About libraries, Albert Einstein once said, “The only thing you absolutely have to know, is the location of the library.” Einstein’s poignant remark is a reminder of the importance that libraries hold in our society. They are the repositories of information and knowledge accessible to all regardless of age or socioeconomic status.
Recently, I have been writing columns about the various boards in Platte County. Today, my focus is on the library board, which is comprised of three individuals each appointed by the Board of County Commissioners. The members of the library board sign up to serve a three-year term of volunteer service. Their purpose is to provide oversight and direction for the public library system. Currently on the board are Christine Harmon, Peggy Ervin and Lisa Stenmark – each of whom serve to ensure the public has access to quality facilities and materials. That board employs Julie Henion as its library director. Anyone who has been in the Wheatland library at any point in the last 21 years has had the great fortune to interact with Julie.
The Platte County Public Library system is comprised of four libraries, which are situated in Wheatland, Guernsey, Glendo and Chugwater. Wyoming law does require that the county fund a public library in the county seat, but the Board of Platte County Commissioners have continued to fund those branch libraries in Guernsey, Glendo and Chugwater. That partnership is made possible by those towns themselves, each of whom provides space for the branch libraries. This means the county’s responsibility is to provide librarians and materials for those locations. These locations are primarily funded through property taxes collected by the county. This year with reduced property valuations, the library board was required to cut approximately $50,000 from their budget. The board and Director Henion worked through the reduction and will continue to deliver services. Some programs may be reduced, but currently no hours of operation are being altered. These are some of the difficult decisions the board and director must make to ensure the library system continues to be available to the public of Platte County.

When people hear the word “library,” they think books. Of course, each of the libraries is packed full of great reads, both fiction and nonfiction. But the library offers much more than traditional print materials. They have media like DVDs that can be checked out, they offer free computer usage, online book rentals and historical archives. Additionally, the public library visits numerous day cares for story time, and they organize “summer reading” and “book-and-a- bite” programs. The latter events, summer reading and book-and-a-bite, are wildly popular programs dedicated to encouraging youth to read and advancing literacy. Book-and-a-bite will be having some reduced offerings this year due to the aforementioned cuts, but the plan is to still host a quarterly event. For more information about those programs, I encourage any reader to visit the Wheatland library at 904 9th Street, or to call (307)322-2689.
The library board, the director, and the staff at the library are dedicated to ensuring access to materials. Their website says, “The Platte County Public Library system upholds the principles of intellectual freedom and the public’s right to know by providing library users with access and guidance to information and collection.” This is why the library has offered some home delivery service, they have expanded their online access to materials and why they maintain a relationship with the state library system. By maintaining that interlibrary relationship, they can borrow materials from other libraries to keep costs down but ensuring you as the reader get the materials patrons need or want.
Finally, the library board members also serve as board members on a library foundation. That foundation was established by the State of Wyoming with the purpose of providing additional funding to libraries. That foundation fund is invested by the state treasurer, and each year interest earnings are distributed to county library foundations to be used for their local purposes.
For many years the State of Wyoming offered a match for each dollar deposited into each respective county’s foundation fund. At the same time, the library board, director and all of its staff (and often times their family and friends as well) worked hard to raise funds to take advantage of those matching dollars and make the foundation as successful as possible. Today, the board receives approximately $30,000 from the foundation to help ensure the people of Platte County continue to have an incredibly useful public library system.
Being on the library board is a big job and is completely a volunteer position. If you are interested in learning more, I encourage you to attend a meeting of the board, which is held at noon on the second Thursday of each month at the Wheatland library. If you would like to serve on this board, or any board appointed by the county commissioners, you can always reach out to the Platte County Clerk’s Office to get a board member application or go online to https://www.plattecountywyoming.com/boards-members.