Playful Pets Playscape Makes a Delightful Debut at Library

Posted on by melissa

For immediate release: December 26, 2017

Douglas County Libraries in Lone Tree, 10055 Library Way, is excited to introduce its new Playful Pets Animal Clinic and Animal Grooming playscape, a fun, interactive space for children that inspires imaginative play and self-guided learning.

Playful Pets is a museum-quality installation near the children’s area where kids can discover and act out various aspects of veterinary-style pet care using provided tools, devices, and their imaginations. In the Animal Clinic, kid vets can don lab coats and examine stuffed animal patients using play veterinary devices and equipment. They can also groom the stuffed animals in the Animal Grooming spa using provided brushes, combs and other tools.

“Moms and caregivers have been asking for a play area like this at Lone Tree since we opened in July 2016,” says Lone Tree Branch Manager Susan Byrne. “They loved The Market at our Highlands Ranch branch and felt we should have something similar here. We’re thrilled to finally be able to offer Playful Pets.”

Studies show that children develop important social and emotional skills through interactive play. Playful Pets Animal Clinic and Animal Grooming provide the library’s youngest patrons with innovative, playful spaces where they can interact with each other and library materials as they play and learn.

“The kids are having a blast with our new Playful Pets playscape,” says Byrne. “They’re super busy checking out the X-ray machine and grooming the stuffed cats and dogs. The best part is, they’re learning while they’re playing,” she adds.

Douglas County Libraries elevates our community by inspiring a love of reading, discovery and connection. For more information, call (303) 791-7323 or visit DCL.org.

 

Douglas County Libraries Introduces Online High School Diploma and Career Certification Program

Posted on by melissa

For immediate release November 6, 2017:

Adults in Douglas County can now access help with completing their high school requirements and realizing their career goals through Douglas County Libraries (DCL) and its new Career Online High School (COHS) program.

COHS is an accredited online high school diploma and career certification program for adults ages 19 and older. The program is fully online, allowing students to complete the courses on their own schedule and at their own pace. A six- to 18-month commitment to the program is required, depending on previously earned high school credits.

“What’s great about this program is that even though coursework is entirely online, students have access to a personal academic coach who can offer encouragement and guidance as needed through text, email or by phone,” says Tiffany Curtin, adult literacy specialist with DCL. “They’ll also have in-person support from DCL staff members, and can participate in career prep webinars that provide the tools they’ll need after graduation,” she says.

Interested students who pass an online self-assessment, prerequisite course, and interview may be eligible for a grant to complete the program. DCL will grant up to 25 scholarships to qualified students with assistance from the Colorado State Library.

Curtin says students who do not qualify for the COHS program are able to take advantage of the library’s high school equivalency (HSE) prep classes. “GED students with high scores can even earn college credit,” she says. “We are happy to discuss all options with potential students to help them on their path to reaching their education goals.”

To learn more about COHS, visit DCL.org/cohs or call 303-791-7323.

Help Neighbors in Need by Donating Toiletries at Douglas County Libraries Locations

Posted on by melissa

For immediate release August 29, 2017:

Douglas County Libraries is holding a communitywide Toiletries Drive through Sunday, September 10, supporting the charitable work of the Douglas/Elbert Task Force. Collection boxes are available at all DCL locations (except Louviers) for donations of much-needed toiletries, including:

  • Toothbrushes/toothpaste
  • Shampoo/conditioner
  • Soap/body wash
  • Deodorant
  • Feminine hygiene products
  • Diapers (size 3, 4, 5, 6)
  • Baby wipes
  • Laundry pods
  • Toilet paper
  • Paper towels
  • Facial tissue
  • Dish soap
  • Cash donations and gift cards also gratefully accepted

“Douglas County Libraries’ annual staff day event usually focuses on staff development, but this year we wanted to look outside of ourselves and focus on more altruistic efforts, like helping our neighbors in need and giving back to the wonderful communities we serve,” says Art Glover, director of human resources at Douglas County Libraries.

Part of that giving back includes an all-staff volunteer effort on Friday, September 15, when DCL employees will pitch in around Douglas County to work on things like:

  • Assisting with the Douglas/Elbert Task Force Toiletries Drive and Food Bank in Castle Rock.
  • Trail cleanup and planting in Roxborough with the Audubon Society of Greater Denver.
  • Crafting handmade cards for children facing challenges with Cardz for Kidz in Parker.
  • Trail cleanup for the City of Parker.
  • Stitching handmade hats and blankets for Sky Ridge Hospital newborns in Lone Tree.

Toiletry donations will be accepted at DCL locations through Sunday, September 10. For more information, visit DCL.org or call 303-791-7323.

The Douglas/Elbert Task Force strives to meet the immediate needs of residents of Douglas and Elbert counties who are in financial distress and/or at risk of becoming homeless. The organization works directly with its clients to help them work through troublesome times by providing essential services with dignity, kindness and respect. For more information about the Douglas/Elbert Task Force, visit detaskforce.org.

Douglas County Libraries elevates our community by inspiring a love of reading, discovery and connection. For more information, visit DCL.org or call 303-791-7323.

Douglas County Libraries Partners With Local Brewers for 4th Annual Great Douglas County Brew Tour

Posted on by melissa

For immediate release: August 22, 2017

Douglas County Libraries’ (DCL’s) Great Douglas County Brew Tour returns in September for its fourth year, serving up local flavor through partnerships with area businesses and inviting Douglas County residents to experience their library in unexpected ways. This year’s tour includes nine craft breweries and a coffee house, adding to the variety of places residents can enjoy specialty brews and excellent events.

The Brew Tour kicks off on Thursday, August 31, at Grist Brewing Company Lab in Lone Tree, with live music, giveaways, beer specials and grub from Savvy Daddy Dogs’ food truck—with 100 percent of the food sale proceeds benefiting the DCL Foundation. Events at other participating businesses during September include beer and chocolate pairings, beer and cheese pairings, “crafty brews,” and hipster coffee. In addition, several breweries are crafting limited-edition library libations that will be tapped during the Brew Tour.

“This fun tour allows Douglas County Libraries to highlight our partnerships with businesses that are a special part of our community all through September,” says Kerri Morgan, program and events supervisor with DCL. “And it’s also a great opportunity for us to reach patrons who aren’t our typical library users. So it’s a win-win for us and the participating businesses,” she adds.

Participating in the Brew Tour is free and offers delicious opportunities to enjoy fresh-brewed beer and coffee. Participants can collect a commemorative Great Douglas County Brew Tour glass by getting a passport stamped at each stop on the tour—or at least five—and then bringing the completed passport to any DCL location (except Louviers). Participants must be age 21 or older, and glasses are available while supplies last.

Participating Breweries & Coffee House

  • 105 West Brewing Company – 1043 Park St., Castle Rock
  • 3 Freaks Brewery – 7140 E. County Line Rd., Highlands Ranch
  • Barnett & Son Brewing Company – 18425 Pony Express Dr., Parker
  • Castle Rock Beer Company, 514 Perry St., Castle Rock
  • Downhill Brewing Company (Formerly Elk Mountain) – 18921 E. Plaza Dr., Parker
  • Grist Brewing Company – 9150 Commerce Center Cir. #300, Highlands Ranch
  • Grist Brewing Company Lab – 9535 Park Meadows Dr., Lone Tree
  • Living the Dream Brewing Company – 12305 N. Dumont Way, Littleton
  • Lone Tree Brewing Company, 8200 Park Meadows Dr. #8222, Lone Tree
  • Rockyard Brewing Company – 880 Castleton Rd., Castle Rock
  • Monk & Mongoose Gourmet Coffee – 9580 RidgeGate Pkwy., Lone Tree

The Brew Tour also makes stops at Light Rail’s Lincoln Station on September 12 and 15, from 3-6 p.m. Commuters can grab DCL freebies and get suggestions for matching great brews with favorite books.

For more information about the Brew Tour and events, visit DCL.org/outside-the-lines or call 303-791-7323.

The Great Douglas County Brew Tour is part of Outside the Lines, an annual Colorado library-led initiative to reintroduce libraries to their communities in engaging and creative ways.

Community Celebration Honors the 100th Anniversary of the Louviers Village Club House

Posted on by melissa

For immediate release: August 10, 2017

The Louviers Village Club House has been the community center in Louviers since 1917, housing various amenities for locals over the years such as a mercantile, post office, reading room, shooting range and barbershop. Today, the building houses the Louviers branch of Douglas County Libraries (DCL), as well as event space and a two-lane bowling alley. To commemorate the clubhouse’s 100th anniversary, DCL in Louviers is hosting an open house celebration on Saturday, August 26, from 10 a.m.-noon.

The anniversary celebration will honor the storied history of the clubhouse, with an old-fashioned ice cream social, games like horseshoes and ring toss, crafts and more, and guests from various historical societies and groups will be on hand. It will also offer community members a first look at the library’s newly updated space, which includes refinished floors, restored historic furniture, new carpets, and fresh paint.

“Louviers is a community that treasures its history and its library, and DCL is excited to celebrate the building’s 100-year anniversary with them and unveil renovations that will help keep the library going strong,” says Jill Seeland, patron service technician with DCL in Louviers.

The town of Louviers was established in the early 1900s as a DuPont company town with the goal of attracting long-term employees for what was then the nearby DuPont dynamite plant and housing the workers and their families. The clubhouse built in 1917 replaced a smaller clubhouse that was built in 1908 for the recreational use of DuPont employees.

The Louviers Village Club House is on the National Register of Historic Places, and Louviers Village is designated as a Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places.

For more information on the clubhouse’s 100-year anniversary celebration hosted by DCL, call 303-791-7323 or visit DCL.org.

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