view of a JLF event she attended from the comfort of her home. Photo credit: Aspen Walker
We coordinated an eight-day, online event series across a 12.5 hour time difference. Late nights, early mornings, and good times! (In reference to JLF). - Aspen
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Chapter 15, Spring 2021 Teaching hands-on projects is exceedingly difficult, which is kind of our jam. One solution is, fortunately, something we've been working towards for years. Namely, video tutorials. Virtual classrooms often work at the pace of a single, remote teacher. When you're fitting small parts together or plugging in tiny wires, different students work at different paces. If they only get one chance, they can fall behind and get frustrated. Videos allow students to review their progress repeatedly and at their own rate. And, for us, we're finally able to cross our own language barriers with professional translators. - BLDG 61 Makerspace
Biggest challenges were learning how to effectively do a storytime online with all the issues that come along with an online environment! Internet connections, keeping the kids engaged, knowing when to allow them to chat or when to mute. A struggle is getting the same energy that you get in-person! Also, working with copyright and online, posted storytimes. Sometimes finding books is SO HARD! -Shannon
Seed-saving workshop. Click to watch!
Leanne and Julianne organize a gift drive with BTAB for Attention Homes. Photo credit: Dillon Barnes
The whole gardening season last year was a wash-- we didn't get to plant a single seed or vegetable but we shifted online and the garden contractor helped create a gardening tutorial series linked to live Q&As about gardening on Instagram with Master Gardeners. The final online gardening event was a live seed-saving workshop. The week before the workshop, the farmer-instructor had to move to a remote ranch to isolate as a safeguard for her own health. Then 2 hours before the program, a large wildfire broke out near her house- she had tons of firetrucks blaring and helicopters whirring overhead, and her wifi quality dropped with all the emergency signals! Thankfully the fire was contained, she wasn't evacuated, and she had the presence of mind to still run the program! - Jess
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Chapter 15, Spring 2021 Was there an unexpected benefit or upside about moving any of the services, events or programs online? Our social media program, Your Next Great Read, brings staff from across our system and in many different departments together every week for two hours over our shared love of reading books. Our Recommended Read Team thread is full of fun and fellowship, and all staff are welcome to contribute. When our formbased service launched in the summer, we realized we could use the same Team to help each other out with the more-detailed requests that come in from patrons using the form. - Terzah, Johanna, and Brett
An unexpected benefit is getting new skills and learning how to adapt to a different environment. We have kids who may not make it in to storytime because they are in normally in school, but have been able to attend with a virtual schedule. -Shannon
Well, we don't have to clean the shop as much, LOL. Short term, we've felt a deep loss of connection to our local community. The upside is, we're now looking at programming platforms that can reach a far broader audience. - BLDG 61 Makerspace
Storytime is always 100% better when it's live and in person. But I will say, since I can bring the books right up to the camera, the kids probably get to see the pictures in the books a little better than if they were sitting in the back of the storytime space. - Ruth
I feel like I was able to reach far more people with the Holiday Take & Make kits than usually come to the program. While I couldn't interact with them individually, I was surprised at just how quickly the Take & Make kits disappeared!
A behind the scenes shot of Lilian in the Teen Space during her live Dia De Los Muertos event. Photo credit: Julianne Ingram
- Stella
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Chapter 15, Spring 2021 In some ways cooking together virtually during Community Cooks has lowered barriers to access- it's easier to cook a meal while watching the live video and then get to share all the food with your family, than to drive to the Library, watch a demo, and then re-create at home at a later date. - Jess
Anne handing out Family Play Festival kits (and freezing!) Photo credit: Johanna Dadisman
Holiday Take and Make kit contents. These flew off the shelf over a weekend! Photo credit: Shannon Kincaid
I've heard from several families how much they appreciate the flexibility of attending a program on their own schedule. A homeschool parent, Alyson, assigns BeeChica workshops to her homeschool students, and they've asked great questions during the live events. - Kathy
Luckily, Staff Picks already had an online presence at the time of our closure, thanks to our daily blog. We simply modified our procedure to emphasize items that are available in digital format and continued to share staff recommendations six days a week. - Brett The resiliency of children. They adapted to the virtual format much easier than I did. I have been told multiple times, from VERY young children things like, "Ms. Melanie! You are frozen, log out and come back in!" - Melanie
One of many virtual programs hosted by the BeeChicas. Click to watch!
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Chapter 15, Spring 2021 Anecdotes: Feel Good Stories from the Other Side of the Screen We heard a great quote from one of the longstanding Boulder Teen Advisory Board Members (BTAB): “It used to be about 4 of us meeting once a month, and now we meet online every week, and we have the largest group we have ever had, and since we see each other so often and play games and plan activities together, we are actually friends!” - Leanne One thing I have started doing for storytimes are online is scavenger hunts. I show a picture of something and the kids have to find it in their house. I was showing a toothbruth and a child ran and got his electric toothbrush, right away! While we were waiting for everyone else, he started tickling his foot with the toothbrush, including going between his toes! - Melanie We get amazing feedback from patrons for Your Next Great Read. Here's what one patron who submitted the form had to say about Lara's suggestions: "Lara, What amazing recommendations! Thank you! I am thrilled that you wrote me back with such detailed suggestions. I'm on it!" And here is a real comment from social media: "OMG, what an incredible list! Thank you so much!!!!! I'm saving it and will be going through this list this winter. What a great initiative! I'm beyond grateful!" - Terzah, Johanna, and Brett I've done felted soaps with participants aged 6 to adult online for outreach, and every participant has loved it! One participant who was about 13 said that it was so nice to do something creative with her hands and have a craft she could be proud of. - Celine
Leanne does her Happy Dance! This video was included at the end of a teen trivia challenge. Video credit: Leanne Slater
The Bee Boulder Festival ran 10am-2pm entirely online. A festival that normally attracts hundreds of people with dozens of presenters offering live bees in an observation hive and endless activities for all ages. In 2020 it moved online. Part way through the festival, the city's internet crashed, my live feed went out for nearly an hour. Shannon Kincaid, fortunately, was willing to wing it as the festival host! The BeeChicas went to the library for the last of their four sessions to broadcast a #BeeLiterate hive inspection, and they had to race back to Theresa's hive because the internet was out. One thing I loved about the live streamed bee hive inspection with the BeeChicas is that we could watch a new baby bee emerging from its cell because the camera could zoom in super close! - Kathy L.
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Chapter 15, Spring 2021
A virtual storytime with Krissy. Click to watch!
The Recommended Read/Your Next Great Read Team responded to 251 patrons in 2020, recommended over 1,000 titles, and provided 43 personalized reading lists - Johanna I am so proud of the team and what they have accomplished so far! From learning how to record storytimes to engaging in a totally new format, I don't think there is a better storytime team around! - Shannon An attendee at Book Queeries was so excited to read If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo. This award-winning book is about a teen who is transgender, like this teen. His parents are still learning, and he was happy to report that he recommended the book to his mom who is now reading it. We love being able to provide books where teens see their authentic selves represented in the author and the characters. - Julianne Holiday Take and Make was planned entirely through Teams chats, and then had to be scrapped due to all kits being cancelled. At the last minute, kits were reapproved and Stella, Shannon and I ordered, promoted, and assembled 100 kits that were then snatched up by patrons in less than two days. - Hannah
JLF has always been about the in-the-moment unique conversations that occur when you bring writers, thinkers, artists, scientists and other luminaries together to talk about their passions. We were online and spread out across space and time, yet the conversational magic was still afoot. JLF Colorado 2020 featured a broad range of programming, including deep dives into racial equity, global politics, global warning, the pandemic, mindfulness and more. Poetry held a special place of honor in 2020. Behind the scenes, we adjusted our approach time and again, and appreciated the international camaraderie and collaboration we've built over the past six years. - Aspen A father-son team were taking time during the pandemic to learn about 3D modeling for home repair. So far, using our "Virtual 3D Printing" service, they have repaired an oven door, a refrigerator shelf, and a lunch box. Enabling that kind of self-sufficiency and shared learning is the real promise of a community makerspace and why ALL libraries should have them! But the joy of our job is when, in this case, the Dad who's name is Mark, said during one of our Zoom calls, "Thank you for everything you're doing to help me work with my son. And thank you for helping me be a better Dad." - BLDG 61 Makerspace The Boulder Public Library has hosted over 1,000 online events and discussion groups since March 13, 2020. To see some of our online event offerings, check out our YouTube Channel.
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Chapter 15, Spring 2021
Staff Spotlight: Aimee Schumm Jennifer Lord
Aimee's family at LaVern M. Johnson Park in Lyons in 2019. Photo Credit: Lea Ann Byrne Photography
How long have you worked at the Boulder Public Library? How did you get here? This is my second run at the Boulder Public Library. My first run was in the early 2000s. I was fresh out of graduate school (University of Missouri—GO MIZZOU) and happened to have cataloging and tech experience from working at MU’s College of Education’s Media Center. I had always dreamed of working in Boulder and was ecstatic when I saw an opening for Technical Services Specialist-Cataloger position! I was fortunate to work under the great Terri Lewis from 2004-2006. I left BPL to take a manager position at the Louisville Public Library before returning to BPL as the eServices Manager in 2013.
You’re the eServices Manager. Can you talk about your role or give us a short overview of a typical day? I work closely every day with City IT to make sure our staff and patrons have all of their technology needs met. I also work with all of our vendors (Bibliotheca [self-check/RFID], Envisionware [PC reservation/Print Release], Lyngsoe [AMH], etc.) to make sure we have the best equipment and services at the best cost to the city. I am also fortunate to work with an amazing team known as eServices! I enjoy having firsthand knowledge of the work the eServices team does from managing the website and Resources Services to solving complex IT issues and inspiring our patrons in the makerspace. Sprinkle in a few meetings each week and covering helpdesk tickets for Sean on Fridays and that about covers it.
Can you share some of the more satisfying experiences you've had at work in the library? Like most of us who go into public service, I really enjoy solving problems and helping people. One of the more satisfying experiences occurred during summer reading [2019]. The Meadows branch was showing a movie in their meeting room when the AV equipment in the space decided to stop working. It’s a long story that I am happy to share over coffee if anyone cares, but basically with a little creative thinking I was able to download the movie to a laptop, find an old projector and speakers and the movie night was a success (thanks to the Meadows staff for their confidence and patience with me!).
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Chapter 15, Spring 2021 I’m also interested in hearing about women in tech fields, your thoughts/experiences? My initial thoughts about this question took me by surprise because I don’t typically think of gender in regard to the work people choose to do. Perhaps this is because I don’t let gender define how I live my life. I was raised to believe that I could do anything I set my mind to. However, I think in general the field is still predominantly male, but the City of Boulder and many of our neighboring communities have a good mix of males and females in the field which is great! One day I was fixing one of the self-checks at the Main Library when a mother and daughter walked by. I overheard the mother say “See sweetie, girls can fix computers, too”. I think young girls still feel intimidated when they see a bunch of boys in a tech class (we have seen this in B61), but society is making more of an effort to encourage girls to learn tech right alongside the boys.
Tell us one thing about yourself that might surprise us? I am a Colorado Native (4th generation). I was born in Salida, CO and moved with my family to Colorado Springs when I was 2. I stayed in Colorado Springs until moving to Columbia, Missouri for graduate school (this was before you could get a degree completely online) and returned as fast as I could when I graduated! I am an avid mountain biker, hiker and camper. All of my family still lives in Colorado (except for a few stray aunts and uncles) and both of my sons and foster daughter were born here.
Aimee removing a bathtub during a bathroom remodel at her home. Photo Credit: Kim Schumm
If you didn't work at the library what would your 'pie-in-the-sky' dream job be? My undergraduate degree is in fine arts and I LOVE working on my house to make things beautiful. My ‘pie-in-the-sky’ job would include flipping houses while working on my art on the side (I love sculpting out of raw materials such as alabaster, wood and copper). What type or genre of books do you gravitate to? I am definitely a non-fiction reader. My family began fostering kids 2 years ago, so I read a lot about child development and how trauma impacts the brain. I also have an 8-year-old and an 11-year-old—they require a lot of reading as I navigate parenthood. 😊 12
Chapter 15, Spring 2021
Boulder Library Staff Makes the Best of Things: What We’ve Made During the Pandemic Hannah Lackoff
Ink Paintings - “Flight Risk” and “Mt. Kailash at Lake Manasarovar I”. Photo credit: Aspen Walker
Keeping Busy and Staying Calm with Crafts COVID-19 has given us time to fill in a whole new way. We’re working from home, we’re social distancing, but we are also painting, knitting, baking and building. The staff of The Boulder Public Library is full of makers of all kinds. For some, being in the middle of a global pandemic has only increased the urge to create, while others use it as a stress relief outlet. Jennifer Phares likes to keep her hands busy while she binge watches TV, and Aspen Walker says painting calms and occupies her restless mind.
Jenn Phares' handmade pillow cover. Photo credit: Jenn Phares
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Chapter 15, Spring 2021 Making for Memories and Family Making can also be a family affair. Nicole Docimo’s whole family got into perler beads, especially her 3.5 year old son! Aimee Schumm and Tim McClelland both took advantage of some extended family time to build play structures for their kids. Jess Rainy and her family dug up the grass in their yard to put in a xeric native plant garden and Kathy Lane made a cast for Christmas “dig it” gifts for her nieces and nephews. Perler Bead creations by Nicole and her family- her 3.5 year old son made over half of these! Photo credit: Nicole Docimo
Pieces and and final product for Aimee's rehabbed family play structure. Photo credit: Aimee Schumm
Tim built a reading nook for his daughter in their basement. Photo credit: Tim McClelland
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Chapter 15, Spring 2021
Jess and Finn pulling up grass in prep for a xeric landscape. Photo credit: Jess Rainy
Close-ups of the "Dig It" gifts Kathy made for her nieces and nephews with stones, LEGO and other surprises inside. Photo credit: Kathy Lane
Labors of Love in the Kitchen I’m sure everyone who baked and cooked had households that appreciated their efforts! Try not to salivate while gawking at these delicious dishes!
Celine's homemade bagels. Photo credit: Celine Cooper
Hannah's No-Knead Challah, made with love. Photo credit: Hannah Lackoff
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Chapter 15, Spring 2021
Kathy's Lovely Inside, Blah Outside Sourdough Fail. Photo credit: Kathy Lane Karen's Pies: top left Sour Cherry, top right Apricot Peach, bottom Green Chile Chicken Photo credit: Karen Bowen
Julianne attended Community Cooks with Neesa and made roti and tomato fry with a side of pickle. Photo credit: Jack Sommerville
Jess' Roasted Squash and Apple Pie Photo credit: Jess Rainy
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Chapter 15, Spring 2021 Large-Scale Projects Some people took on even bigger projects. Christine Burke renovated an RV that is older than she is, while Annie Zaruba is perhaps the ultimate maker--she made a whole baby!
Christine's RV renovation project, before and after. Photo credit: Christine Burke
Left and above: Baby Vivian, born on Aug. 21 at 7:58 a.m. She weighed a whopping 9 pounds 11 ounces and was 21 1/4" long. She had a full head of hair and my dad's baby blue eyes. -Annie Photo credit: Annie Zaruba
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Chapter 15, Spring 2021 Knitting and Crocheting Happiness Multiple staff members made things found in books from our collection or videos from our programs, and veteran knitter Louise Fordyce hosts virtual Knit Café monthly meetups on Zoom.
Sparkly cowl made by Leanne.
Cowl with incredible detail made by Louise.
Left: Louise's colorful scarf. Right: Julianne's first keyhole scarf for her grandma.
Left: A joyful hat with furry pom-pom made by Lisa. Felix Cardigan made by Louise.
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Chapter 15, Spring 2021 Creating Together While Apart Many library staff members are using each other as resources; Kathy Janosko gave a shoutout to former staff member Wendy Hall for her quilting expertise, while Kathy Lane had to teach herself woodworking without the help of BLDG 61! Whatever medium they use, Boulder Library makers have not been sitting idle. After all, as Jennifer Lord puts it, “One person's pandemic is the other's artist residency.”
Kathy Lane's cedar storage bench for her community garden plot. Photo credit: Kathy Lane Kathy Janosko's first-ever quilt! Photo credit: Kathy Janosko
Sunflower from Kathy Lane's garden plot. Photo credit: Kathy Lane
Stella's cross stitch for her sister's new baby Photo credit: Stella Fowler
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Chapter 15, Spring 2021
A cactus embroidery made by Hannah. Photo credit: Hannah Lackoff
Aimee's Silk Moose Painting. Photo credit: Aimee Schumm
Julianne's most recent LEGO project. Photo credit: Jack Sommerville
"Deathly Summer" Acrylic on Canvas: "This painting is about the extra ripeness of Summer. That time when everything is beyond full and is just starting to rot. Ripe rot, maybe could be a secondary title." - Jennifer Lord
One person's pandemic is the other's artist residency. - JENNIFER LORD 20
Chapter 15, Spring 2021
A Word from Jennifer Jennifer Phares, Deputy Library Director
The Open Book team invited me to share how I've been doing during the pandemic and how it's affected me personally. While I’ve shared our collective feelings of fear, isolation, and grief brought on by the pandemic and the social strife during the past year, I am humbled by my blessings during this time. Thankfully, my family has been safe and well. Working remotely, afforded me the opportunity to truly work from home part time and care for my mother in my hometown of Battle Creek, MI for a few months before she passed away from cancer in November. It was a precious time for which I am so grateful. I would like to tell you that I used the time saved from not having to commute daily by taking up some healthy habits, but alas the “COVID 15” and the need to socially distance from my refrigerator is real. I have spent my spare time, when not sleeping, working, or eating and eating and eating some more -- binging on sewing, foodie and true crime podcasts, watching several of my favorite TV series from start to finish –
Bosch, Outlander, The Stand, hours and hours of American Pickers, and anything PBS Masterpiece while sewing a whole new wardrobe to dress my COVID corpulent body.
The past year has tested our mettle in so many ways, but I continue to gain strength and optimism from all of you who have courageously learned new things and shown up in-person and online every day to serve the Boulder community despite having your own burdens to bear. Your efforts and selfless compassion make a real and positive difference to so many people. I miss so many things about being with you at the library: swiping new books fresh from Resource Services and the intriguing staff picks off the displays to take home, hearing Mark’s and Melissa’s laughter in halls, Laura catching me snacking (again) in the Admin kitchen at 10 a.m., the quiet, calm presence of the Materials Handlers in the stacks, the uninhibited joy of the afternoon musical story time, the smiles and warm greetings the Public Services team gives to all our visitors, encountering our branch colleagues as they drop by the Main Library for meetings, and so much more… I’m proud to be a part of the BPL team and eager for the time when we can all return to the office and see each other again. For now, I send strength and admiration to our colleagues who are working on site. 21
Chapter 15, Spring 2021 I was asked to share any big things to come for BPL…no secrets here… spring will bring us the groundbreaking for the new North Boulder Branch Library (it’s going to be grand!), the Reynolds Branch is going to get a sprucing up, the EDI team is helping us to improve our hiring practices to build an even more talented and diverse staff, and a public hearing will be held on April 20, 2021, so City Council can hear what the community thinks about a library district. There is so much to look forward to and work on together. Miss you all. Stay healthy and awesome!
Jenn's favorite T V shows
Netflix, Starz, Hulu, Amazon
Amazon
Hulu
-Jenn Phares
Carnegie Library’s Oral History Project: BPL's Amanda Bender and COVID-19 Recovery Center Cyns Nelson Please take some time to listen as Amanda discusses her background and experiences regarding her work at Boulder's COVID-19 Recovery Center during the pandemic.
Click the radio to listen to Amanda's interview!
Amanda Bender in the stacks. Photo Credit: Amanda Bender
COVID Recovery Center staff member Jenn Flemming sterilizes a bed and living area at the center inside the East Boulder Community Center in Boulder. Photo Credit: Jeremy Papasso, Daily Camera.
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Chapter 15, Spring 2021
Top Social Media Posts Dec. 21, 2020 - March 15, 2021. Click image to see post!
We've been reaching our patrons on many platforms. Like, follow, subscribe, and share! @boulderlibrary
arry Out Sta C 0 ts 202
6,154 at Main + 8,876 at Meadows = 15,030 2020 Total
Staff at Meadows moved a lot of books! David Shugert (top right), Stella Fowler (middle right), Barbara Magill (bottom right), mystery person, (left). Photo credits: Barbara Magill and Monnie Nilsson
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Chapter 15, Spring 2021
Library Limelight: Adriana Martinez
How long have you worked at the Boulder Public Library? How did you get here?
Jennifer Lord
I joined Resource Services as a Cataloging Specialist in July 2019. I was offered the opportunity to work with my main interest of cataloging while in a team of nice and helpful people!
What type or genre of books do you gravitate to?
Photo credit: Adriana Martinez What does a typical day look like for you? I come in and first check if there are any items that have hold requests; these have first priority. After that, I work on new items as they have come in. I mainly focus on English non-fiction bibliographic records, making materials accessible in our online catalog through various access points (e.g., author, title, subject headings) and verifying accuracy. I assign call numbers according to subject and FLC consortium rules. I also work with Spanish items, creating original bib records as needed, for items that have no records in our databases. My goal is to have records that will make finding materials as easy as possible for staff and patrons.
I majored in history so non-fiction has always been interesting to me, particularly biographies. I love circling a person's life and seeing different writers’ perspectives, making those people and their worlds come to life. It's amazing how similar humans are throughout the centuries. But when I am really tired and want to super-duper relax, mystery books have pride of place. The first book I ever purchased at age 10, saving up my allowance money, was a leather-bound edition of collected Sherlock Holmes stories and the mystery craze has continued through my life, including The Three Investigators, the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew (the originals spanning from the 1920s/1930s as well as the blue/yellow revised versions), Father Brown, Perry Mason, and Lord Peter Wimsey. I've also enjoyed Gyles Brandreth's Oscar Wilde Murder Mysteries and (though not mystery) Patrick O'Brian's AubreyMaturin series. They've really done their homework on the period they wrote about, which appeals to the historian in me.
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Chapter 15, Spring 2021 What are some of your hobbies or creative endeavors? I used to do a lot of short stories, but haven't written for several years. I translated a Saint John Henry Newman book from English to Spanish; that project took about nine months and was very satisfying, as it fulfilled a promise to him. I've also done a journal of poetry, using the cinquain form. Here are some short, quick, and silly ones:
Plump goose marching across white snow, turning away when I ask to squeeze your soft form. Goodbye! Happy dog, my neighbor next-door, every step you take is a joy to see, tail awagging! Cowcat, neighborhood king exploring your many yards, leaving intriguing tracks in the snow.
If you didn't work at the library what would your 'pie-in-the-sky' dream job be? When I was a child, I wanted to work in a library or post office. I think the idea of orderliness was appealing to me! But otherwise, an astronomer because I am a night owl and love the stars. There are so many incredible things out there.
Photo credit: Adriana Martinez Can you share some of the more satisfying experiences you've had at work in the library? I was happy to finish a large cart of Spanish children's books which had been patiently waiting for nearly a year, due to RS being short-staffed. Those item records required original cataloging with English and Spanish subject headings and thus needed extra time and care to complete. The majority of them went to NoBo so the branch was able to get them at last for patrons. I had additional fun because they were mainly board books and were just so cute! What are three things about yourself that might surprise us? I’m a devoted Trekker (Original Series), love Showa era Godzilla movies, and the Frank Sampson Alligator with Watermelon piece by the children's area. 😊
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Stats from the Stacks: Staff Picks 2020 Hannah Lackoff Let’s be honest, part of the reason we work in a library is because we can’t stop reading. And if we do come up for air, it’s only to talk about books. We talk to each other, we talk to patrons, and for several years now each branch has had their own set of Staff Picks-titles hand-selected and recommended by the staff members who work there. Getting a glimpse into the personal reading habits of library workers has been fascinating for staff and patrons alike, and I dare say I’m not the only one who has discovered something amazing on a Staff Picks shelf. Check out our virtual book recommendations, and don’t forget to submit the next great thing you read!
5284
Total # of items in Staff Picks displays at Main, Meadows, and Reynolds
# of active items in just the Main Library's Kids Staff Picks display
3821
270 Number of Staff Picks reviews posted on the library's website in 2020 # of Kids Staff Picks checked out to patrons as of Dec. 3 (that's 86%!)
1214
3286
# of brand new items ordered and added to Staff Picks displays in 2020 # of Kids Staff Picks titles submitted by staff in 2020
193
202
# of Adults Staff Picks titles submitted by staff in 2020 26
Chapter 15, Spring 2021
2020 Top Adult Staff Picks 1. Still Life by Louise Penny 2. Normal People: a novel by Sally Rooney 3. Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah 4. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng The Overstory: a novel by Richard Powers Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel Sabrina & Corina: stories by Kali Fajardo-Anstine A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
2020 Top Teen Staff Picks 1. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell 2. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie 3. Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds 4. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black 5. The Alchemyst by Michael Scott 6. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs 7. The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth 8. It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini 9. Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer 10. Frankly In Love by David Yoon
Most Popular Kids Staff Picks in 2020:
Top Easy Reader
Top Juv Fiction
Top Picture Book
Top Graphic Novel 27
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Volunteer Showcase: Pat Phillipson, BoulderReads Tutor Christine Burke I started with BoulderReads in 2002. Since that time, I have worked with seven different learners from several different countries and of a range of ages. Please tell us about the learners you’ve worked with over the years.
Pat listens as her learner, Jose, speaks at the 2014 BoulderReads Learner Celebration. Photo credit: Bill Brant Photography What drew you to tutoring with BoulderReads? When did you start? How many learners have you worked with? After I retired I wished to volunteer in some program in the community which provided an important service. The BoulderReads program attracted me because I value literacy and education highly. I had lived in several countries for prolonged times and I knew firsthand how stressful it is to not understand the local language well, and how much effort is required to even partially overcome that hurdle. I also desired to expand my contact with people from other cultures and backgrounds.
One young woman from Honduras had married a U.S. Service man and they came to Boulder with a young child to live with her in-laws. It was inspiring to see her determination to get ahead and it was impressive to see the family gearing up to help with child care, finances and encouragement to try to help her acclimate. Another learner came from Peru to Boulder with her husband who was enrolled in a graduate program at C.U. Using her opportunity to the fullest she entered the BoulderReads program and several other organizations as well. She was already very advanced and she challenged everyone to keep up with her pace! Another learner entered with expectations we could not meet: to pass the GED exam within three months with poor reading skills and no opportunity to continue the program. That was disappointing. A gentleman from Mexico was another learner. He is the patriarch of a large family and was determined to improve his skills after he retired. He worked hard and was successful in getting his citizenship and improving his reading, writing and speaking skills impressively. One time we all had a good laugh. I had lost my voice and my husband called this man to tell him I couldn’t come that day. 28
Chapter 15, Spring 2021 He answered the phone and immediately said, “I don’t speak English.” I teased him about that after all the work he had done! Has the pandemic changed your experience or perception of volunteering? The pandemic has disrupted the tutoring for all of us and I also miss just being in the library environment. How has volunteering with BoulderReads influenced your understanding of the library community and the services we provide? It has been impressive for me to work under several departmental leaders over the years and to note their dedication and expertise. Interacting with other tutors has also been enriching. The BoulderReads program is long-standing and the support by the library and the community is commendable. If you could change one thing about the library, what would it be? It will be nice when the library reopens fully again if the availability of restrooms in the north building improved. Also, I would suggest planning in more outdoor tutoring areas with good tables and chairs in the future remodeling plans if possible. This is Boulder, after all, and many days would be perfect for such use. BoulderReads is so grateful for the generosity and dedication of our tutors! Pat averages 75 volunteer hours annually, which works out to ~1,300 hours. Thank you, Pat, for your incredible and life-changing service. – Karen Bowen, BR Program Coordinator
See anything that perfectly reflects our times? Submit your "SIGNS OF THE TIMES" photos for the next edition to nilssonm@boulderlibrary.org 29
Chapter 15, Spring 2021
Carnegie Cache: Representing Latinx in the Boulder County Historical Record Nicole Docimo
1911 photograph of Francisco Diaz and his three sons: (left to right) Jose, Juan, Francisco, and Manuel Diaz. Photo credit: Carnegie Library for Local History collection, Call # 420-Diaz-Francisco.
In
the past year, my work as a Carnegie Library archivist has drastically shifted to looking at our archive through the lens of equity, diversity and inclusion. I will honestly admit, and I am ashamed to say this, but it took this big cultural upheaval of a year to really shatter and refocus my work and see the gravity of my everyday decisions as an archivist. If archives are the place where we preserve our history, then archivists can never be neutral or passive. Every time we decide what to add to our collections and what to let
go, every time we create a cataloging record, describe, or digitize a photograph or guide a patron to resources, we are also guiding how history is understood and remembered. While the upheaval of the past year has been particularly focused on Black lives, and rightfully so, I have found myself continually returning to questions about how the Latinx populations are represented in our archive. 30
Chapter 15, Spring 2021 Our collections, which focus specifically on Boulder County and the City of Boulder, could be improved on representing the stories of all people of color, but if you look at Boulder County statistics and compare them to representation in our archive, the Latinx population is a far more glaring omission. Early population statistics for Latinx populations are hard to discern, but by 1970, Latinx people made up about 1.4% of the city and county population, which has just kept increasing over the past 50 years. According to 2019 estimated census data, 9.7% of the City of Boulder population and 14% of Boulder County identifies as Hispanic or Latinx. This means there are 50+ years of history to tell! To put this in perspective, at my best estimate less than .6% of the records in our online catalog have identifying terms related to Latinx populations. Below I will further explore the issue of collection development and representation in the archive. You may notice that there are far more questions than solutions as we develop plans on how to move forward. (Stay tuned for a second article in the next Open Book that discusses difficulties in finding and cataloging Latinx materials in the archive.) What do we have in the archive about Latinx populations? The largest chunk of what we have about the Latinx community are around 65 oral histories, and we have a small collection of documents from the Boulder County Latino History Project that go along with 25 of those oral histories. Additionally, we have Boulder Daily Camera newspaper clippings on individuals and subjects, and a very small number of photographs (less than 10 photographs identified as being of Latinx, Hispanic, or Mexican-American people).
Community support letter from 2013 Commemorative Naming Application for Emma Gomez Martinez Park. Credit: Carnegie Library for Local History collection, Call #620-1-12 Click image to view. To put this in perspective, we have over 25,000 photographs digitized on our website and over 42,000 cataloging records! Why is there an underrepresentation of Latinx populations in our archive? While there is no way to know for sure, I think it can be helpful to consider what it takes for something to arrive in an archive: 1. Item needs to be created. 2. Item needs to be deemed of value to keep and preserve by the family, business, or organization. 3. Item needs to be offered to an archive. 4. Item needs to be deemed of value to preserve by an archive an accepted into the collection. (Alternatively, item could be deemed of value by the archive first and solicited for the collection). 31
Chapter 15, Spring 2021 All of these steps are affected by who a person is in the world. You can imagine how differently each step would look if you compared these steps historically for two different individuals, for example: an upper middle class white man and a migrant Mexican farm laborer. There is little an archivist can do if archival materials were not created in the first place (due to lack of time, money, or even the ability to write) or lost over time (due to moving frequently perhaps). Where an archivist can affect change is in step 4 above: seeking out and valuing materials beyond the historically overrepresented groups. Every month materials about white middle/upper class Boulder residents walk in our doors. Materials about people of color do not. This is in part due to the demographics of Boulder, but that is only part of the story. As archivists, we need to get proactive about connecting with minority populations. What challenges might we face in attempting to develop collections for Latinx populations? As I am discovering through educating myself about this work, the solutions to better representing diverse populations in our history are not as simple as reaching out to a community and offering them the great good fortune to hand over their precious historical items to us. Relationships need to be developed and trust needs to be gained. During a recent conversation with a Latinx community member who is involved with local history, it became apparent to me that the lack of trust some community members have in government institutions needs to be a consideration for archival collection development. After years of experiencing systemic racism, why would someone want to hand over their family
photos to what appears to be the same system that wouldn’t allow their grandfather to swim in a public swimming pool? Trust needs to be gained over time, but also there is need for creative solutions. Perhaps beyond acquisitions there are ways to promote communities to tell and share their own stories. How else can we tell the stories of minority communities? You may have noticed that the majority of our materials about Latinx community members are oral histories, and this is one great way to actively fill gaps in the historical record. The beautiful thing about oral history is that you can notice an archival silence and actively pursue collecting stories on that topic, whereas with photographs and documents you are at the whims of what was created and preserved in the past. Of course, you are still limited by the human lifespan, but that has much more flexibility than whether or not a photograph was taken at a particular moment in history. Another solution is working with alternative organizations within the community to collect, preserve and make materials accessible. In Boulder County, we have the Boulder County Latino History Project. This project began in 2013 and is a community effort to gather and preserve stories of the Latinx community in Boulder County. We have oral histories and a few other materials from this project within our collection at Carnegie, but I look forward to seeing what other opportunities we can create to work together and give the archive they have developed more visibility to researchers at more mainstream archives like ours.
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Chapter 15, Spring 2021 Still more creative solutions abound! I see new ideas everywhere for innovating the gathering and sharing of more varied stories of history: from community scan-a-thons to aggregating sites on a particular underrepresented group. No matter the creativity of the idea, I believe the best starting point is talking to community members and understanding how we can better support them to preserve and share their history. We have a lot of work to do in changing the historical record to better represent the experiences of our entire community. The path forward will likely have many stops to reevaluate our approach, but as we find our way one step at a time, we will be doing the work necessary to tell richer stories for future generations.
Listen to an oral history interview with Erminda “Oli” Olivas Duncan from the Maria Rogers Oral History Program.
Stay tuned for part 2: Representing Latinx in the Archive: Visibility and Cataloging to appear in the next Open Book.
L-Team Shares: 10 Things to Know, Celebrate & Share Again Reopenings Coming March 23! Meadows reopens for limited onsite services! NoBo opens for holds carryout March 23! The Children’s Area at Main Library reopens! A hearty thanks to all of our team members who make this expanded service to our community possible. Professional Development Support Professional development support is still available for 2021. If you are interested in a learning opportunity, please talk with your supervisor and check out the professional development form.
March 23 - Limited reopening begins at Meadows and carryout service starts at NoBo. 33
Chapter 15, Spring 2021 Library District Update City leadership and the Library Commission continue to discuss possibilities around asking voters to create a library district in the years to come. City Council discussed the issue in February (for more info, see the Daily Camera coverage and meeting video). The Library Commission talked districting at their 2021 retreat on March 13. A public hearing will be held on April 20 with City Council. Nobo Contractor We will select the contractor for the new North Boulder Branch Library in March, and hope to break ground in late spring or early summer. Cheers to Our Volunteers! In 2020, 385 volunteers generously donated approximately 10,900 hours of their time to the library. Home Delivery Our Home Delivery program grew by 60% in 2020. The support of many staff members and volunteers made sure that 130 patrons who could not leave their homes could still access our materials. New City Website Coming Soon
“From Winter to Spring” The following is a piece written by Irma, a BoulderReads learner who has been practicing English with her tutor. The trees seem to be dying, but they are not. Trees renew the bark of their trunks, and their leaves begin to fall. Trees grow strong on the outside and create new life on the inside like a pregnant woman carrying new life in her womb. They hope that Spring will give birth to those lives. Winter is gone, and Spring has arrived... and the miracle is done! The trees are renewed with fresh colors, and new life, and those leaves that once fell, and joined the earth fed the trees. What yesterday was their clothing became compost to strengthen those trees… Bridging the Digital Divide Hotspot funding will continue until at least June, 2021 (and hopefully longer).
The City of Boulder is getting a new website! Anticipated launch date is late May. The Annual Library Card Art Contest Runs March 15 - April 15. For the first time, there will be a contest for adult artists! The five new library card designs will be available at the beginning of Summer of Discovery.
One of several 2019 library card art contest winners.
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Chapter 15, Spring 2021
Poet's Corner On Choosing Mike Tyson’s Garden at Jennifer Lord’s Studio by Tony Burfield I can’t speak to its creation, I just know the vernal tap and the wall hanging. She showed us into the well-lit… the paint scent, the canvas tilts. Paper too, with scratches and water and I believe music, I want to say lo-fi bedroom pop or hummingbird glitch, but that’s my in-head playlist. A studio’s confusion of paints, a painting’s brawl of mountains, melee of flowers. But there are always sure things, like the subtle dance of showing others your work, a tangle of stems and petals awash in eyeglaze always, pollened with talk and attempts at our purposes. These things are always human touching and touched. And among all that beauty, swirling color, you never really know what part of you others admire, like Mike Tyson’s face tattoo, or the volunteer gardenia you never noticed growing on your back. We chose the spectacular scuffle of Mike Tyson’s Garden and the différace of which it is built.
Gardens of Flowers and Gardens of Stone by David Meyers The winter wind is far away Dawn will soon bring the birth of May with bush abloom and grasses grown amid gardens of flowers and gardens of stone I remember when once we met the light alit the blossoms wet Your smile awoke me and brought me home through gardens of flowers and gardens of stone
Mike Tyson’s Garden Jennifer Lord 2019 Photo Credit: Tony Burfield
For Months We Searched By Tim Novak for months we searched & when we couldn’t find it we finally let it be & knowing it was truly lost we finally let it be
We swam in lofty rapids warm Our cares were lost in all the charm of stream and tide and swirling foam near gardens of flowers and gardens of stone I’ve since seen a cloudy day dim the land along your way You have wept but are not alone in your gardens of flowers and gardens of stone
& when we thought less of it it became less about us & it became only the thing we searched for & not the thing we lost
You’ll fly again in clear blue air I’d hold your hand, I'd be right there until night fell where day once shone on gardens of flowers and gardens of stone 35
Chapter 15, Spring 2021
Challenging Our Biases: Exploring the History of Racism in American Public Libraries Krissy Jensen For this issue’s anti-bias column, we will continue exploring the history of racism in American public libraries with a look at quiz question #3 (see June 2019 Open Book edition) regarding direct action by African Americans. While the lunch counter sit-ins of the Civil Rights Movement are relatively well-known, few people are aware of the important actions taken in pursuit of equal access to public libraries and the violent anti-Black response activists suffered during that time. 3. What was the name of the group of Black students who were told by the director of the Jackson (MS) Public Library in 1961, “There’s a colored library on Mill Street. You’re welcome there”? A) The Chicago Eight B) Congress for Change C) The St. Helena Four D) The Tougaloo Nine The correct answer is (d) The Tougaloo Nine. This month marks the fifty-ninth anniversary of a direct action in protest of library segregation by nine black students from Tougaloo College. The students staged a “read-in” and were arrested for breach of the peace when they remained at the Jackson (MS) Public Library after police ordered them to leave. At the students’ trial, police attacked a group of 100 supporters, using dogs, nightsticks and pistols. Among the injured was Medgar Evers, Mississippi’s field secretary of the NAACP.
Historic Freedom Trail Marker for the Tougaloo Nine
In a letter to Roy Wilkins, Executive Secretary of the NAACP, Evers wrote, “This act of bravery and concern on the part of these nine young people has seemed to electrify Negroes’ desire for Freedom.” This event served as a catalyst for larger desegregation campaigns in the state and led to a 1962 NAACP lawsuit which succeeded in desegregating the Jackson library. The Chicago Eight were activists arrested in connection with protests at the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago. The group became the Chicago Seven when the judge in their case found the one African American in the group, Bobby Seale, guilty of contempt of court and sentenced him to four years in prison before his conspiracy case could be decided. When ALA met for the Midwinter Meeting in 1970, the Chicago Seven trial was occurring just four blocks away. The National Call for Library Reform, a group of activist librarians attending Midwinter, organized a protest march to the Federal Building demanding the rights to free speech and due process for the defendants. By the end of the 1960s, activists within librarianship were gaining ground in their attempts to promote social responsibility around racism, poverty and power. 36
Chapter 15, Spring 2021
Historic Freedom Trail Marker for the Tougaloo Nine
The Congress for Change was a gathering of library and information science students and faculty who created a set of statements to present at ALA’s annual meeting in June of 1969. Libraries to the People quotes Wilson Library Bulletin as calling the CFC’s gathering place “mangy” and its attendees “youngish people dedicated to smashing the status quo.” While CFC fell short of sparking the revolution Wilson implied, it helped bring social justice into the conversation among ALA leaders. In March of 1964, the St. Helena Four attempted to enter the St. Helena Branch Library in Greenville, Louisiana. As they approached, a librarian abruptly locked the doors and the teens left without further incident. They returned a few days later with the same results. When the same thing happened on their third attempt, they went to the courthouse and drank from the “white” water fountain. As they walked back by the library, they were verbally harassed and threatened with a pistol. On their final attempt, they again were unable to enter the library and opted to use the “white” fountain at the courthouse. This time the courthouse janitor shouted slurs, threatened to kill them and hit one of the protestors with a lead pipe.
Click here for further reading
As I worked on this article, I came across the case of a city that chose to close its libraries for four months rather than desegregate them. This one doesn’t have a catchy name, but I can’t leave it out of the discussion. The closure began with a sit-in like the others we have explored. In April of 1960, 16 African American high school students entered Danville, Virginia’s “whites only” library and began doing homework. Twenty minutes later, the library closed early in response. In order to prevent another sit-in, the city council immediately restricted library use to existing cardholders only. The students and the NAACP won an injunction against the city for unequal treatment. Since the injunction would require the city to desegregate its libraries, the council chose to close the libraries until a citywide vote could be held. The voters chose to keep the libraries closed. After four months of closures and negative publicity, the city reopened the public libraries. Although the libraries could no longer be segregated officially, significant changes to policy, including a $2.50 (over $20 today) fee and a four-page application in order to get a card, functioned to keep African American patrons out of the libraries. We cannot meaningfully improve equity in libraries without an awareness of our white supremacist legacy. Although American public libraries are no longer segregated by race, it’s likely that library policies remain that are rooted in post-segregation attempts at keeping African Americans out of “white” libraries. As we explore the history of racism in libraries, we will begin making the historical connections necessary to disrupt the white supremacist practices that prevent equitable library services. 37
Chapter 15, Spring 2021
Boulder Public Library 2020 Staff Service Milestones While Boulder Public Library staff usually celebrate service milestones of 5-year increments during the annual Staff Day, the pandemic changed this long-held tradition. We’d like to give a special shout out to staff members who marked special service milestones last year. Their pictures and years of service are below. (We realize many of you now have an additional year+ under your belt, but we didn’t want your milestones to go unnoticed!) Congratulations, everyone! Photos provided by respective staff.
5 Years
Louise Fordyce
Rachel Garfield-Levine
Allison Hybertson
Monnie Nilsson
Ruth Smith
David Gonzalez 38
Chapter 15, Spring 2021
Boulder Public Library 2020 Staff Service Milestones 10 Years
Barbara Magill
David Meyers
15 Years
Terzah Becker
Krissy Jensen 38
Chapter 15, Spring 2021
Boulder Public Library Staff Service Milestones 20 Years
Melanie Borski-Howard
25 Years
Theresa (Tessa) Anderson
Other Happy Milestones In addition to staff service milestones, we would like to also celebrate the following happy milestones: Aimee Schumm’s adorable daughter Addi (Addilyn Elizabeth Grace Schumm) holds a celebration sign at her adoption ceremony: "For 841 days I've shared their home & hearts. Today I'm getting adopted!" - Addilyn Elizabeth Grace Schumm, February 9, 2021.
Photo credit: Lea Ann Byrne Photography
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Chapter 15, Spring 2021
Other Happy Milestones
Feb. 11, the family of American teachers Robert Dunn and Kendra Style arrived in the Samarkand regional center for retraining and advanced training of public educators. Photo credits above: http://zarnews.uz/ Former BoulderReads staffer, Robb Dunn, above and left, is currently one of 27 American teachers in Uzbekistan to teach English, conduct research on professional training and exchange experiences in the field of pedagogy under the English Speaking Nation program.
Photo credit: Robb Dunn
Photo credit: WorldAtlas.com
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Chapter 15, Spring 2021
In a Past Life: Renate Marie
In a Past Life features aspects of the lives of library staff before they joined the library world.
Katherine Bertone If you've ever marveled at the artistry and athleticism of Renate Marie as she shelves, then you won't be surprised to discover that, once upon a time, this materials handler was a competitive figure skater. I mean a getting-up-atfour-in-the-morning-to-train-before-school, resting-only-on-Sundays kind of figure skater. When Renate signed on for private coaching as a wee eight-year-old, she traded carefree hours of play for lessons in discipline and focus. But the rewards were big: entrée into that alluring world where gold medalist Dorothy Hamill reigned supreme and the chance to aspire--realistically-to her own Olympic debut. The 1980 Lake Placid games were on the horizon; then it would be Sarajevo in 1984. Throughout this first career, skating worked its way into family life and framed seemingly-unrelated moments in a way that would stay with Renate forever.
She remembers evenings when future champion Scott Hamilton joined her family for meals at their table, and the dark, snowy morning when, on the way to the rink in her brother's VW bug, she learned of John Lennon's death. All these years later, Renate's whole self finds so much to remember. She can stand in the basement book drop but smell the fresh ice. She can feel the pressure of scrutinizing judges and the sense of uplift from an appreciative crowd. "The sounds of the blades on the ice when you are trying to gain momentum for a triple jump is very distinct. I won't ever stop loving this sound. The body posture for each jump is a strong muscle memory today."
Though COVID has been a disruption, skating is still part of life for adult Renate and she muses about becoming an instructor in her next career. Which will be in, like, 25 or 30 years when the library has finally agreed to let her go.
10- or 11-year-old Renate in a dress made for the Colorado Figure Skating Championships by her adoptive mother, a seamstress who also made costumes for Scott Hamilton. Photo courtesy of Renate Marie, studio unknown
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Chapter 15, Spring 2021
In a Past Life: Terzah Becker Katherine Bertone Before Terzah Becker became librarian extraordinaire, she found another way to learn while serving. A self-described "Cold War kid," Terzah followed her fascination with Russia and the Soviet Union to the far eastern end of Asia and settled into an apartment in a small town called Lesozavodsk. It was 2001, and Terzah was a new Peace Corps volunteer assigned, alone, to teach English to students in the village of Kurskoe. No one spoke English there yet; she did not speak Russian. It was sink or swim, so she learned quickly and figured things out. Things like how to request the right groceries from shop clerks who kept everything behind a counter. And how to navigate the wonderful city banya for a steam bath when the cold water at home was no longer bearable. Some friends and allies emerged.
their visas would be renewed for the promised second year. Bizarrely, they spent three weeks holed up in a Shenyang hotel watching pirated American movies before Putin, in effect, dismissed them and sent them home. Immigration Appreciation So here Terzah is almost two decades later, cast out…but hardly bitter. Looking back on this intense, defining time, she thinks appreciatively about the "beautiful, complex" Russian language and culture she began to know. And she focuses on the bit of insight she got into the bravery of those who make a whole new permanent life in an unfamiliar place with an unfamiliar language. "Immigrants to the U.S. have my respect forever."
Friend, Foe, or Fowl? There was Olga Gennadyevna, who helped her learn the language by having her read the short stories of Turgenev aloud, and Olga's Rottweiler pup, Graf, who kept her feet warm while she practiced. And there was Galina Nikoleyevena, who rescued her from the abuses of profanityspewing teens by giving them a truly inspired dressing-down. But then, sometimes, Terzah was on her own and there was no one. No one to save her from the fowl. The foul fowl. "In Kurskoe after I got off the little shuttle that took me there, I often was followed by territorial geese from the little farms that were on the way to the school. This is scarier than it sounds." Ultimately, the adventure was cut short. After a year, all Peace Corps volunteers in Russia were sent to China to await a decision on whether
Terzah with first graders at the school in Lesozavodsk, Russia where she taught, 2001. Photo courtesy of Terzah Becker. 42
Chapter 15, Spring 2021
Together Apart: Virtual Staff Gatherings Louise Fordyce How do staff continue to connect at Boulder Public Library when the majority of us are working from home, and the frontline staff have been working in mini teams of 5-7 people on site since last summer? As 2020 progressed and we navigated all of the challenges and changes the coronavirus pandemic necessitated, creativity was at the forefront. As we adapted to new ways of living and working, we also created new ways to connect virtually at BPL. Here is an overview of the groups, meet-ups and drop-ins that are currently running on a regular basis. All are welcome and encouraged to participate in each activity. You can find more information on each of these events in Channels on the All BPL Virtual Team. Weekday Huddle Hosted by Kathy Lane Kathy Lane set up the virtual huddle calendar late spring when some staff returned to Main to prepare for re-opening the library to the public. Huddle meets weekday mornings at 9:00 and offers a snapshot of the coming day for virtual programs and updates for Main & Meadows., as well as the opportunity to check in from wherever you are located.
Knit Cafe. Photo credit: Louise Fordyce Monday Mediations Hosted by Jaime A chance to pause at the beginning of the work week for a short guided meditation session on Zoom. BPL Social Happy Hour: Friday night weekly drop-in Happy Hour to ‘see’ staff across BPL from your own sofa on Zoom - Cheers! Knit Café Hosted by Louise Bring along any craft project and join the maker fun. If you are new to knitting or crochet we have lots of knit tech help available from the staff who go regularly. In fact as the group has evolved it is going to start meeting twice per month this spring. Winter Morning Group - Rotating Hosts
Huddle. Photo credit: Louise Fordyce
This is a monthly pre-workday get together. Rotating hosts have focused on building practices that can reduce stress on a micro level. The topics have included: creating hygge; winter happiness plan; and a gentle movement class. 43
2020 has fostered resilience and flexibility for all of us, whatever our roles. It has also led to great innovation in how we connect within our organization.
Weekly Staff Gatherings Weekday Huddle: 9:00-9:15 on Teams Monday Meditations: 12:00-12:30 on Zoom Contact Jaime Kopke for Zoom link Friday Night Happy Hour: 6:00-7:00 pm on Zoom Ask your supervisor for more information
Monthly Staff Gatherings Knit Café: 1st Tuesday 6:00-7:00 pm on Zoom Winter Morning Group: Just ended but stay tuned for next winter! Staff Chat: Monthly Staff Chat Alternates 2nd Tuesday/2nd Thursday at noon on Teams
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THANK YOU FOR READING. Stay tuned for news on reopening adventures and activities, and learn more about staff efforts to increase diversity in the Carnegie archives.
Share your feedback: nilssonm@boulderlibrary.org