Month: July 2020

Distinguished Budget Presentation Award Given to HPLD

(Greeley – July 2020)- High Plains Library District (HPLD) has received the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its budget.

The award represents a significant achievement by the HPLD, and reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. In order to receive the budget award, HPLD had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation. These guidelines are designed to assess how well an entity’s budget serves as:
• a policy document
• a financial plan
• an operations guide
• a communications device

Budget documents must be rated “proficient” in all four categories, and in the fourteen mandatory criteria within those categories, to receive the award.

When a Distinguished Budget Presentation Award is granted to an entity, a Certificate of Recognition for Budget Presentation is also presented to the individual(s) or department designated as being primarily responsible for having achieved the award. This has been presented to the High Plains Library District Finance Department.

“We are thrilled to receive this award and proud to be a responsibly steward of tax payer dollars,” said Finance Manager, Natalie Wertz.

There are over 1,600 participants in the Budget Awards Program. The most recent Budget Award recipients, along with their corresponding budget documents, are posted quarterly on GFOA’s website. Award recipients have pioneered efforts to improve the quality of budgeting and provide an
excellent example for other governments throughout North America.

Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) advances excellence in government finance by providing best practices, professional development, resources and practical research for more than 20,500 members and the communities they serve.

Governor Polis Visits High Plains Library District

(Greeley – July, 2020) Governor Polis visited the High Plains Library District on Saturday, July 11, for a tour of the District Support Services. The Governor received a firsthand look at the work HPLD is doing to decrease the digital divide and ensure all patrons have reliable access to essential digital services during the ongoing health crisis. The tour included MiFi devices and Wi-Fi units that will be deployed throughout the community. The High Plains Library District Foundation received $21,000 from the Colorado COVID Relief Fund to support these efforts.

The fund was established as part of Governor Polis’s Help Colorado Now initiative to provide aid to Colorado communities and organizations impacted by the recent outbreak of COVID-19. Funds from the grant will be used to purchase mobile Wi-Fi access points. These Wi-Fi units will be deployed to communities in the District service area identified to have a high need for internet access and essential technologies. These units will be mobile and can be relocated as the needs of the community change.

The High Plains Library District is dedicated to building digitally inclusive communities by providing equal access to the internet and other essential technologies for purposes such as e-government, entrepreneurship, legal needs, education opportunities, workforce development, and health and wellness. This is especially important during the ongoing health crisis, as many patrons are required to access school, work, telehealth visits, and more online.

“We are thrilled to have the support of the State Relief Fund for this important service,” said HPLD Foundation Director Abby Yeagle. “We are looking forward to expanding our efforts to tackle the digital divide in our community.”

Reopening Plans

We have re-opened!

As you can imagine, some things are different. Here is what you need to know:

Hours have changed for some locations. This page provides updated information.

Per statewide orders, library users are required to wear masks when inside library buildings. The exception to this rule is for children 10 and younger. If you forgot yours or do not have one, we can provide one for you while supplies last.

Please self-limit your time in the library to one hour or less. We may have to ask patrons who’ve been in the library longer than an hour to leave in order to allow other patrons access.

Computer time is limited to one hour per day per person, and computers can only be used by one person at a time.

While in the library, please practice social distancing of at least 6 feet.

We strongly encourage you to wash your hands or use hand sanitizer.

Libraries reserve the right to limit the number of people visiting at any one time or the amount of time users can remain in the library.

Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. are reserved for our
vulnerable patrons.

Services Currently offered:
• Browsing
• Computer use
• Use of wifi networks & personal laptops
• Holds pickup (curbside or in-library)
• Printing

Currently unavailable:
• In-depth computer or printing assistance
• Programs (including storytimes)
• Areas for gathering (formally or informally)
• Soft seating (seating with fabric covering)
• Browsing of newspapers/magazines
• Study room or meeting room use

Reduction of Database Spending

In anticipation of a drastically reduced budget due to COVID-19, we are taking steps to continue seamlessly serving the public, which means making some budget choices. One of our early steps is making the tough decision to reduce database spending in 2020 and 2021.

A key component of our strategic plan is financial strength, and part of that from the beginning was identifying areas for potential reduction in the event of an economic downturn. Those who remember the last recession probably remember a lot of budget tightening at home and in the community, but something you might not have noticed is that during recessions, libraries become busier. So, when times are tough, we differ from other businesses because having more “customers” doesn’t necessarily increase our revenue. Which is why you’ll find library staff are good at figuring out how to do more with less.  

This means making tough choices. Our staff analyzed data on cost and usage of all of our databases, as well as looking at which ones have significant crossover, to identify which could be reduced. These are not reductions we take lightly, but they are necessary in order to adjust our budget based on economic forecasting.

Below you’ll find a listing of databases that have been cancelled. For some we have alternatives already in place, and in those cases we’re listing the alternatives alongside the cancelled databases.

Databases that have been cancelled and are no longer available:

ABC-CLIO

Demographics Now

Career Cruising

Contemporary Authors & Lit Crit

Science Online

Very Short Introductions

Databases That Will Sunset in 2020

Here are the databases for which we have paid up to later in the year, but we expect these to be gone before 2021. If you have data in these or files that you need to retrieve, such as a resume in Resume Maker, please do so at your earliest convenience.

Colorado Grants Guide

Foundation Directory Online

Foundation Grants to Individuals

Guidestar

Resume Maker (we will continue to provide Cypress Resume, an excellent alternative for resume creation)

Rosetta Stone (we will continue to provide Mango Languages, which is more cost-effective and has proven to be a higher-use database)