WE LOVE OUR LIBRARY
We’re passionate supporters of the Boulder Public Library.
WE LOVE OUR LIBRARY
We’re passionate supporters of the Boulder Public Library.
Our Library is shaping our future.
Like all Libraries, the Boulder Public Library began with books. But it’s evolved into so much more—a space that inspires creativity, empowers innovation, and encourages life-long learning.
Our Library is continually reinventing itself to best meet our community’s needs, and Boulderites clearly love it:
- 96% of households have a Boulder Public Library card—that’s 55% growth over the past decade.
- More than 1 million people visit our Library every year, and in the past 10 years, there has been a 33% increase in program participation.
- Library patrons check out more than 1.5 million items every year—an increase of 32% in the past 10 years.
- Last year, more than 12,000 new members signed up for Library cards, and volunteers contributed more than 18,000 hours of their time to Library programs.
Our Library is the cornerstone of our community. And programs are the cornerstone of our Library. By funding programs like BLDG 61 Makerspace, Lego Story Club, and Computer Science Education Week, the Boulder Library Foundation is working to ensure our Library’s remarkable work continues far into the future.
90%
The Boulder Library Foundation funds nearly 90% of our Library’s events, activities, and programs.
$4 million
Our donors have made it possible for us to invest more than $4 million in Library programs over the past decade.
Our Role
Contributors
We support and resource our Library’s staff.
Collaborators
We nurture community partnerships.
Co-Creators
Together with our partners, we make it possible for our Library to offer meaningful programs.
Our Commitment
The Boulder Library Foundation commits to supporting a community of lifetime learning and participation where all people have a sense of belonging. We continue to grow strong as a community thanks to all the races, ethnicities, languages, nationalities, religions, ages, genetic dispositions, neurodiversity, abilities, genders, sexual orientations, economic and housing statuses, veteran status, backgrounds and ideas that enrich our city and our library system.
Our Plan
In the summer of 2022, the Boulder Library Foundation board and staff embarked on a process designed to develop and adopt a three-year strategic plan. To undertake an extensive, inclusive and thoughtful process, the Foundation engaged a third-party consultant – Jennie Arborgash Consulting. Read the Executive Summary here.
Board Members
Like you, our Foundation board members care deeply about our community. We’re fortunate to have such passionate Library advocates in Boulder! Since we began our work, dozens of Boulderites have given their time, energy and expertise to our board.
Dr. Nicole Sager, PhD – President
- Educator
- Advocate
- Parent
Nicole is passionate about culturally sustaining education, social and language justice. She joined the board in 2021 and is excited to contribute to BLF’s community outreach and impact. She loves dancing, gardening, hiking and family time.
Kitty deKieffer – Vice President
- Fundraiser
- Friendraiser
- Business Person
Kitty has been very involved in non profits in the local, state and national level. She owns a farm, enjoys her non profit work and loves her son, Hunter. Libraries have been her nourishment from an early age. Sadly, she has an (un)healthy love for shoes.
Marc Levinson – Secretary
- Educator
- Entrepreneur
- Innovator
An independent schools consultant with many years of governance experience on a variety of nonprofit and for-profit boards, Marc understands and appreciates libraries. He has lived in the Boulder area for 45 years and loves tennis, gardening, cycling and hiking.
Isaac Andres – Treasurer
- World traveler
- Volleyball player
- Father of two
I’m a program manager, tech enthusiast, and children’s book author. I also grew up in Boulder, and I love how the Boulder Library has evolved to meet the needs of the community, especially with the Makerspace in BLDG 61 and the NoBo Corner library branch.
Sharon Bloom
- Friend
- Enthusiast
- Connector
Sharon is a creative connoisseur – of fiction, theater and music. A marketing professional, Sharon is a mother to two teens (both avid readers) and wife to a sci-fi loving husband. When not working Sharon can be found planning their next adventure.
Adriana Farmer
- Operator
- Optimist
- Connector
By day, Adriana brings innovative new products and ideas to market and scale. She loves reading fiction and enjoys playing outside with her husband and dog, “Champ.” She strongly believes in the library’s role of providing equal access to education.
Doris Hass – Founder
Board member since 1974.
Bill Kramer
- Entrepreneurial
- Engaged
- Enthusiastic
Bill has been immersed in books forever. Both parents had MLS degrees and his dad opened a DC bookstore months before Bill was born. Had he not decided to be an entrepreneur in books, he would have been a writer and journalist. And, now, one son has a PhD in information science.
Andy Sayler
- Hacker
- Helper
- Engineer
Andy is a computer scientist and hacker who has long loved the Boulder Public library for all it provides. When not working his day job in information security, he can be found tinkering with his house or canning fresh tomatoes.
Jenny Slade
-
- Writer
- Learner
- Birder
Jenny is a lifelong learner, reader, writer, and marketer. Her first job was shelving books in a DC library, she fell into literature at the UPenn library, learned Spanish in the library of Valencia, Spain, and frequents the Audubon library online to learn about birds.
Steven Frost – Library Commission Representative
- Artist
- Pop-Culture Evangelist
- Advocate
Steven is an artist and Assistant Professor of Media Studies at CU Boulder. They grew up in a tiny town where the library taught them to dream big and make friends. Frost became a library advocate after volunteering in Boulder’s BLDG61 and falling in love with the community.
Doug Hamilton – Library District Representative
- Parent
- Veteran
- Friend
Doug is a community organizer who believes in free, open, and welcoming public spaces, a more participatory society, and building community through relationships. He enjoys the outdoors, good books, cuddling with his dog, and spending time with his family.
Sylvia Wirba – Library District & Commission Representative
- Lawyer
- Organizer
- Synthesizer
Books and libraries have always been a special part of Sylvia’s life. She loves reading, writing, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. As an attorney, she advocates for indigenous peoples, including tribal and national housing issues.
Dr. Nicole Sager, PhD – President
- Educator
- Advocate
- Parent
Nicole is passionate about culturally sustaining education, social and language justice. She joined the board in 2021 and is excited to contribute to BLF’s community outreach and impact. She loves dancing, gardening, hiking and family time.
Isaac Andres – Treasurer
- World traveler
- Volleyball player
- Father of two
I’m a program manager, tech enthusiast, and children’s book author. I also grew up in Boulder, and I love how the Boulder Library has evolved to meet the needs of the community, especially with the Makerspace in BLDG 61 and the NoBo Corner library branch.
Doris Hass – Founder
Board member since 1974.
Bill Kramer
- Entrepreneurial
- Engaged
- Enthusiastic
Bill has been immersed in books forever. Both parents had MLS degrees and his dad opened a DC bookstore months before Bill was born. Had he not decided to be an entrepreneur in books, he would have been a writer and journalist. And, now, one son has a PhD in information science.
Jenny Slade
-
- Writer
- Learner
- Birder
Jenny is a lifelong learner, reader, writer, and marketer. Her first job was shelving books in a DC library, she fell into literature at the UPenn library, learned Spanish in the library of Valencia, Spain, and frequents the Audubon library online to learn about birds.
Steven Frost – Library Commission Representative
- Artist
- Pop-Culture Evangelist
- Advocate
Steven is an artist and Assistant Professor of Media Studies at CU Boulder. They grew up in a tiny town where the library taught them to dream big and make friends. Frost became a library advocate after volunteering in Boulder’s BLDG61 and falling in love with the community.
Marc Levinson – Secretary
- Educator
- Entrepreneur
- Innovator
An independent schools consultant with many years of governance experience on a variety of nonprofit and for-profit boards, Marc understands and appreciates libraries. He has lived in the Boulder area for 45 years and loves tennis, gardening, cycling and hiking.
Doug Hamilton – Library District Representative
- Parent
- Veteran
- Friend
Doug is a community organizer who believes in free, open, and welcoming public spaces, a more participatory society, and building community through relationships. He enjoys the outdoors, good books, cuddling with his dog, and spending time with his family.
Sylvia Wirba – Library District & Commission Representative
- Lawyer
- Organizer
- Synthesizer
Books and libraries have always been a special part of Sylvia’s life. She loves reading, writing, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. As an attorney, she advocates for indigenous peoples, including tribal and national housing issues.
Kitty deKieffer – Vice President
- Fundraiser
- Friendraiser
- Business Person
Kitty has been very involved in non profits in the local, state and national level. She owns a farm, enjoys her non profit work and loves her son, Hunter. Libraries have been her nourishment from an early age. Sadly, she has an (un)healthy love for shoes.
Adriana Farmer
- Operator
- Optimist
- Connector
By day, Adriana brings innovative new products and ideas to market and scale. She loves reading fiction and enjoys playing outside with her husband and dog, “Champ.” She strongly believes in the library’s role of providing equal access to education.
Sharon Bloom
- Friend
- Enthusiast
- Connector
Sharon is a creative connoisseur – of fiction, theater and music. A marketing professional, Sharon is a mother to two teens (both avid readers) and wife to a sci-fi loving husband. When not working Sharon can be found planning their next adventure.
Andy Sayler
- Hacker
- Helper
- Engineer
Andy is a computer scientist and hacker who has long loved the Boulder Public library for all it provides. When not working his day job in information security, he can be found tinkering with his house or canning fresh tomatoes.
Foundation Staff
Chris Barge – Executive Director
- Catalyst
- Adventurer
- Writer
Chris draws energy equally from meeting new people, mountain biking through pine forests and settling in with a new book. He joined the Boulder Library Foundation team after 10 years in newspapers and 13 years with Community Foundation Boulder County.
Juliette León Bartsch – Director, Development & Marketing
- Practitioner of Yoga
- Avid Reader
- Lover of opera
Juliette has spent her life advocating for the arts and literacy. For over two decades she has curated the BLF-funded Library Concert Series. Juliette is thrilled to continue serving the community–which she has deep affection for–by bringing arts and educational programming to the Boulder Public Library.
Chris Barge – Executive Director
- Catalyst
- Adventurer
- Writer
Chris draws energy equally from meeting new people, mountain biking through pine forests and settling in with a new book. He joined the Boulder Library Foundation team after 10 years in newspapers and 13 years with Community Foundation Boulder County.
Juliette León Bartsch – Director, Development & Marketing
- Practitioner of Yoga
- Avid Reader
- Lover of opera
Juliette has spent her life advocating for the arts and literacy. For over two decades she has curated the BLF-funded Library Concert Series. Juliette is thrilled to continue serving the community–which she has deep affection for–by bringing arts and educational programming to the Boulder Public Library.
Partners
We believe in the power of partnerships to support our community. As we grow our programming, we’re excited to welcome new organizations and groups as partners.
Our promise to our Library and community.
We’re invested.
Our volunteer Board of Directors invests their own time and money into our Library.
We’re committed to collaboration.
Our Library belongs to Boulder, not to our Foundation. So, we work with a variety of partners to best leverage each other’s valuable assets for the benefit of our community.
We’re focused on our Library’s legacy.
We want to see new generations fall in love with the Library and what it contributes to our community.
Our promise to our Library and community.
We’re invested.
Our volunteer Board of Directors invests their own time and money into our Library.
We’re committed to collaboration.
Our Library belongs to Boulder, not to our Foundation. So, we work with a variety of partners to best leverage each other’s valuable assets for the benefit of our community.
We’re focused on our Library’s legacy.
We want to see new generations fall in love with the Library and what it contributes to our community.
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