Dear Editor,

I served on the Gilpin County Public Library Board of Trustees from 2008 to 2013 and every year we would sit down with Finance Director Clorinda Smith and hash over the details of the budget. The discussion was always cordial, Clorinda always sympathetic, but to paraphrase the old Rolling Stones tune, GCPL couldn’t always get what it wanted, but it did get what it needed -- until this year’s pandemic and the accompanying financial trainwreck that has crippled nearly all sectors at every level of our country. The steep decline in county revenue threatens to close the library unless we as residents commit to a very modest tax increase ($20 for the average assessed Gilpin property value).

I remember scanning the numbers and scratching my head at my first library budget meeting. GCPL is unusual among libraries in that the mill levy for its operation was set in 1985 and has remained the same for 35 years with the remainder provided by the county, primarily from gaming revenue. In contrast, most library districts have predictable funding, year after year. As former assistant director of the Nederland Public Library, I’ve looked at a lot of library budgets since then and I can say that Gilpin’s operating costs are on par or below that of comparable libraries. Thanks in part to the generosity of Dr. Elaine Schoelzel who helped finance the expansion of the library in 2008, Gilpin is one of the finest small rural libraries in the state (Nederland Public Library is another).

I’ve read other letters of support for GCPL that highlight the media and services Gilpin provides. Even if you’re not a reader, it’s great to borrow DVDs, museum and state park passes and to take advantage of special events like art exhibits, poetry readings and presentations on local history. And to have access to resourceful librarians. But another underappreciated service is Internet and technology access which is challenging in remote rural counties where many people can only get low-speed Internet service or have fixed income and can’t budget for a computer or Internet. As we become more dependent on the Web for time and gas-saving conveniences including online banking, filing taxes and our children’s schooling (particularly during the pandemic when services are curtailed), I have seen patrons in the parking lot or perched on a bench outside at the Ned Library using the WiFi. Internet access is no longer a luxury. Neither are today’s libraries which are much more than just books.

Steel industry tycoon Andrew Carnegie appreciated the contribution of libraries to community quality of life when he committed much of his wealth towards the construction of over 2,500 libraries in this country. The small southern Colorado town I am moving to has one of those beautiful old Carnegie libraries. The town has been impacted financially by the pandemic and has committed their budget support to stand by its library.

I urge you to stand by the Gilpin Library. Vote Yes on 6A which will provide a solid future for one of our county’s greatest assets. The building is up to date -- let’s update its financial foundation as well.

For more explanation of the Gilpin Library mill levy: https://www.gilpinlibrary.org/mill-levy-faqs.html

Tom Lambrecht
somewhere between Gilpin and El Paso Counties