For immediate release: February 16, 2023

Photography show lays a foundation for destigmatizing mental health.

Douglas County Libraries is proud to host The Sammy Project, a traveling photography show that brings awareness to mental health and seeks to destigmatize it through personal portraits and stories of young adults living with mental health challenges. The Sammy Project, by Whitney Yeager, is on display at the library’s Castle Rock location (100 S. Wilcox St.) through February, and will travel to the libraries in Highlands Ranch in March, Parker in April, and Lone Tree in May.

“The power of the Sammy Project is that it shows the faces of mental health and tells their stories,” said Jaime Gotlieb, Community Services and Partnerships Manager at Douglas County Libraries (DCL). “Hopefully, by normalizing conversations around mental health, more people will open up about their struggles and seek the support and help they need in whatever way is most appropriate.”

The stories shared in the Sammy Project can show others who might be struggling that they are not alone and that happiness and success are completely within reach.

According to Gotlieb, mental health is a strategic priority for DCL. “We are looking for opportunities to support the very important work being done in our communities by mental health professionals in different community organizations,” she said.

DCL currently has active relationships with several organizations, including Douglas County Mental Health Initiative, AllHealth Network, and Douglas County School District. In addition, Douglas County Libraries Foundation has provided books to groups such as SecondAct Women and Douglas County School District to help support mental health programming.

The library also takes the mental health of its employees seriously, providing training and resources for staff to use personally and/or in their work.

“Ultimately, we would love to be part of the solution of encouraging the positive mental health of our communities,” Gotlieb said.

The Sammy Project exhibit at DCL is free and open during normal library hours. For more information, visit DCL.org/featured-events.

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

About The Sammy Project

The Sammy Project is a photography show in honor of Sam Yeager, artist Whitney Yeager’s son. It takes great courage to write about one’s mental health, which traditionally is kept very private. In doing so, the participants in this project take agency over their struggles, and in the process we honor our son, brother, grandson, friend and neighbor Samuel Boone Yeager, whose life was cut short in 2021. Had he felt comfortable to talk about his mental illness and ask for help, Sam might still be here today.

The mission of this photography show is to lay the foundation toward destigmatizing mental health. With suicide on the rise (Colorado is traditionally listed in the top 10 states in the nation for suicide), having an open attitude about our internal struggles is more important than ever before. If people could talk as easily about mental health as they can about diabetes or any other ailment, countless lives could be improved and possibly saved. Learn more at thesammyproject.com. Anyone interested in participating in the project may email Whitney at the following email address: whitneyyeager@icloud.com.

The Sammy Project is on exhibit at Douglas County Libraries in Castle Rock through February. It moves to DCL in Highlands Ranch in March, Parker in April, and Lone Tree in May. Photo credit: Hutch Tibbetts, Douglas County Libraries

Sydney’s portrait and story are featured in The Sammy Project, along with several other participants. Photo courtesy of Whitney Yeager, thesammyproject.com.

Whitney Yeager created The Sammy Project in honor of her late son, Sam. Photo courtesy of Whitney Yeager, thesammyproject.com.

For immediate release: February 7, 2023

Together with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, Douglas County Libraries is sending books to children in Douglas County.

CASTLE ROCK, Colo.—Douglas County Libraries is excited to put great books into the hands of children across Douglas County through its new partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Through the Imagination Library, children from birth to age five receive high-quality, age-appropriate books every month, for free, that they get to keep.

“We are thrilled to bring Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to DCL and to provide even more literacy-rich experiences to children in Douglas County,” said Mary Lanni, Youth Literacy Outreach Specialist at Douglas County Libraries. “This program is the perfect complement to our early literacy programs and our broader vision of inspiring a love of reading, discovery and connection in our community.”

Parents and guardians may register their children from birth to age five to get started receiving books every month, delivered directly to them. Every child in a family may participate, including twins, and receive their own age-appropriate book when registered individually. There is no charge for participating in the program.

“We know that reading to children builds strong foundations in literacy and increases the potential for learning success in school,” said Lanni. “By reaching the 19,000-plus children under age five in Douglas County through this program, we are aiming to support school readiness as children and their caregivers are offered even more opportunities to read together.”

Funding for the program in Douglas County is currently provided equally by the State of Colorado’s Imagination Library program funds and Douglas County Libraries.

Visit DCL.org/imagination-library to learn more and register for the program.

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

About Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

Since launching in 1995, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has become the preeminent early childhood book-gifting program in the world. The flagship program of The Dollywood Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, has gifted over 200 million free books in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and The Republic of Ireland. This is achieved through funding shared by The Dollywood Foundation and local community partners. The Imagination Library mails more than 2 million high-quality, age-appropriate books each month to enrolled children from birth to age five. Dolly envisioned creating a lifelong love of reading and inspiring children to Dream More, Learn More, Care More and Be More.

The program has been widely researched and results demonstrate its positive impact on early childhood development and literacy skills. Penguin Random House is the exclusive publisher for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. For more information, please visit imaginationlibrary.com.

Photo courtesy of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.

Photo courtesy of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.

Photo courtesy of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.

For immediate release: December 21, 2022

Families looking for kid-friendly entertainment during winter break can find it at Douglas County Libraries’ Forest of Stories. The interactive exhibit at all DCL locations includes a twinkling display of trees decked in beloved children’s tales, classic literature, comedy, crime thrillers, mysteries, classic rock, manga, and more, plus life-sized trimmings. The exhibit is free and open during library operating hours through January 7, 2023; no ticket or registration required.

Each library features whimsical trees of all sizes trimmed in themed decor and memorabilia, plus specially coded ornaments that are part of an immersive districtwide scavenger hunt. Customers are invited to visit every DCL location, find the coded ornaments among the trees, and enter those codes online for a chance to win prizes. The more libraries visited and codes entered, the more chances to win.

Forest of Stories offers something for everyone to enjoy over winter break, from tree peeping to playing for prizes. Learn more at DCL.org/forest-of-stories.

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

The Great Gatsby is a highlight in Highlands Ranch.

Different themed Harry Potter trees can be seen at Castle Rock, Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, and Parker. Here, the Sorting Hat tree.

Jane Austen, H.G. Wells, and A Christmas Carol add sparkle to Lone Tree.

Oh, what fun in Parker! Trees shown: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, Despicable Me, and The Nightmare Before Christmas.

For immediate release: November 16, 2022

Exhibit Opens Nov. 19 at all Douglas County Libraries Locations

Douglas County Libraries is thrilled to introduce Forest of Stories, a free, interactive exhibit of over 120 decorated trees, all dressed up in stories for the holiday season. The twinkling display of trees shares the joy of stories for all ages and includes trees decked in beloved children’s tales, classic literature, crime thrillers, comedy, mysteries, and more. The exhibit is open during library operating hours at all seven locations through the first week of January 2023; no ticket or registration required.

“This incredible effort is part of DCL’s five-year strategic plan to welcome people back into our libraries and to continue inspiring a love of reading, discovery and connection for our community,” said DCL Director of Community Engagement Amber DeBerry.

Each library features themed trees with creative decorations and memorabilia, such as World War II antiques and artifacts, special lighting effects, and large-scale and life-size trimmings, among other unique details and attractions. Customers are invited to visit every location to explore the wonder of stories through an immersive experience, including a scavenger hunt for ornaments with the chance to win prizes.

“Each division in DCL contributed to making this exhibit a success. It was shaped through hard work, collaboration, and a passion for our vision,” DeBerry said.

For more information on the free exhibit, visit DCL.org/forest-of-stories.

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

The wildly popular Harry Potter fantasy novels inspired some whimsical décor on trees at DCL’s four largest libraries.

Where will the Sorting Hat send you? To Douglas County Libraries, of course, and into a Forest of Stories.

Kids (and adults!) will love revisiting favorite Winnie-the-Pooh moments through fun décor and props.

Visit Douglas County Libraries in Castle Rock to experience some classic Winnie-the-Pooh nostalgia.

For immediate release: October 26, 2022

A little extra cash materialized for four Douglas County schools and local nonprofit AllHealth Network this fall courtesy of Douglas County Libraries Foundation and DCL Summer Reading. Northridge Elementary School, Ben Franklin Academy, Mesa Middle School, and ThunderRidge High School each earned $500 for securing the most Summer Reading sign-ups per school level in DCL’s Summer Reading school contest. AllHealth Network was awarded $1,000 as the nonprofit recipient of the program’s community reading goal.

“We love that we are able to do this for our community, and it’s so fun seeing the kids get excited about reading,” said DCL Special Events Supervisor Kristen Kallio. “The schools all do such a wonderful job, and our summer readers have such a heart for our nonprofit partners.”

Summer Reading encourages reading from a young age and helps to keep kids reading during school breaks, so they grow up with a strong foundation in literacy. Readers of all ages are also encouraged to participate.

Ben Franklin Academy Librarian Deb Williams said the students there will have a say in what new books will be added to the library. “Our students take great pride and get extremely excited knowing that because of them, our library will receive more books,” she said.

Teacher Librarian Stephanie Sjoland at ThunderRidge High School said her school’s prize money will go toward either new books or new seating for the library. “I love that there are reading programs for teens and even adults now, and I had so much fun promoting this with our students last spring,” she said.

Each year, DCL encourages communitywide participation in Summer Reading through the program’s community reading challenge, which benefits a local nonprofit if the reading goal is met. This year, participants exceeded the goal of 8.5 million minutes of reading.

AllHealth Network is a compassionate provider of mental health and substance use treatment, offering a full array of clinical services at 11 locations throughout the South Denver metro area. According to AllHealth Network Clinical Officer Jen Bock, the nonprofit’s prize money will go toward therapists working on evidence-based training and consultation for youth and families.

“In addition to sending therapists through training, we will utilize the money to expand consultation offerings to include more therapists as we currently have a waiting list for this consultation time,” Bock said.

Summer Reading will return in June 2023, along with the school contest and community reading challenge.

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

AllHealth Network was the nonprofit recipient for this year’s community reading goal. Readers logged more than 8.5 million minutes of reading to make this donation possible.

Ben Franklin Academy students love to read. Since school started, they’ve checked out more than 5,700 books, according to Assistant Principal Aric Gomez, pictured with Kristen Kallio and Joan Gandy of DCL.

Mesa Middle School was tops in the middle school category for most Summer Reading sign-ups, earning their $500 prize from the Douglas County Libraries Foundation.

Northridge Elementary students show off some favorite books while accepting their prize for the elementary school with the most sign-ups.

ThunderRidge Teacher Librarian Stephanie Sjoland said they are excited to have won the school contest. Accepting the check are enthusiastic readers and members of the Tabletop Game Club, Battle of the Books, and Book Club, along with librarians Sjoland and Karen DeBlock, teachers Anthonette Klinkerman and Gen Bennett, School Principal Sean Patterson, and SRO Josh Hayes.