When I first started at ICL back in 2010, many of my friends and acquaintances remarked that it must be so great, having a job where you could read all the time. Well, let me tell you, while I do get to see the new materials that come in, my to-be-read list is miles long while my list of books I’ve actually read is shorter than I would like.  

We’re busy here at ICL and sometimes we get to see the results of all that activity and effort. In Colorado, library staff is required to submit a report with numerical data for what we do. We enter the numbers for program attendance, computer use, checkouts, new cards and much, much more. And while it’s fun and informative to see the data it doesn’t provide much in the way of real information about the impact that the library has in the community.   

So, for you data geeks out there; we had 385 new patrons in 2022. We passed out almost 300 Take & Make Kits in 2021 and over 800 in 2022. The Stuffy Sleepover had 62 stuffies participate in 2021 and 82 in 2022. Over 10,800 physical items were checked out last year. We’re seeing a significant increase in participation in programs and checkouts over the years.  

But what really makes our hearts sing is when someone stops in to let us know how our services and materials have impacted their lives. We have a young man in the IdeaLab whose family has recently returned to the area. He stopped in the library and is now learning electronics and other job skills while also planning to build a computer for himself. He returned because the library had been a safe, welcoming space when he was younger.  

Another patron mentioned how the legal clinic has helped her solve some landlord/tenant issues. Yet another stopped in to thank us for the computer help we offered during a job interview process. One parent said that they felt they received some parenting that they were lacking as a child during a literacy event.  

These are the comments that keep the library staff coming back year after year. We love knowing that we are making a difference in the lives of our patrons and our community.   

While books and reading, ideas and knowledge may have been what led us to working in a library, the passion for people and helping our patrons attain their goals is most definitely what keeps us here and engaged. As always, we hope to see you at the Library!