Residents gathered at the Rockrimmon Library on Nov. 30 to commemorate the library branch before it closed on Dec. 1. Supporters of the library made signs, signed a banner and commiserated with each other and library staff.
During an Oct. 16 meeting, the Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD) Board of Trustees voted 5-2 not to renew Rockrimmon’s lease after Nov. 30, citing a $1.2 million maintenance backlog, Rockrimmon’s proximity to other library locations, and the expense of Rockrimmon’s lease. Community members, organized by Karla Powers and Judy Darcy and attended by Colorado Springs City Councilor Dave Donelson, held a meeting Oct. 26 to come up with strategies to save the library. During an Oct. 29 budget meeting, Donelson attempted to convince the Colorado Springs City Council to approve $200,000 to PPLD to cover Rockrimmon’s lease, but the rest of council voted against his request.
On Nov. 8, the PPLD Board of Trustees published a letter to Rockrimmon community members. “As the decision not to renew the lease is final, thoughtful consideration has already been given to other ways we can service the community such as possibly adding a stop to the PPLD Mobile Library Services’ schedule or placing book drops and/or kiosks throughout Rockrimmon,” they wrote. “Additionally, our librarians at other locations are eager to meet and help each of you.”
The PPLD Board of Trustees is holding a second vote on the future of the Rockrimmon lease on Dec. 4, and activists with Save Rockrimmon Library are “cautiously hopeful.”
