For immediate release: August 16, 2024

Douglas County Libraries’ 2024 Brew Tour is underway. This unique collaboration with local craft breweries and coffee shops features a blend of flavor, fun and community spirit. Running through September 30, the Brew Tour invites participants to explore Douglas County’s local brewing culture while enjoying a variety of engaging events at select library and partner locations.

“The Brew Tour is a fantastic way to celebrate our community, support local businesses, and meet Douglas County residents where they are,” said DCL Special Events Manager Kerri Morgan. “We’re thrilled to partner with local breweries and coffee shops to offer this unique experience.”

Brew Tour participants can earn prizes and rewards by logging visits to the different participating partners during August and September, and they are automatically entered into DCL’s grand prize drawing for a Happy Brew Year, consisting of one premium stainless steel growler with a booklet of fills from the partner breweries. They also earn points toward prizes by attending exclusive DCL-hosted Brew Tour events, like Bookish Trivia and Music Bingo, as well as pop-up Power Hours.

Less than two weeks into the Tour, more than 1,700 participants have generated 1,100 individual brewery visits and 630 coffee shop visits, according to Morgan.

DCL has also partnered with Mix 100 for a Pint for Pint blood donation event on Tuesday, August 27, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Lone Tree Brewing. Blood donors will receive a voucher for a free pint to be redeemed at a later date as a thank-you. Donors can register at Mix100.com.

Participating in the Brew Tour is a free and fun way to support local businesses and connect over shared passions. Information on Brew Tour events and registration can be accessed via the Beanstack app. Visit DCL.org/brew-tour to learn more and sign up. Must be 18 or older to participate, and 21 or older to consume alcohol.

Brew Tour Partners:

3 Freaks Brewery, Highlands Ranch

105 West Brewing Company, Castle Rock

Battle Mountain Brewing Company, Castle Rock

Castle Rock Collective, Castle Rock

Convict Coffee Company, Parker

Deja Brew Coffee & Print, Parker

Downhill Brewing, Parker and Greenwood Village

Fiction Beer Company, Parker

Fika Coffee House, Parker (two locations)

Iron Mule Brewery, Castle Rock

Living the Dream Brewing Company, Highlands Ranch and Sterling Ranch

Lone Tree Brewing Company, Lone Tree and Parker

Douglas County Libraries elevates our community by inspiring a love of reading, discovery and connection.

Douglas County Libraries announces the launch of its new exhibit, From the Archives: Murder, Mayhem and Moonshine, a fascinating look at the scandalous side of local history. The exhibit is on display August 12-September 8 at DCL’s Castle Rock, Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, and Parker locations. Visitors are invited to explore the intriguing tales of the notorious figures who left an indelible mark on the region.

Featuring artifacts, gripping stories, and photos from DCL’s Archives & Local History, Douglas County History Repository and Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, this exhibit delves into the turbulent era of Prohibition and bootlegging, crimes of passion, cattle rustling, kidnapping and murder, and daring jailbreaks that made a mark on the community. It also highlights the local lawmen who sought to bring perpetrators to justice.

Don’t miss this peek into the past, on display for a short time. The exhibit is free and open during normal library operating hours. Registration is not required. Visit DCL.org/murder-mayhem-moonshine for more information.

Douglas County Libraries elevates our community by inspiring a love of reading, discovery and connection.

For immediate release: May 13, 2024

Pre-register now for fun and prizes at DCL.org

Douglas County Libraries invites the community to Flock to the Library for this year’s vibrant Summer Reading celebration, June 1-July 31. Readers of all ages may now register for the annual celebration at DCL.org/summer-reading, with the official kickoff on Saturday, June 1.

“Our goal with summer reading is to inspire and foster the love of reading, no matter your age. But, of course, we want to make it fun, too, because it should be. We’ve got a lot of fun events and activities in store for our participants this summer, and some nice prizes,” said Kristen Kallio, Special Events Supervisor at DCL.

All participants who register for Flock to the Library will be entered into DCL’s Fly Away prize drawings for a $500 Southwest Airlines gift card. Three winners will be drawn in August. Registered participants also receive other fun prizes for signing up, like discounted Colorado Rapids tickets for select games, plus reading logs and a special, limited-time gift at a kickoff on Saturday, June 1, while supplies last. The special gift is available only on June 1, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., at any DCL location. Finishing prizes are available beginning June 3, while supplies last.

K-12 students are encouraged to sign up and help their schools earn a $500 prize in the program’s friendly annual school contest. The schools at each level with the most sign-ups receive the prize donation courtesy of Douglas County Libraries Foundation.

Flock to the Library participants of all ages can also log minutes online to help meet this year’s community challenge of 9.5 million minutes read. If the goal is met, Douglas County Libraries Foundation will donate $1,000 to HawkQuest of Parker, a nonprofit whose mission is to make education both meaningful and fun, while creating an atmosphere that fosters respect for the land and for the stewardship of all living things.

To learn more and register for Flock to the Library and related events, visit DCL.org/summer-reading.

Douglas County Libraries elevates our community by inspiring a love of reading, discovery and connection.

For immediate release: January 17, 2024

On January 9, 2024, the Douglas County Libraries Board of Trustees approved the library’s 2024 budget with an estimated taxpayer savings of $5 million. This budget approval will help sustain library services and quality, while temporarily lowering the library’s tax levy this year.

In response to escalating tax assessments in Douglas County, the library’s Board of Trustees limited revenue growth to the rate of inflation and within the library’s historic average of about 6% each year. This temporary change is expected to result in estimated savings of over $5 million for Douglas County taxpayers.

After being called into special session by Governor Polis in November 2023 over the statewide escalation of property taxes, the Colorado Legislature changed the state’s property tax appraisal rates and added deductions setting back county assessor support to determine the library’s 2024 revenue. Rather than completing the budget in early December 2023, the board passed the library’s budget and allocated funding on January 9, 2024.

Visit DCL.org/board for more board and budget-related information.

Douglas County Libraries elevates our community by inspiring a love of reading, discovery and connection.

For immediate release: January 12, 2024

Douglas County Libraries customers reached a major milestone in 2023: 1.4 million e-books and audiobooks were borrowed during the year. This milestone highlights DCL’s commitment to serving the community in innovative ways, including through its large catalog of e-books, audiobooks, and other digital content.

“We love that we are meeting users where they are, and that we’re providing formats that work for our customers both inside and outside the library,” said DCL Collection Development Librarian Angie Brown.

DCL has offered 24/7 access to e-books and audiobooks through OverDrive and the Libby reading app for many years but saw a 16% increase in checkouts last year, with the library hitting the one-million checkout mark earlier than ever before, in mid-September, Brown said.

DCL’s highest-circulating title in OverDrive was “Fourth Wing” by Rebecca Yarros, in audiobook format. The most popular e-book was “Happy Place” by Emily Henry.

All readers need to access digital books from DCL is a valid library card, and they can use any major device, including Apple, Android, Chromebook and Kindle.

Readers may access DCL’s digital library at DCL.org/digital-media or via the library’s catalog.

Douglas County Libraries elevates our community by inspiring a love of reading, discovery and connection.