Prepare yourselves, Parker residents. A “bookworm” several thousand feet long is coming.
No, it’s not an impossibly large insect bibliophile. in Parker will celebrate the grand opening of its 40,000-square-foot new home at 20105 East Mainstreet on by taking the last few books off the shelves of its old space and passing them hand-to-hand along a 0.8-mile human chain to the new building.
The so-called “” is an homage to the book-moving chain residents formed when the library moved from its tiny original location in downtown Parker to its current home — a bowling alley turned library at 10851 S. Crossroads Drive – in 1995, officials say.
Parker resident Laura Irwin said she was thinking of being part of the bookworm. She visits the library a couple of times per week, and is looking forward to seeing what the new building, roughly twice as big as its predecessor, has to offer.
“I like the idea of more meeting rooms, and I think there is going to be more space for kids,” said Irwin. “That will be nice.”
This will be the third and final branch move for the library district this year. The Sept. 24 grand opening will mark the end of a multi-year effort to replace overcrowded branch buildings in Castle Pines, () Lone Tree () and Parker. The district invested — a third of which came from borrowing and financing and the rest from the districtap savings — in the new buildings, officials said.
More meeting rooms and community space are features included in all the new buildings. The new Parker branch has six study rooms, a large room for story times and other kids programs, and a pair of large meeting space on the second floor, including a 321-person capacity hall that overlooks the the Town of Parker is building to the west.
“Currently, in this building, we have 52 chairs. A lot of times there is no place to sit,” Parker branch manager Amy Long said of the old space. “Our goal going into the new building was to triple the amount of seating and the amount of meeting space.”
Long said Parker had a total circulation of 1,155,018 in 2015, but the library developed a “grab-and-go” style culture among patrons, in part due to a lack of seating. She hoping a roomier space, with more chairs, more natural light and a 20 percent larger collection will change that.
“I think if we provide people with the space to come and stay awhile, they will,” she said.
The Mainstreet building features a lounge area just inside the entrance with an automated laptop checkout station. Beyond that is a space Long has dubbed the “learning zone.” It features groups of tables and chairs near the young adult section. It can be used for tutoring sessions, casual meetings and a variety of others things based on user needs. The building will also house an improved, purpose-built version of Parker’s Fusion media lab space. , which gives users access to professional-grade software and equipment to record and edit high-quality video and audio.
Douglas County Libraries Executive Director Bob Pasicznyuk said the feedback he has received on the new Castle Pines and Lone Tree branches is that people like the variety they offer. Like Parker, they feature active spaces, like kids area with light-up walls and other interactive fun, as well as more sedate, quieter reading areas including lounges with fireplaces.
“What we’re hearing is that people have the ability to find their spot,” Pasicznyuk said. “Patrons told us that variety and personal choice really matter. We heard that. To see people actually validate that is really wonderful.”
Be part of the worm: The Douglas County Libraries in Parker building at 10851 S. Crossroads Drive will close for good at 5 p.m. Aug. 31 to facilitate moving. The ribbon will be cut on the new branch at 11 a.m. Sept. 24. To be part of the Community Bookworm, 9 to 11 a.m. Sept. 24, register in person with library staff or visit to register online.