NEWS
www.bouldercolorado.gov

Closures:
• All city administrative offices
• All library branches
• All senior centers

Open regular hours:
• All city recreation centers
• Boulder Reservoir
• Flatirons Golf Course

Open with revised hours:
• Pottery Lab is open from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Parking:
• All city lots, meters and garages are free.

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With the unexpected closure of the café on October 1, the Boulder Public Library (BPL) is undertaking a complete review of the alternatives for offering food services at Main Library.   The process we are working with is one that will help us address several matters and result in offering the best possible food service, as a compliment to the library experience.

The most significant matter we must address in replacing the previous café with a similar food service is the lack of adequate utilities on the bridge, including water, sewer and electrical power.  A new operator of a similar food service will be required to comply with all applicable Health Department regulations.  This will require making some important capital investments in order to meet these code requirements.  Within these considerations, potential vendors will need to address necessary items to appropriately outfit the space. The equipment and fixtures previously at the café on the library bridge were not owned by the library. It is also important to note that there are currently no capital resources available in the library budget to make such an investment at this time.

As a result, we are considering a wide array of alternative food service delivery models, menus and locations within the library so that we can creatively explore the best options for our customers. We also expect that this will give many vendors the opportunity to consider a partnership with the library.

A request for proposals (RFP) will be released in mid-December, and library staff expects to make a decision on the best proposal in late January.  Assuming that no unforeseen obstacles are encountered, we hope to resume food service in February or early March.

The library understands that our customers and staff desire a robust food service that enhances the experience at Main Library.  We appreciate your patience as we work through this deliberate process to identify the best alternative.

If you have questions about the City of Boulder RFP process, please contact Calder Grey in the Purchasing Division at:  greyc@bouldercolorado.gov.

The Reynolds Branch Library will be closed from Monday, Nov. 9th through Monday, Nov. 16th, while new carpet is installed.  We apologize for any inconvenience.

Boulder City Council voted last night to approve a 2010 City budget that will keep Boulder Public Library branches and Main Library hours in 2010 consistent with 2009. Simply put, the libraries will remain open at the same hours next year.

Over the past several months, Library staff has worked diligently to find budget savings that would allow the branches to remain open and the City Manager’s Office looked into ways to find funding to keep Main Library Sunday hours consistent. This process has involved a great deal of thought, concern and attention by many people.

“We’re thrilled to know where we are in the big picture for the coming year and moving forward with creating deep and wonderful experiences for the 21st Century Boulder Library Learner,” said Library and Arts Director Tony Tallent.

Information on Library hours: www.boulderlibrary.org/locations/

The Boulder Arts Commission’s Dance Bridge won the statewide Colorado Dance Award for Service to the Field (for Organizations) on Saturday, Oct. 24. The Colorado Dance Awards are held annually by the Colorado Dance Alliance to recognize excellence in the dance community.

The Dance Bridge acts as a clearing-house for dancers and dance-related activities in the area. Residents are encouraged to utilize the Dance Bridge when seeking information on individual dance artists, performances, classes, studios, teachers, workshops and events. While providing equal access to all forms of dance, the Dance Bridge encourages quality program development, promoting communication and collaboration to increase publicity, coordinate activities and share services.

“Dance Bridge Manager Mary Wohl Haan has created an invaluable resource for Boulder’s dance community and to see her tireless efforts recognized by the Colorado Dance Alliance is so rewarding,” said Donna Gartenmann, Arts & Culture manager for the City of Boulder.

In May 2003, the Boulder Arts Commission (BAC) established the Dance Bridge, a new arts resource center for Boulder’s diverse dance community. Spearheaded by the BAC and the Boulder County Arts Alliance (BCAA), members of the dance community participated in forums and discussions moving towards a consensus on common needs, ideas and direction. BAC monies that had served the dance community for years funded the Dance Bridge, a multifaceted project aimed to broaden public participation in dance through support, promotion and the centralization of services and resources.

Information about the Dance Bridge: www.artsresource.org.

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Boulder Police will host a free laptop registration event from 3 to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 28, in the Main Boulder Public Library Reference Area, 1001 Arapahoe Ave.
Information: Library Reference Department, 303-441-3194

Robert Cohen directed “Inside Red China” in 1957, defying a U.S. State Department travel ban to film for NBC television. The filmmaker, a resident of Boulder since 1993, will be available to answer audience questions following the screening at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 23, at the Main Boulder Public Library’s Canyon Theater.
Cohen, an army veteran, was studying for his PhD in Paris when he went to China for NBC. During his 45-day tour in China for the filming, he became the first American to film China since the 1949 Communist victory, documenting forbidden things such as bridges, aircraft, tanks and the “brain washing” of political prisoners. Cohen received a letter of commendation for this film from Under-Secretary of State Chester Bowles, during the Kennedy-Johnson administration. Today, with foreign tourists and business people able to visit a China rapidly filling with modern factories and cities, “Inside Red China” provides a rare insight into that vast nation’s tumultuous past.
Information: Joel Haertling, Film Program coordinator, haertlingj@boulderlibrary.org.

We’re sorry to report that the owner of the Espress-Oh! café found it necessary to close the café on Oct. 1 for personal reasons. Between Oct. 1 and mid-November, the owner will be removing furnishings and fixtures from the Main Library bridge. After the removal of these fixtures, several repairs need to be made to the space. Library staff anticipates sending out a solicitation for food services for the Main Library within 60 days after the repairs are completed. Once the solicitation is released, the request for proposals will be posted on the City of Boulder website at the following link: http://www.bouldercolorado.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1042&Itemid=392

Thank you!

September is National Library Card Sign-Up Month, and Boulder Public Library wants to make sure that all children in our community have the smartest card of all – a library card. Studies show that children who are read to in the home and who use the library perform better in school and are more likely to continue to use the library as a source of lifetime learning.

“Getting your free library card is easy!” said Library and Arts Director Tony Tallent. Visit www.boulderlibrary.org and click on “Library Card Info” to get card details. Boulder Public Library debuted six new library card designs, which now include a key ring card as well, with Library Card Sign-Up Month, and set a goal of opening 1,500 new library card accounts this month.

A new feature on the Boulder Library Web site is a value calculator, allowing you to plug in some simple reading and spending habits to figure out how much your free library card can save you each month. Go to www.boulderlibrary.org/about/value_calc.html or visit www.boulderlibrary.org and click on the “About the Library” link to find the value calculator.

“A library card has always been the most important school supply of all,” said Tallent. “Kids can go to the library to get homework help and check out books, but they can also play games, check out music and DVDs and use the Internet to help make after school life fun. And it’s all free with a library card.”

Throughout September, Boulder library staff are out at community events like the Farmer’s Market, the new Hill Flea, as well as public schools, and staffing tables on the Pearl Street Mall and at other local park areas to show community members how much the library offers and to sign people up for a library card on-the-spot.

Boulder Public Library: www.boulderlibrary.org or call 303-441-3100.

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This summer, Boulder Public Library challenged adult readers to submit 1,001 novels that they felt everyone should read. Based on the book, “1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die,” library staff rallied readers to help create a uniquely Boulder list. The program, which ended Sept.1, garnered 1,037 submissions and 762 unique titles!

The top novels chosen were:
“To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee
“Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen
“Water for Elephants” by Sara Gruen
“Poisonwood Bible” by Barbara Kingsolver
“Lonesome Dove” by Larry McMurtry
“Life of Pi” by Yann Martel
“Mists of Avalon” by Marion Zimmer Bradley
“Angle of Repose” by Wallace Stegner

Visit Boulder Public Library’s Web site, www.boulderlibrary.org, to see the complete list, click on the “Focus on Fiction” box. Information: 303-441-3194.