Denver Public Library details branch renovation timelines, bookmobiles and DPL Fund uses

City Librarian Nicole Davies told the Parks, Arts and Culture Committee that Denver Public Library is managing multiple bond‑funded renovations and deferred‑maintenance projects that have forced temporary branch closures and service adjustments.

“Since the last time we saw you, which was back in August, we've had a lot going on at Denver Public Library,” Nicole Davies said, citing systemwide events and usage. She provided performance figures: “we had over 2,700,000 visits in our 28 locations across the system” in 2025 and said the relaunch of 1 Book, 1 Denver drew about 5,500 participants.

Davies said some projects date to 2017 or 2021 bond packages and that current construction routinely uncovers infrastructure work not covered by the original bond scopes. She told the committee that many renovations average “18 to 24 months,” and cautioned that the longer end of that range is a safe assumption for planning purposes.

DPL identified several branch‑level updates: Pauline Robinson and Athmar Park reopened in 2025; the Lena Archuleta branch recently opened; the Globeville location is under construction after a groundbreaking; Ross Phyllis Big Pond is slated to reopen in June with a July celebration. Facilities staff gave target completion windows for other projects, with several certificate‑of‑occupancy targets in 2027 and community openings expected in 2027–2028.

On frontline safety and health work, Davies highlighted the library's Community Resource Team and training to respond to overdoses. “In 2025 alone, we administered Narcan 21 times,” she said, and that the library had trained roughly 80 staff in a new Narcan overdose‑response curriculum developed by the Department of Public Health and Environment.

Davies and other DPL staff described how the DPL Fund — approved by voters in 2022 — supplements city support for items such as extended hours, collection expansion and targeted capital fixes. Examples cited included a New York Times subscription that registered roughly 270,000 accesses and targeted investments such as restroom renovations and EV charging at Pauline Robinson.

Councilmembers pressed staff on Southeast Denver timelines and deferred‑maintenance counts. Facilities director Anthony Kaufman (Tony Kaufman) described project sequencing and cautioned that mobilizing a branch after construction — shelving, staff readiness and other setup — takes additional time beyond a certificate of occupancy.

On labor relations, Valencia Culbreth, DPL's chief equity and strategy officer, detailed the petition and recognition process: the Communications Workers of America (CWA) will work with the arbitration service AAA, the library will post a notification for 10 days, and AAA will convene the parties to determine whether to proceed to an election or voluntary recognition. Culbreth said that at that stage the timeline is driven by AAA and the union's filings.

Davies said the library will launch an online construction dashboard later this month to provide real‑time updates on branch status and will roll out two bookmobiles focused on Southeast Denver service, with schedules to be published once finalized. She asked councilmembers to share constituent questions and said the library would follow up with district‑specific details on closures and deferred maintenance.

The committee did not take a formal vote on DPL items during the presentation; staff agreed to provide follow‑up materials requested by councilmembers.

The committee then moved on to a Parks and Recreation presentation.