Chapter 14, Winter 2020
OPEN BOOK The Boulder Public Library Staff Newsletter
In This Issue 2 A Message from Monnie 3 Masked Opportunities 9 Signs of the Times 10 A Word from David 12 Art Walk 13 Get to Know Antonia Gaona 14 Staff Quilters 17 Stats from the Stacks 18 Picture This: All Staff Day 19 L-Team Shares 21 Carnegie Cache: 1918 Flu 24 Introducing the EDI Team 26 Volunteer Spotlight: Jon 27 Poet's Corner 28 Furr Real? 30 The 2020 Maskys All Open Book content is part of the public record.
Change is the only constant. HERACLITUS
Change is inevitable, except from the vending machine. UNKNOWN
Chapter 14, Winter 2020 Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes. Turn and face the strange. Ch-ch-changes. DAVID BOWIE
A Message from Monnie Monnie Nilsson, Editor If I had to pick one word to sum up 2020, it would be ‘change.’ Individually and as an organization, we have faced sweeping change in the last 9 months, and while some of us have undergone more change than others, we’ve all experienced seismic shifts. This latest edition of Open Book represents yet more change - change in the wide array of staff who are now contributing, in the new format we are using, and finally, in the sheer amount of content, number of topics and features we are covering - a lot has happened since the last Open Book newsletter was released in December 2019. When the new Open Book Team first met in September to discuss what we wanted to include in this edition, we agreed on several themes, including acknowledging the ‘elephant in the room’: the pandemic and the sense of disconnection that it has created. As a result, our mix of content includes pieces that touch on how we’ve been coping, what we’ve been thinking, what we’ve been working on, and how we are sometimes entertaining and distracting ourselves until 2020 wraps itself up and crawls into the history books. As Open Book’s founding editor Tony Burfield noted in the inaugural edition, our newsletter "is a place to see the library community at work – and not at work, a place where we can get to know each other, and where we’re all welcome." It’s also a place to note some of the recent changes we’ve created, accommodated, celebrated and endured. We hope this brings us all a little closer, and that you enjoy what we’ve put together. Thanks for reading, and we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Photo Credit: Monnie Nilsson
Open Book Team Katherine Bertone Tony Burfield Christine Burke Nicole Docimo Julianne Ingram Kate Kelsch Hannah Lackoff Jennifer Lord Monnie Nilsson Tim Novak Aimee Schumm Jan Wade Aspen Walker 2
Chapter 14, Winter 2020
Masked Opportunities & Silver Linings
Jan Wade
One of Open Book’s main purposes is to foster community among BPL employees. While the pandemic initially blew our working groups up and then apart, it has now forced us to come together in new ways. We are learning much about each other and how strong we are individually and as a group. As staff was hit with the sudden closure in March, we were forced to reinvented how we work together and how we support our patrons and each other. We found out how innovative we all are. We moved through furloughs, layoffs, and re-openings in various stages - changes coming at rapid speed, needing ongoing planning and adaptations. In doing so, we found out how resilient we are as a public service institution. We formed new and different relationships with our patrons and each other. Now, while we are still primarily working apart, we wanted to use this opportunity to use Open Book as a way to reconnect - and learn some interesting tidbits about each other as we’ve been making our way through this transformative period. Several staff members responded to our questionnaire. I hope you enjoy their responses.
"Staying home, wearing a mask when I do go out, doing grocery pick-ups, no indoor gatherings with those outside my bubble." - Tim M. "I now telework one day a week, so I created a shorthand for noting accurate physical book information. This, combined with the photographs I take, lets me catalog at home. Want to get those books out as quickly as possible!" - Adriana M. "I talk far less! Seriously, when explaining services and how the library works, I use as few words as possible. I only really chat to people by phone or by video calls now." - Louise F.
"I'm drinking more Kahlua. ;-)" - Monnie N.
"I'm being a hermit/recluse." - Kathy L.
"I have had to plan time to walk my young dog before a three-hour stretch of meetings starts, so he doesn’t act like a jerk during screen time! That certainly never happened at the library!" - Laura H.
What are you doing differently to accommodate the changes we've all had to make due to COVID? "My dog hears me talking out loud a lot more – asking for advice but she doesn’t really respond! Also, I don’t like to eat full meals anymore. I just snack now. " - Shannon K. "Taking more showers, doing more online ordering, intentionally taking more time offscreen, updating things in the house because of more time spent in it." - Melanie B.
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Chapter 14, Winter 2020 What's the biggest change you've noticed for yourself during this time? "It’s been very hard to get steps in because it’s 5 steps to my kitchen, 8 steps to my bathroom. I used to be able to get in 4-5k just going to meetings at work." - Kathy L. "More anxiety. When I see people’s faces, I feel stressed and think, 'Where’s your mask?' I’ve become more of a recluse." - Shannon K. "At first, I think I was just in survival mode trying to make it through the pandemic. Once it became obvious that we were going to be in this for the foreseeable future, I had to accept the situation and try to find and embrace joy, even in the midst of the difficult times." - Tim M. "I'm much more aware of what I touch, what I do, where I go. Right now, it's hard to imagine feeling safe enough not to do that, to be so relaxed and incautious." - Adriana M. "I have much firmer boundaries that I am not shy about articulating." - Jennifer L.
"Ironically, I’m craving way less social connection and more 'alone time' to handle/process all of the continuous change, multitasking and daily upheaval. I find myself running through checklists because I’m afraid I’m going to drop the ball on something I need to remember. Pre-COVID, I used to be constantly on the go, but I’ve been really content living more quietly, being less social." - Monnie N. "I have become more self-reflective and appreciative of what I am experiencing in the moment. I notice more of the sounds and sights and smells around me, probably because I go on so many walks." - Jan W. "I am hyper-aware about where I am standing in relation to someone else. Continuously imagining a pair of skis between me and others. Honestly, it's exhausting." - Louise F.
"I need more sleep and exercise." - Melanie B.
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Chapter 14, Winter 2020 What are some unexpected positives you’ve discovered since the pandemic began? "I’ve had a really good time cuddling with my cats and making a routine at home that involves hot showers, lots of candles, a knitting nook, and fun dinners." - Julianne I. "One 'unexpected positive': The ability to floss a lot more often -- whenever I choose! Even after a snack!" - Cyns N.
"I love the sound of the Korean language." - Melissa H. "I started choreographing songs I love and I really enjoy it!" - Melanie B.
"I have a VERY slow, actually non-existent social calendar. This gives me lots of alone time, which I enjoy - although maybe not this much. It’s too much of a good thing. Another positive is that I picked out colors to paint my house. I’ve also been able to do a lot of gardening since there wasn’t much opportunity to hang with friends or family. My yard should look good by next year!" - Laura H.
"Reconnecting with friends in South Africa and New Zealand. I’m being more intentional with connecting with people instead of relying on spontaneous encounters." - Kathy L.
"It was great to see my daughter’s love for reading, the library, and storytimes wasn’t just something I forced upon her. She was distressed when we couldn’t visit the library for our weekly storytime visit on Saturdays. After we read everything on her three bookcases for the 20th time, I asked my mom if we could borrow her kids books. When she asked, 'How many books do you want?' I said, 'All of them.'" - Tim M.
"I really enjoy my daughter. We’ve been forced to be together more, and I really enjoy her. I also appreciate my friends more." - Shannon K.
"I have reconnected with some far-flung friends in other parts of the US and in UK + Europe. As the majority of communication is now virtual it has been a far more natural way to catch up." - Louise F.
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Chapter 14, Winter 2020 What do you miss the most? "A lot fewer kids come in to the library, so I miss the regular interactions with them. I also miss in-person storytimes!" - Alice E. "Live music and going to the movies. I recently had a conversation with my dad where he told me he misses the movies (before I even shared that I do, too). We used to go to the movies a lot together, order jumbo pickles and coke slurpees. ❤ Ah, the good ol’ days." - Julianne I. "Seeing people's faces." - Adriana M. "The total ambivalence, by which I mean ease without thinking even about it, I felt when leaving the house, being near other people, or being in a crowd. But, actually, I most miss hugging my friends." - Jennifer L. "Being with friends with 'skin on.'" - Kathy L. "I miss smiling at people. I miss hugging my friends and family. We do not live in the same house." - Melissa H. "Live music. I love music, and I have generally attended many live music performances per month, maybe even several per week in my heyday. The fact that musicians and music venues may not survive this is heartbreaking to me." - Laura H. "One-on-one interactions with children and reading to groups of children face to face." - Melanie B. "Eating inside restaurants, going to movies with my wife, and reading in coffee shops." - Tim M.
"The daily social interactions with folks around town and patrons at work. Eating out, regularly seeing family, traveling safely without worry." - Monnie N. "Two things – people (friends and patrons) and being able to just get in my car and go someplace to eat or shop." - Jan W. "Coffee shops, live music, and the theatre." - Louise F. "People, joking around, being in the presence of others. I’m an introvert but I like being around people." - Shannon K.
What one thing that you are doing during this crisis will you continue to do after we return to normal? "I am learning Korean and hope to continue. I heard a poem by a poet whose books have not been translated into English and I want to be able to read it and his others." - Melissa H. "Gardening in my community plot." - Kathy L. "Choreography."- Melanie B. "Buying fewer things." - Monnie N.
Chapter 14, Winter 2020 I’d like to continue spending less money, but not if it means not doing fun things." - Shannon K. "Street beers with my neighbors. Everyone is so bored and tired of being stuck inside that every few weeks my neighbor will say 'street beer?' and then we meet outside in the street and chat for the length of time it takes to drink whatever street beverage is in hand. Usually, it is when it gets too cold that everyone heads back inside. It’s nice - often a few neighbors will venture by to say hello, or dog walkers will stroll past. You should start “street beers” with your friends and family too!" - Laura H. "I no longer take my freedom to travel/explore and be spontaneous for granted. I try to have 'mini-adventures' as a friend described it. Learning new crafting skills, exploring different hiking trails, cooking (actually) from recipes!" - Louise F. "Wash my hands." - Tim M. "I started gardening and hope to continue being a plant-parent." - Adriana M.
"I’m going to keep wearing a mask under certain conditions. For example, if the air quality is dangerous, I am sick, or when I’m outdoors during pine pollen/grass pollen allergy season. Masks are great for blocking all types of particulates." - Jennifer L. "Shopping for groceries online! I have saved so much money by not going into the store and buying things I don’t really need." - Jan W.
What’s a lesson learned? "How little I really need to live well, and what material things I don’t need. Being around all of the stuff I own during more days at home has been eye-opening." - Monnie N. "I survive on interactions with other people. Flies are not good company." - Melissa H. "Body language is even more important when wearing a mask, and eyes can be very expressive!" - Adriana M. "I really enjoyed the slowness and quiet at the beginning of stay-at-home. I appreciated how few cars there were on the road, how little driving there was period. I enjoyed hearing the birds and how clean the air was. It felt like all the animals had more space to be. Cooking, spending time with my family, taking long walks, how is it that my daily life is so full and busy that taking a long walk becomes difficult to fit-in instead of necessary? Walking with my daughter and talking increased our closeness. I think it would be amazingly healthy for our society to slow down. What if we shifted the focus of our society to prioritize space and wellness for animals, plants, air, water and people?" - Jennifer L.
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Chapter 14, Winter 2020 "Appreciate the people in your life because things can change so quickly. And don’t get a dog." - Shannon K. "All work tasks seem to take longer when you are sitting at the kitchen table trying to handle them!" - Laura H. "The need to be more intentional about getting out in the world and exercising. And realizing how the pandemic impacts folks who don’t have financial resources or support. Our society is not geared for 2 parents to work at once – even more so for single parents. I don’t know how people are coping." - Kathy L. "Masks keep us safer. If you'd said to me in early April that when I returned to Main I would wear a mask for 9 hours - with the only time it was removed to eat lunch for 30 minutes - and get used to that I would not have believed you." - Louise F. "Being kind in times of trouble is key for my heart to be happy-A lesson I work on a lot! And mostly, being kind to myself!" - Melanie B.
"It’s been amazing to see how adaptable kids are. When this all started, it was such an ordeal to get my daughter to wear a mask. Now she plays dress up and says she’s 'going to work' and wears a mask around the house for an hour at a time." - Tim M.
Do you have a funny or unusual story to share about something that happened during this time? "The craziest scene so far in 3 months of the Main library being reopened for limited services is the patron who came in looking for her son and in lieu of a mask was holding a sanitary pad over their face! I can't take credit for noticing as a colleague spotted her and gave her one of the black fabric masks." - Louise F. "After our local library closed, Lula and I found a random toddler storytime from the Wake County Public Library in North Carolina- The librarian’s name is Mr. Keith and he doesn’t look like your typical kids’ librarian, but that hasn’t stopped this video from racking up over 11,000 views since it was posted 3 years ago. Lula thought this was the pinnacle of toddler storytime and refused to watch any other videos until after she viewed this 30 minutes and 19 seconds of perfection. Unfortunately, Mr. Keith was something of a one hit wonder and did not have other recorded storytimes. I eventually wrote the library and learned Mr. Keith is a bit of a reluctant star and prefers to be behind the camera, but he has recorded 3 new storytimes since March, all of which I have seen at least 50 times." - Tim M.
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Signs of the Times "The number of times I and others have tried to put something in our mouths over our masks." - Kathy L. "I was home and looking out the window in time to see the mailman accidentally mow down our mailboxes. Never thought I’d see that." - Monnie N. "Early on, I remember being so happy to see everything was 'normal' -- in my dreams. While asleep, I could shop and ride the bus with no COVID worries!" - Adriana M. " The funniest thing was when the bull, Cy, broke through the electric fence and came right up to the window to offer his help at the remote call center." - Jan W.
Photo Credit: Jan Wade
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Chapter 14, Winter 2020
Photo:Monnie Nilsson
A Word from David David Farnan I am not very good at summarizing the past, especially when we are still living in it. This past year has been hard. The ongoing pandemic, uncertainty around the elections, the death of George Floyd and many other unarmed black people, wildfires around the country and in our community. The layoffs of our colleagues, deep cuts to the library budget, and closure of branches. Examined this way it seems that we are living some surreal irrational existence. One that is unkind, unforgiving and unfair.
Just when we were almost ready to believe that a virtual world was paramount, the physical world unceremoniously bonked us on the head. Our relationships are more challenging, and matter more. We miss the way even unpleasant things “used to be.” I watch my two sons put on a mask like they are putting on a ballcap. I wonder if I can grow to be as resilient as them. I see the way our cats and dogs and cows and children and homes and gardens have entered our work life through zoom and Teams. I wonder if this makes work more compassionate, and us more human. I am grateful to have gone into this uncertain year with all of you. I have been amazed at your courage, your resourcefulness, your creativity. Together, we are more than a beating heart. We are some kind of unknown substance; part rock, part glue, part magnet and all flesh. Grounding each other and our community and bonding it together. We have been strong, yet vulnerable. Thanks for that. In closing, I would like to remind us all to thank each and every one of our colleagues who have
It is easier for me to think about what I live day to day. A friend of mine who is homeschooling her three children recently told me, “About 70% of the time, I feel like I am doing okay. The other 30%, I wish I could crawl under a rock.” Many of us feel this way. And for many of us we have been uncomfortably forced to recognize that we live in a hyper-connected physical reality – one in which circumstances beyond our control and our actions and the actions of our friends and neighbors have consequences we could not have imagined. Photo Credit: Johanna Dadisman
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Chapter 14, Winter 2020 been laid off. It is painful to see so many leaders and mentors and friends around us – who have worked so long and so hard for the library these past years and during the pandemic - forced to leave through no fault of their own. Just yesterday I spoke with one of these colleagues. She only expressed concern for the library and none for herself. I know that it is this kind of selflessness that holds us all together, that makes the library more than just the books and people it contains and lays the groundwork for ongoing success. I had a dream last night about holding hands. Lots of folks just walking along holding hands. And someone came up to me and reached out their hand. I held it. I owe you all a depth of gratitude that I barely understand. We have had a difficult and amazing year. I am hopeful that this coming year will bring new promise. But nothing gives me more hope than what I have seen from each and every one of you this past year. I know we will make it through.
- David
Photo Credit: Barbara Magill
Photo Credit (above): Louise Fordyce
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Chapter 14, Winter 2020
Art Walk Tony Burfield One of the best things for me about returning to work after the long furlough was getting to once again stroll around the library park. The creek, the ducks, squirrels, the occasional rat, all these things brought a bit of familiarity to the new normal. I was also glad to see some new art and graffiti mixing in with the old. The new mural of Boulder’s one-time mayor, tucked into an almost unnoticeable spot on the north side of the north building, is especially notable. Its placement to me at first seemed odd, but on further consideration, I don’t think it’s a bad spot at all. It could certainly be emblematic of Boulder’s semi-hidden history.
Art by SMILE on unit near Municipal Building.
Perhaps this is what the artist was after, a sort of subtle insurrection, a hat-tip to true graffiti in a way. Baudrillard, the French cultural theorist, said that graffiti is an insurrection of signs, that the art often mysteriously appearing on urban infrastructure was operating against normative symbolic order.
Mural of Penfield Tate by Detour.
I like to think this is true, even with graffiti that is readable or understandable in a conventional sense. The artist SMILE, who is rather prolific throughout Boulder, presents a good example of this. The art is conventionally relatable, often evoking empathy and a sense of urgency for the wild. At the same time though, the artist is claiming public space outside of the social order; it’s unapproved by the public powers that choose art like the mayor mural or the really entertaining corvid piece under the ninth street bridge. 12
Chapter 14, Winter 2020 The commonalities between the graffiti and the approved public art are strong though, especially here around the library. They all seem to be drawing our attention to the wild and to the precarious state of things in the human world, all interconnected and disconcerting. What I see when I walk out of the library is both liberating and catastrophic. The wild ones hopping and pecking beside people living in tents or just in sleeping bags.
Mural under bridge west of BPL; Photo Credit (all): Tony Burfield
All of us are just trying to get by. The filth and flowers, the Tesla parked beside a broken down van, the graffiti and privileged art reflecting all of these things, all of it saying to me, rather loudly, “At least pay attention!” It’s worth walking around the library, taking it all in while we can. The disjunctions are often fleeting, but they’re bound to lend some insight.
Get to Know Antonia Gaona Julianne Ingram What's your mantra during tough times? “Sempre avanti, sempre dritto”- which translates to “Always forward, always straight ahead”. There’s a very personal story behind this and why it’s been meaningful in my life, but it was some advice I received from a stranger on a train in Venice, Italy a long time ago. What shows have you enjoyed watching this year? For smiles and our sanity, we re-watched Portlandia and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Other good finds, new to me, were The Queen’s Gambit and Unorthodox. Now, however, all screen time is focused on classic Christmas films like, A Christmas Story, Home Alone, and Dr. Suess’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas. What songs are on heavy rotation for you right now? I love anything Motown, my husband is going through a prolonged and significant Frank Sinatra phase, my son is absolutely hooked on “Dance Monkey” by Tones and I, and my daughter is obsessed with the soundtracks from the Descendants movies.
Photo Credit: Antonia Gaona
You said in a meeting that COVID has had some hidden blessings with your family, what are those? The isolation and priority shifting that has come with it has reset my expectations of myself. I’ve said “no” to many things this year when I could not justify the mental energy or time commitment. Above all, I am so very grateful for this heavily focused time with family, without the usual distractions of normal everyday life. I know my kids better than I ever have and I’ve pushed myself to be a mom who is ok to “just be”- wherever I am in space and time and whatever I’m doing- my kids have noticed that presence and it’s brought us closer.
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Chapter 14, Winter 2020
Staff Quilters Stitch Together a Past, Present and Future Jennifer Lord
Quilts by Wendy Hall. Photo Credit: Wendy Hall
There are a lot of talented artists spread throughout BPL working in all types of media. I wanted to highlight quilting and fiber arts for this article. Quilting has traditionally been almost exclusively practiced by women. And while quilts have long been admired as beautiful and functional, it is only recently that they’ve been recognized broadly as works of art. It was the rise of feminism that led to craft traditions entering the museum. The 2008 exhibit at the Denver Art Museum Gee's Bend: The Architecture of the Quilt, which ran concurrently with a Mennonite quilt show, is a good example of this. The Gee’s Bend quilts were presented on the wall like large-scale paintings.
Within the museum, the domestic quilt was imbued with the qualities of abstract art; or maybe the museum setting gave the viewer the gift of seeing art where before there was only a blanket. (Of course, the maker movement adds another thread to this discussion around the valuation and rarefication of what is considered fine art or craft, but that is beyond the scope of this article). Each artist presented here approaches their quilt(s) differently, highlighting the diversity of design and the endless possibilities of expression within quilting. Thank you to each person for sharing with us what you make. 14
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Margie Burns I've been sewing since about 7 or 8. I grew up in a large family on a farm and we were all taught fiber crafts. I believe I started quilting when it became very uncool to wear clothing that you made. I was inspired to make this quilt by the quilter Jean Wells and her book Through the Garden Gate. This quilt is machine pieced with added applique, embroidery and beading. It was a fun piece to make.
Dave Gonzales I started quilting about 2.5 years ago. I started because I was not liking my art that I was doing at the time, so I had to change it up and do something completely different. My first two quilts were completely done by hand, then Louise gave me a machine she was getting rid of. Now I can produce more quilts faster.
Jan Wade I am surrounded by talented quilters in my family and my husband's family. The quilts in the picture are made by my mother-in-law, grandmother and two greatgrandmothers and represents about 1/3 of the beautiful quilts I have inherited from these talented quilters. I am NOT one of those talented quilters. The fiber art I enjoy the most is knitting and crocheting. I knit the green, gold and rust afghan I am holding about 25 years ago.
Photos Credits: Respective staff quilters.
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Chapter 14, Winter 2020 Monnie Nilsson I made my first quilt when my twins were babies, and worked on it when I could get them both to sleep at the same time. It was a Christmas quilt. The story behind this particular quilt (right) is that I had never made a big picture quilt before and I wanted to try. I really liked the idea of making a quilt about nature scenes. This one took a long time to finish, but it was fun to pick the fabrics and stitch together. It's made of individual quilt blocks. I started it when my boys were 3, and finished it when they were in high school. There was more than a decade in there when I didn’t have time to work on it at all. Quilting is appealing to me because I like the tactile nature of working with fabric, and I love making pictures out of material. Wendy Hall My interests cover the gamut of all things fiber, including weaving, spinning, felting, crocheting, sewing, quilting and basketry. My undergrad degree was in Art, and I did a lot of silk screening of my designs on large fiber panels. As much as I liked that, it wasn't a healthy environment, so I switched to weaving which I have enjoyed for many years. I took up quilting in 2018 when I started making quilted potholders for the Handweaver's Guild Sale and then expanded into baby quilts. I have also quilted a few pieces of artwork, both of which were in the MakerMade Exhibit. One is a game made of fabric based on the Wizard of Oz but designed like a Monopoly board. The other is designed around the theme "Anyone Can Be a Hero." After 2 years, countless potholders and 11 baby quilts, my loom is starting to complain that it is being ignored!
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228
Stats from the Stacks
The library owns 228 copies of So You Want To Talk About Race, this year's One Book One Boulder read.
Julianne Ingram and Hannah Lackoff We tend to like numbers. We're always recording stats, and then they're magically sent off in reports here and there (thanks, Gina!). Numbers help measure the impact we're making here in our community, but they're also fun to look at. Check out these fun numbers collected this year.
1,322 1,322 calls were made as of 10/22 as part of the Dial-A-Patron service.
Top Engaging Social Media Posts of 2020 Below are the top engaging posts on the library's social media accounts from this year. Patrons interacted the most with these by liking, commenting, reacting, or sharing.
3,986 3,986 calls were answered between 5/18 and 8/2. These calls amounted to 475 hours of staff time. Phew!
337 337 people will be enjoying FREE ice cream for participating in Summer of Discovery this year.
2,768 Between 3/14 and 10/22 2,768 questions were submitted and answered as part of the Ask A Librarian service.
Follow us on social media! @boulderlibrary
Do you have interesting stats or photos to share? Email Julianne and Hannah.
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Picture This: All Staff Day 2020
Photo and Video Credit (all): Monnie Nilsson
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L-Team Shares Aspen Walker We planned to share this new column in the spring 2020 edition of Open Book, but of course everything changed completely for all of us in March. “L-Team Shares” is a list of important (and fun) things shared by L-Team members. It’s meant to complement the weekly L-Team Notes, our monthly Staff Chat, and the many other internal communications channels we use to stay connected as a team. Thank you for the many, many things you’ve done in 2020 to help make life better for others, especially in these challenging times. Please remember it daily: you make life better for others daily. Thank you for your service and your leadership, for the benefit of our larger community and our Library & Arts team.
Well over 1,000 people engaged with One Book, One Boulder in 2020. Many of the events were recorded for on-demand viewing if you want to catch up or watch an event again. The 2021 reading selection is being finalized now, and the 2021 event series will focus on climate change. Want to catch up on the many excellent virtual programs we’ve recorded this year? Head to the library's YouTube channel! Curious about the Arts & Culture part of our Library & Arts team? Arts & Culture is a cultural affairs division, devoted to policy and community programming in support of our artists, nonprofits, and creative workforce. This mighty band of three (Matt Chasansky, Lauren Click and Mandy Vink) serve Boulder with public art offerings, cultural grants, programs for artists, Boulder Arts Week, venues, neighborhood creativity, and lots more.
Looking for employee information about COVID19? Check out resources and answers to frequently asked questions related to the coronavirus for employees who work for the City of Boulder. Photo Credit: Lauren Click
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Chapter 14, Winter 2020 Did you know Sean Crow of eServices is the King of Pranks? He once covered Lisa Holmberg’s desk entirely in bows!
Photo Credit: Lisa Holmberg
If you haven’t yet, please update your email signature. Personal pronouns are now a part of city employees’ written correspondence. To ensure we are consistent and in alignment as a citywide team, please use the email signature template provided at the link above.
The pandemic has spread our community far and wide. In BoulderReads, many of our students had to return to their home countries temporarily. Tutor/learner pairs are meeting remotely, some from as far as Japan, Brazil, and Chile!
Jennifer Phares recently shared a glowing report about our hard work this year with the Library Commission. It included a thorough recap of all the many things we have all done to be of service to the community during this challenging year (the full report will be available in the Dec. Commission packet). We’ve accomplished a lot and our space is short here, but we wanted to share a brief quote from the report: "Staff showed tremendous adaptability to challenges and evolving needs, and a willingness to learn new processes and systems to serve the community during 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff members banded together, forming new inter-divisional teams, cultivated a culture of experimentation, in some cases overcame abrupt learning curves, and worked toward mastering new skills to meet these needs and challenges. Their resilience and commitment did not waiver, even as they shouldered more work, grieved the loss of some of their beloved colleagues to severe budget reductions, and as their workplace and community connections were interrupted by health and safety restrictions. This year was demanding on all levels, and the staff’s wholehearted generosity of spirit to serve was fundamental to providing the Boulder community with a variety of impactful and relevant programs and services during a time of crisis. This year has called for leadership and nimble, responsive decision making, and flexibility from the everyone. We’re immensely proud of the staff’s achievements in 2020 and so very grateful for their courage, and selfless dedication to the community!" 20
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Photo Credit: Daily Camera, October 7, 1918
Carnegie Cache: Searching for Local Information about the 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic Nicole Docimo 1918 has become a year of special interest to the world as we have started looking to the past to try and understand how we can get through this present pandemic. At Carnegie Library, as we began accepting research questions again (via email) this past summer, we started to get questions about the 1918 Spanish Influenza. Sadly, at first search, it appeared we did not have much in our archive—a handful of newspaper clippings, many of them written in the past 10 or 20 years looking back. One recent day, having been asked for an obituary for a woman who died in the fall of 1918, I began looking at the Boulder Daily Camera on microfilm. After finding the requested obituary (and confirming my hunch that the woman had died from Spanish Flu), I began browsing the microfilm.
I started looking at frontpage headlines during the time, and of course I found a treasure trove of the day-by-day news of Spanish Flu including its arrival in Boulder with soldiers. After some more thinking and wishing for a more personal account, I started searching for diaries by date, and I turned up a small red 1918 day book kept by Harriet Wilder. Not much is known about Harriet except that in 1918 she appears to have lived with her brother Eugene Wilder, a man who worked in newspapers and served in several public offices. Harriet’s day book has brief entries about her daily experiences that give a little glimpse into what it felt like to live through the Spanish Flu.
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Chapter 14, Winter 2020 fumigating. Says in the East they are not doing it. Just letting air and sunshine do the work. I am not satisfied with that idea . . .” No doubt there are at least a few more stories from 1918 waiting to be uncovered in the archive, and we will continue to find them as we make our way through the next several months. One of the great gifts of looking back in time, especially at difficult moments, is realizing that others have been through the same thing.
This October 5 entry reads “A beautiful day, Warm warm night. Just grand weather. Busy all day. The Influenza is getting worse every day. The whole United States is afflicted/ it is too bad. The [?] soldiers are suffering greatly from it. Wish it could be stamped out right away, Mrs. Ford enjoys sleeping upstairs.” As the fall wore on into winter, case numbers fell and rose again. Recommendations were made for ventilating houses and staying outside. It appears from the diary that Mrs. Ford (who was “sleeping upstairs” in the prior diary entry and may have been a boarder in the Wilder house) had contracted Spanish Flu. Harriet Wilder’s October 28 diary entry reads, “Today has been nice, quite cool. Had quite a long talk with the nurse asking her questions about fumigation. She does not seem to think there is any need of
October 5 (left) and 28 (above), 1918 diary entries by Harriet Wilder, from the Eugene and Harriet Wilder papers, Museum of Boulder collection (local call # 272-4-5)
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Chapter 14, Winter 2020 Harriet Wilder and her brother Eugene survived the Spanish Flu. Local schools reopened and university students returned to class, and the Spanish Flu gradually tapered off in 1919. According to a 2018 Boulder Daily Camera article by Carol Taylor, 7,783 Coloradoans died in a 10month period from Spanish Flu. Looking at multiple sources, it seems unclear how many people died in Boulder, but likely somewhere between 80-120 people. (For perspective, the 1920 census lists 939,629 residents of Colorado and 11,006 residents of the city of Boulder). While those numbers are startling, I find it comforting to think about Harriet going about her day, sitting at night in her room documenting the weather and her daily doings with her pencil in a small red book.
Photo Credit: Boulder Daily Camera, September 25, 1918 Photo Credit: Boulder Daily Camery, Decmber 20, 1918
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Chapter 14, Winter 2020
Introducing Boulder Public Library’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Team Jennifer Lord We invite and encourage you to think of us as a resource for all things relating to equity, diversity, and inclusion work. Consult with any of us for an upcoming project. Want to learn more, but don’t know where to begin? Ask us. We invite your bravery and humility in this work. We are all learning, and we will all make mistakes. Defining systemic racism Thinking about ending systemic racism or creating racial equity can be overwhelming to contemplate. Perhaps because racial inequities seem inevitable, normal, just the way things are, entrenched, and/or very, very old. It can
Mission Statement The EDI team seeks to achieve equity, diversity, and inclusion at the Boulder Public Library, and serves as the library’s connection to the City of Boulder’s racial equity work. Committed to the task of ending institutional and systemic racism, as well as creating an equitable organization, the EDI team works to imbue these values within community programs,
also be difficult to know where to begin or even to feel like one has the power to do something transformative. To begin, it’s important to establish a basic understanding of what certain terms or ideas mean. It’s also important to locate one’s self in relationship to “the system” and “the work”. Racial equity is the idea that race will not be a determining factor in one’s success. Which is to say that systemic racism is the means through which race becomes a predictive factor in all aspects of a person’s life. For a black or brown person in a white supremacist society, their race has a negative impact on the overall success of their life—from health, to literacy and education, to income, to death-rate, etc. For a white person in a white supremacist society, their race has a positive impact on the overall success of their life. Systemic racism harms one group and helps another, but both groups experience the effects of the system. As Ijeoma Oluo said in her OBOB presentation, white people are not comfortable with the idea that they didn’t earn everything that they have. White people in a white supremacist society avoid considering that their job, education, income level, even health have been positively influenced by systemic racism. Rather than getting caught on guilt or defensiveness, consider alternative approaches. “What types of experiences or oppressions has my racial experience allowed me not to see, not to notice, not to be aware of, to overlook or to forget?" Although it is a hard question, I think it’s worth contemplating why, as a person who benefits from systemic racism and white supremacy, would I want to actively dismantle that system?
customer service, and internal practices and culture. 24
Chapter 14, Winter 2020 Locating one’s self in relationship to “the system” and “the work” There are all kinds of ways to begin to understand one’s self in relation to systemic racism and institutional power structures. The Power Flower is one good tool because it helps one identify dominant groups—groups with unearned systemic advantage—and locate yourself in relationship to those groups. The flower petals are filled in with identity categories: Race, Gender, Sex, Age, Class, etc. There are both inner and outer petals for each category. The outer petals are for the dominant/privileged group, the inner petals are where you identify. The Power Flower is also a great tool to see concretely the play of intersectionality. The first time I made my Power Flower I focused on the areas where I experienced oppression through my gender, age, income, etc. It is easy to ignore or not want to look at the areas where one has unearned benefits. There can be a lot of defensiveness around personal privilege, especially if one feels said privilege is unasked for or one feels disassociated from that aspect of their identity.
The second time I made my Power Flower, months after my initial experience, I noticed all the areas where I experience privilege and thus hold power. In a recent conversation between Claudia Rankine and Judith Butler hosted by the New Museum, Rankine says that it is individuals who make institutional systems. Thus, it is necessary for individuals to transform in order for our systems to transform. All of us, each and every one of us, has been raised in a white supremacist, capitalist, patriarchal system, to use bell hooks’ terminology, and each of us has internalized those values. We all make daily choices about how we relate to those values, and by extension systems. Our choices and actions challenge or affirm white supremacist, capitalist, patriarchy. There is both daily and long-term work to do in order to create an equitable society. But, as I asked before, why would you, you personally as an individual, want to?
EDI Team Jaime Kopke, Co-Chair Karen Bowen, Co-Chair
Resources and further reading: Power Flower Instructions Power Flower Printable
Celine Cooper Kathy Lane Laura Hnizdo Louise Fordyce
Why I teach a course called ‘White Racism’
Jennifer Lord
Understanding Power, Identity, and Oppression in the Public Library
Krissy Jensen
Kate Kelsch
Lilian Bucio Nicole Docimo
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Chapter 14, Winter 2020
Volunteer Spotlight: Jon Bennett Christine Burke For this edition of the “Volunteer Spotlight,” we are excited to share about Jon Bennett, one of our superstar Book Drop and Sorter volunteers. Jon began volunteering with the library in the Book Drop role in June of this year. For our staff working in the building, Jon may be a familiar face – he typically comes in twice a week and has already contributed over 160 hours of his time since June! In the 1990s, Jon was also a Home Delivery volunteer with the library, delivering library materials to home bound patrons in our community.
He loves the library and is glad that it is so widely used by our community members, and that it is a resource to so many different types of people, young and old, across the city. “I think you guys have really good outreach… You don’t have the problem of not being engaged in the community!” When asked what motivated him to sign up to volunteer this year, in the midst of the pandemic, Jon said, “I knew I wanted to do something to help in the community, and I knew that the library really is heavily used by so many people, which is great! I wanted to get out of the house and help in the community. This seemed like a good way to help, and I like that it is active – I like getting to be on my feet and move around.” He enjoys seeing all the different titles being returned by patrons and keeps a running list of ideas for his own next read. Jon works at CU as a research associate and at the CU museum. He is a paleontologist, and his research focus is on ancient crocodilians. He explained, “I study ancient crocodiles and alligators. Unlike dinosaurs (unless you count birds), crocodilians are still around today, and have a long and rich history. They are found all over the world and are up on the ground and in the ocean – they are fascinating.” As he explained, one ancient crocodilian genera, known as Deinosuchus, was native to the southeastern and western US and could get upwards of 30-40 feet! Their jaws could crack open sea turtles and they preyed on large dinosaurs. Jon’s love of paleontology, history, and wildlife has taken him across North America, Africa, and other parts of the world to do research, volunteer, and participate in eco-tourism trips.
Jon Bennett quarantining returned items. Photo Credit: Katherine Bertone
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Chapter 14, Winter 2020 He is passionate about wildlife conservation. The pandemic has put a damper on international travel plans for now, but he loves getting outside to hike in quiet places around Boulder. Our library is made better by smart, thoughtful volunteers like Jon. We are so thankful for Jon, who gives so generously of his time! A special thanks to Jon for the lesson on ancient crocodiles. Having grown up in South Carolina, I’ve always held a respectful fear and fascination of the gators lurking in our southern waterways. It was fun to learn about their giant, ancient ancestors. – Christine Burke
Poet's Corner winter scene_insomnia #1 Tim Novak something gentle that soft moon melting your cheeks into night the music crickets lavender in pots a cat downstairs curled beside the artificial fireplace dream mice the color of the moon & snow grinning stars & warmth heavy eyelids
Photo Credit: Katherine Bertone
gers Sticky Fin ield Tony Burf
Six Fee t Apar t in t he Par Cyns N k elson
uglas out the Do b a k o o b The ge, Yester and and a day I ight Fir, its inl was sit ut tree he o ting in b a N d ow I'm e u g r your l a e o w u t ap here h how u gging Y o . u've g t n u b o ark; c g o t you s r e and rin g r tree ky fin , I've g Six fee t apar ot min ed off stic t in t e, You warn h e park... Whoop ee! b im l c on the it all and after e needles e from th d a m e w the tea steaming. refinger ust my fo j t f e l e There w to thumb sap touch and your Reminisc ce. ence u-so silen David M I-told-yo eye rs
The can vas whit e sparkl like the es and s charm in hines your eye as we rid s e on thr ough the cold of the nigh Your sha t wl of me mories e keeps yo m b u warm raced by and brin my arm day gs to m ind the c as we m omfort ake our of way thr frozen l o ugh for akes ests of firs and The star s are ou r friend Heaven s sent in a c lear fro as toget sty sky her in tim e as you and I
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Chapter 14, Winter 2020
FURR REAL? Katherine Bertone During friendly conversation at our kids’ soccer game this fall, a fellow parent leaned in to share an eyeroll over all the crazy people who had recently adopted “pandemic pets.” Complicate life now? Tsk, tsk, foolish. I averted my eyes. My husband came clean: we were, in fact, some of these lunatics. “Yes, for real!” he assured her. In truth, the whole adoption thing was a bit ill-conceived and we’ve had many sleepless nights since Agnes came into our life. But, really, who isn’t craving a little joy this year? Some fuzzy wiggles? Soulful doggy eyes and tender kitty bellies? I’m pleased to report that I am just one of several staff who couldn’t resist. Here’s a little gift of “awwww” from us to Photos courtesy of pet guardians. you.
Agnes: Little Agnes doesn’t know how to play with toys, but she does know how to stand on the kitchen table and turn on the stove gas. -KB
Toki: That’s right, Seymour Butts: just pretend there’s not a dog in the house and maybe he’ll disappear. But that would be so sad for Sydney B. and her hubby, who are getting a kick out of their new German Shepherd/Corgi rescue pup, Toki.
Lin-Manuel and Butterbean: Lisa H. claims Lin-Manuel (left) and Butterbean (right) have been engaging in some stinky litterbox battles. But who could believe such a thing? So sweet and clearly innocent! 28
Chapter 14, Winter 2020 Rosey: At five months, this pup has already hit 30+ pounds…and only half that weight is in her ears. Brett K. reports that young Rosey graduated bottom-of-her-class from puppy Kindergarten. He and family are bracing themselves for full-grown Rosey!
Ruby: Ruby is getting some serious love from Aimee S. and wife, Kim. This chewing, barking bundle is surely the perfect addition to a house that already has three kids and a dog…if you’re parents extraordinaire like Aimee and Kim. Dulce: Dulce is learning not to mess with Karen B.’s special friend, Matilda the grey pine squirrel. Good girl, Dulce. We know that’s hard for you!
Reya: Even our courier, Harrison, is getting in on the new-pet action. Keep an eye out for Reya, who has become a devoted companion on Harrison’s daily route.
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THE 2020
Maskys Most Youthful
Most Relatable
Most Artsy
Most Playful
Most Mischievous
Most Bovine
Most Hairy
Most Traditional
Most Outdoorsy 30
THANK YOU FOR READING. Stay tuned for new and fun features in our Spring 2021 edition, including a recap and highlights from 2020's unprecedented virtual programs and events.
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