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What are you thinking?
Notes from Anythink's director
“You have to know how to look at this country. You have to slow down. It isn’t pretty, but it’s beautiful.”
– Kent Haruf, West of Last Chance
This year marks the tenth anniversary of Anythink. Our first new library, Anythink Bennett, opened in May 2009, followed by Anythink Brighton and the launch of the Anythink brand in September 2009.
Our lead architect, Dennis Humphries, brought this Kent Haruf quote to our attention as we were planning our Bennett library. The drive to Bennett forces you to absorb the landscape, the winter whites, the straw color of summer and fall, the powder blue sky and, if you are lucky, the fields of sunflowers. The advice I received on my first trip to Bennett was, “Don’t forget to turn left at the grain silo.” I still look for the silo as one of my markers each time I visit.
Adams County grows on you. Our agricultural roots anchor us to something authentic. We still depend upon local crops, farming and ranching. We can still pick vegetables and fruit at our local farms. Our western views of the mountains are some of the best in the Denver-metro area. I am proud to be part of a community that values open space and the allocation of resources that provide connections to land.
Anythink supports these historical and agricultural connections through our programming, collections and services. We are happy to announce the second year of a partnership with Tri-County Health, the City of Thornton and the American Heart Association to provide a farmers’ market throughout the summer months on Tuesday mornings at Anythink Huron Street.
Anythink supports community gardens at its Wright Farms, Commerce City and Perl Mack locations. Growing healthy vegetables and community adds an important layer of engagement that connects directly with our library values and mission.
We have our annual embryology projects. Working with Adams County 4-H, we love watching the adorable chicks hatch while our team provides programs so that kids (and adults) get a chance to connect first-hand with farm animals. We even have a resident beekeeper on staff. Michael Biglen, a member of our facilities department, can be seen in his beekeeper’s gear, managing our bee colonies. We all look forward to the honey harvest.
I can’t forget to mention our goats. After experimenting with urban goat grass mowing, we have gravitated to bringing in goats from local farms each summer so that families can learn all about them, pet them, and sometimes even get a chance to feed a baby goat.
This year’s Dig It programming in March promises to be another opportunity to get your hands dirty, learn something new and connect with new friends. As a person who loves making mud pies, spending time outdoors and cultivating gardening skills, I hope you will join us.
– Pam Sandlian Smith, Anythink Director
Send your questions or feedback to ithink@anythinklibraries.org or post in the comments below.