 | Library History |
The Adams County Public Library [ACPL] became the Adams County Library System [ACLS] in 1988. January 1st, 2004, the Library System officially became a Library District, with the name changed to Adams County Library District. This was an interim name.
On April 21st, 2004, the Library Board approved the new name of Rangeview Library District, after a public contest was held to select a new name. The new name is being phased into use.
Early Years
The ACPL provided its first service to the residents of Adams County in 1953, when the Community Chest allocated funds for a bookmobile demonstration. The Colorado State Library provided both the mobile unit and the books to stock the unit. In 1954, the library received funding from the County; and in 1959, the first Adams County bookmobile was purchased. The ACPL continued to serve Adams County residents exclusively with bookmobile service until sometime in the mid 1950s, when the first walk-in facility was opened in the Thornton Shopping Center at 88th and North Washington. This walk-in facility was located in the custodian's closet of a Miller's supermarket.
Thornton Branch
In 1958 the Thornton Branch Library was established in a small room in the new Thornton municipal building at 95th and Dorothy Blvd. In 1960 the Thornton Branch moved to more spacious quarters - 700 square feet of space located in the Thornton Shopping Center at 88th and Washington. This was a community cooperative project - the lease was donated by the shopping center; the space was furnished and remodeled by donations from the community; utilities and maintenance were paid by the city of Thornton. The Thornton Branch was moved back to the Thornton municipal building on Dorothy Blvd on June 1, 1966, this time into the basement. The library shared the Dorothy Blvd. building with the Thornton water department as city hall had been moved to 8992 North. In 1975, the Thornton Branch was moved to the Thornton Recreation Center on Eppinger Blvd. In 1989, the present Thornton Branch was opened at 8992 North Washington.
Perl Mack Branch
In 1966, a small reading center was included in the Lions' Community Building adjacent to the Scott Carpenter Swimming Pool (71st and Mariposa) in the Perl Mack area. This reading center remained in operation until the Perl Mack Branch opened in 1976.
Commerce City Branch
A branch library was included in the Commerce City City Hall in 1967; and in 1977, the present Commerce City Branch was opened.
Bennett Branch
In 1969, a storefront facility was opened to serve the community of Bennett and the present Bennett Branch was opened in 1974.
Northglenn Branch
The Northglenn Branch on Huron was occupied in 1969, and, in 1983, the Northglenn Branch expanded into the garden level of the Huron building.
Brighton Branch
The Brighton City Library was absorbed into the ACPL system in 1970, and occupied space in the old Brighton Municipal Building (6th and Bush) until the Brighton Branch was opened in 1972.
Strasburg Services
The community of Strasburg was served by the ACPL bookmobile until 1985, when arrangements were made to house a renovated bookmobile on the school parking lot. The Strasburg "Mini Branch" was opened in 1987 and for its first years of its operation, it was operated entirely by volunteers. A permanent staff person was hired for the "mini branch" in 1989. In 1995 the "mini branch" moved into a modular classroom unit located next to the elementary school and loaned by Strasburg School District 31-J. The branch closed in 2000 as the school system needed the classroom space occupied by the library. The library resumed weekly bookmobile service to Strasburg in 2001, stopping at the school during the school year and downtown in the summer.
Administration
The ACPL/ACLS administrative offices have occupied space in a variety of buildings: in a Quonset hut behind Westminster High School; in the basement of a junior high school; in a Quonset hut which had previously housed Thornton's municipal offices; in a storefront on 74th and Lowell in Westminster; and in the back room adjoining the reading center in the Lions' Community Building. Administrative offices were moved to the Northglenn Branch when that building opened in 1969.
In 1983, when the Northglenn Branch expanded into administrative space, administrative offices were moved to storefront offices at 120th and Washington. Administrative offices moved to their present location - the first floor of the building which houses the Thornton Branch - in 1989.
Timeline
1953: Library Services first provided to county residents by a bookmobile. A group of citizens obtained funds from the Community Chest for a trial bookmobile demonstration. The Colorado State Library provided a bookmobile unit and 5,000 books for the demonstration. The state library continued its support for several years.
1954: County funding was received for the Adams County Public Library - the first library budget was $6,000. Bookmobile services continued in cooperation with the state library.
1955-1957: The library's headquarters were housed in a Quonset hut behind Westminster High School, which was moved behind Hodgkins Junior High in 1957. The first ACPL walk-in facility opened in the Thornton Shopping Center in the custodial closet of Miller's Supermarket.
1958: The Thornton Branch Library was established in a small room in the new Thornton municipal building at 95th and Dorothy Blvd., September 1958. Library headquarters and the bookmobile were moved to the Quonset hut which was the former Thornton municipal building.
1959: The first ACPL bookmobile was purchased.
1960: An initiative to create a recreation district with a library in a recreation center near Thornton City Hall failed. The Thornton Branch moved to 700 square feet of space located in the Thornton Shopping Center at 88th and Washington. This was a community cooperative project - the lease was donated by the shopping center; the space was furnished and remodeled by donations from the community; utilities and maintenance were paid by the city of Thornton. Administration moved to the vacated post office in Westminster at 74th and Lowell.
1962 - 1963: Various sites were proposed for a permanent library facility in Thornton, among them sites at 88th and Corona, in the Thornton Shopping Center; in the Northland Shopping Center, which was located on the southeast corner of 88th and Washington; and on 91st, between Clarkson and Washington. None of these sites became a reality for various reasons.
1963: A second bookmobile was acquired and placed into operation.
1965: Adams County Library and Adams Centennial Lions Club entered into joint agreement to build a building at 7125 Mariposa to house library administration and a reading center.
1966: The first Perl Mack Branch opened in the Centennial Lions Club Building. The Thornton Branch moved back to the Thornton municipal building on Dorothy Blvd on June 1, 1966 - into the basement. City hall had been moved to 8992 North Washington and the library shared the Dorothy Blvd. building with the Thornton water department.
1967: The Commerce City Branch was established as a joint venture with the city of Commerce City. It opened in the new Commerce City City Hall at 5291 East 60th Avenue on March 8, 1967.
1969: The Bennett Branch was established in storefront at the corner of 7th and Washington. The Northglenn Branch and new administrative offices were opened at 10530 N. Huron in December 1969.
1970: Brighton Public Library became part of the ACPL system and occupied space in the old Brighton Municipal Building at 6th and Bush.
1972: The Brighton branch moved to its present location at 575 S. 8th, August 1972.
1974: The Bennett Branch moved to its present location at 475 7th Street (the original address was 680 Lincoln).
1975: The Thornton Branch moved to 2211 Eppinger Blvd as part of the Recreation Center Complex, October 1975.
1976: The Perl Mack Branch opened at its present location at 7611 Hilltop Circle.
1977: The Commerce City opened at 72nd and Monaco.
1983: The Northglenn Branch was expanded into the garden level previously occupied by administration. Administration moved into rented storefront space at 120th and Washington.
1987: The Strasburg "Mini Branch" opened - a renovated bookmobile was located on the Strasburg school parking lot.
1989: The Thornton Branch moved to its current location at 8992 Washington Street and opened on March 15, 1989. Later that year administration also moved into this building.
1994 : The present bookmobile was acquired.
1995: The Strasburg Mini Branch was moved into a modular classroom unit located next to the elementary school. Space was loaned by the school district with the understanding that the school would probably need the space at some future time.
2000: The Strasburg Mini Branch was closed as the school district needed the space occupied by the library.
2001: The bookmobile resumed regular weekly service to Strasburg.
2004: The Library system becomes a library district on January 1st. On April 21st, the system was renamed the Rangeview Library District.
2005: January 1st, the Rangeview Library District becomes independent of Adams County Government. February 2nd, the District goes live on the Horizon Automated Library System software. All terminals were replaced by PCs for the conversion.
Last updated: 11 October 2007 03:59 PM Mountain Time
Rangeview Library District
11658 N. Huron, Northglenn, CO 80234
Ph: 303 288-2001