http://denver.yourhub.comThe latest story posts in The Denver Newspaper Agency YourHub.comen-usnews@yourhub.com(c) 2009, YourHub.com5When I was in high school, I read a book that changed my life. It was Ayn Rand's "The Fountainhead." Among other things, it was about an architect who designed absolutely original, and highly functional, buildings: private residences, housing projects, gas stations, skyscrapers. You would...http://denver.yourhub.com/CastleRock/Stories/Archive/Community-happenings/Story~340264.aspx7/27/2007 1:44:06 PMJames LaRue I've been reading lately about the latest round of CSAP scores -- the state mandated tests that rank schools by student test performance. The consensus seems to be that scores aren't moving up fast enough. It reminded me of a session I attended last June at the American Library Association co...http://denver.yourhub.com/CastleRock/Stories/Archive/Education/General-Education/Story~342807.aspx8/2/2007 9:48:58 AMJames LaRue I've been reading lately about the latest round of CSAP scores -- the state mandated tests that rank schools by student test performance. The consensus seems to be that scores aren't moving up fast enough. It reminded me of a session I attended last June at the American Library Association co...http://denver.yourhub.com/HighlandsRanch/Stories/Archive/Education/General-Education/Story~342818.aspx8/2/2007 10:02:10 AMJames LaRue LaRue's Views First, there was the DVD gang of 2002. This family cruised through seven or eight public libraries along the front range, checking out library materials left and right. Then they hocked the whole batch to local pawnshops. This time, it was mostly one guy who checked out ab...http://denver.yourhub.com/CastleRock/Stories/Archive/About-Town/Story~344778.aspx8/7/2007 6:08:33 PMJames LaRue LaRue's Views First, there was the DVD gang of 2002. This family cruised through seven or eight public libraries along the front range, checking out library materials left and right. Then they hocked the whole batch to local pawnshops. This time, it was mostly one guy who checked out ab...http://denver.yourhub.com/HighlandsRanch/Stories/Archive/About-Town/Story~344783.aspx8/7/2007 6:17:37 PMJames LaRue LaRue's Views First, there was the DVD gang of 2002. This family cruised through seven or eight public libraries along the front range, checking out library materials left and right. Then they hocked the whole batch to local pawnshops. This time, it was mostly one guy who checked out a...http://denver.yourhub.com/Parker/Stories/Archive/About-Town/Story~344787.aspx8/7/2007 6:21:36 PMJames LaRue By Rochelle Stephens, a Neighborhood Library at Roxborough patron Douglas County Libraries are the windows to the world, generationally. Since I was a child of immigrant parents, growing up in Brooklyn, New York, in the l940s, money was scarce. The public library was our source of enter...http://denver.yourhub.com/CastleRock/Stories/Archive/Community-happenings/Story~347724.aspx8/14/2007 1:46:27 PMJames LaRue By Rochelle Stephens, a Neighborhood Library at Roxborough patron Douglas County Libraries are the windows to the world, generationally. Since I was a child of immigrant parents, growing up in Brooklyn, New York, in the l940s, money was scarce. The public library was our source of enter...http://denver.yourhub.com/Parker/Stories/Archive/Community-happenings/Story~347725.aspx8/14/2007 1:47:42 PMJames LaRue August 16, 2007 - Libraries are Windows to the World By Rochelle Stephens, a Neighborhood Library at Roxborough patron Douglas County Libraries are the windows to the world, generationally. Since I was a child of immigrant parents, growing up in Brooklyn, New York, in the l940s, money...http://denver.yourhub.com/HighlandsRanch/Stories/Archive/Community-happenings/Story~347728.aspx8/14/2007 1:48:50 PMJames LaRue August 16, 2007 - Libraries are Windows to the World By Rochelle Stephens , a Neighborhood Library at Roxborough patron Douglas County Libraries are the windows to the world, generationally. Since I was a child of immigrant parents, growing up in Brooklyn, New York, in the l940s, m...http://denver.yourhub.com/Roxborough/Stories/Archive/Community-happenings/Story~347731.aspx8/14/2007 1:50:09 PMJames LaRue Elsewhere in today's paper, you'll read about the results of our architectural competition for a performing arts center and library in Parker. The town and the library district teamed up on this project to get some help in crafting a vision -- and nailing down the costs. By getting not ju...http://denver.yourhub.com/CastleRock/Stories/Archive/About-Town/Story~352327.aspx8/24/2007 11:35:46 AMJames LaRue Elsewhere in today's paper, you'll read about the results of our architectural competition for a performing arts center and library in Parker. The town and the library district teamed up on this project to get some help in crafting a vision -- and nailing down the costs. By getting not just...http://denver.yourhub.com/HighlandsRanch/Stories/Archive/About-Town/Story~352332.aspx8/24/2007 11:38:27 AMJames LaRue Elsewhere in today's paper, you'll read about the results of our architectural competition for a performing arts center and library in Parker. The town and the library district teamed up on this project to get some help in crafting a vision -- and nailing down the costs. By getting not j...http://denver.yourhub.com/Parker/Stories/Archive/About-Town/Story~352334.aspx8/24/2007 11:40:01 AMJames LaRue Back when I was in library school, I did a research paper on the founding of Illinois libraries. It turned out that over 97% of them were formed by women's groups, mostly in the late 1800s. Women's groups, as a whole arm of societal effort, were mostly the result of women's being locked out o...http://denver.yourhub.com/CastleRock/Stories/Opinion/Write-a-Column/Story~355790.aspx8/31/2007 10:19:04 AMJames LaRue Back when I was in library school, I did a research paper on the founding of Illinois libraries. It turned out that over 97% of them were formed by women's groups, mostly in the late 1800s. Women's groups, as a whole arm of societal effort, were mostly the result of women's being locked out o...http://denver.yourhub.com/HighlandsRanch/Stories/Opinion/Write-a-Column/Story~355792.aspx8/31/2007 10:21:40 AMJames LaRue Back when I was in library school, I did a research paper on the founding of Illinois libraries. It turned out that over 97% of them were formed by women's groups, mostly in the late 1800s. Women's groups, as a whole arm of societal effort, were mostly the result of women's being locked out o...http://denver.yourhub.com/Parker/Stories/Opinion/Write-a-Column/Story~355794.aspx8/31/2007 10:22:39 AMJames LaRue Not long ago, we finished up our public meetings around the county, collecting responses to our long range plans. One of the questions that came up a couple of times - and then came up again from a staff member recently, was this: why don't we charge for some services as a way to raise money?...http://denver.yourhub.com/CastleRock/Stories/Opinion/Write-a-Column/Story~358958.aspx9/7/2007 12:40:46 PMJames LaRue Not long ago, we finished up our public meetings around the county, collecting responses to our long range plans. One of the questions that came up a couple of times - and then came up again from a staff member recently, was this: why don't we charge for some services as a way to raise money? ...http://denver.yourhub.com/Parker/Stories/Opinion/Write-a-Column/Story~358961.aspx9/7/2007 12:42:27 PMJames LaRue Not long ago, we finished up our public meetings around the county, collecting responses to our long range plans. One of the questions that came up a couple of times - and then came up again from a staff member recently, was this: why don't we charge for some services as a way to raise money? ...http://denver.yourhub.com/HighlandsRanch/Stories/Opinion/Write-a-Column/Story~358964.aspx9/7/2007 12:45:00 PMJames LaRue This is a fact: the demand for library services is growing faster than our population. On the one hand, that's good: Douglas County likes its libraries. Nationwide, library checkouts are growing by about 2 or 3 percent annually. In Douglas County, they have grown by 124% over the past five ye...http://denver.yourhub.com/CastleRock/Stories/Opinion/Write-a-Column/Story~362681.aspx9/14/2007 10:28:26 AMJames LaRue This is a fact: the demand for library services is growing faster than our population. On the one hand, that's good: Douglas County likes its libraries. Nationwide, library checkouts are growing by about 2 or 3 percent annually. In Douglas County, they have grown by 124% over the past five y...http://denver.yourhub.com/Parker/Stories/Opinion/Write-a-Column/Story~362687.aspx9/14/2007 10:38:48 AMJames LaRue This is a fact: the demand for library services is growing faster than our population. On the one hand, that's good: Douglas County likes its libraries. Nationwide, library checkouts are growing by about 2 or 3 percent annually. In Douglas County, they have grown by 124% over the past five ye...http://denver.yourhub.com/HighlandsRanch/Stories/Opinion/Write-a-Column/Story~362688.aspx9/14/2007 10:38:48 AMJames LaRue By Lisa Hardman, a Highlands Ranch Library patron As a weekly patron at the Highlands Ranch Library for the past twelve years, I find myself circling back through its doors again and again like a homing pigeon returning to its loft. Searching the stacks for solutions is a hobby of mine-my ap...http://denver.yourhub.com/CastleRock/Stories/Opinion/Write-a-Column/Story~365841.aspx9/21/2007 12:34:04 PMJames LaRue By Lisa Hardman, a Highlands Ranch Library patron As a weekly patron at the Highlands Ranch Library for the past twelve years, I find myself circling back through its doors again and again like a homing pigeon returning to its loft. Searching the stacks for solutions is a hobby of mine-my a...http://denver.yourhub.com/HighlandsRanch/Stories/Opinion/Write-a-Column/Story~365842.aspx9/21/2007 12:35:23 PMJames LaRue By Lisa Hardman, a Highlands Ranch Library patron As a weekly patron at the Highlands Ranch Library for the past twelve years, I find myself circling back through its doors again and again like a homing pigeon returning to its loft. Searching the stacks for solutions is a hobby of mine-my a...http://denver.yourhub.com/Parker/Stories/Opinion/Write-a-Column/Story~365843.aspx9/21/2007 12:35:27 PMJames LaRue It starts long before the library opens. At some of our libraries, patrons can be found in our parking lots at 7:30 in the morning. Why? To "park" on our free public wifi. The doors open at 9 a.m. Always, there's a line. Some race to the Internet computers. Others head to the newspape...http://denver.yourhub.com/HighlandsRanch/Stories/Opinion/Write-a-Column/Story~369139.aspx9/27/2007 11:06:21 PMJames LaRue It starts long before the library opens. At some of our libraries, patrons can be found in our parking lots at 7:30 in the morning. Why? To "park" on our free public wifi. The doors open at 9 a.m. Always, there's a line. Some race to the Internet computers. Others head to the newspape...http://denver.yourhub.com/Parker/Stories/Opinion/Write-a-Column/Story~369141.aspx9/27/2007 11:06:47 PMJames LaRue It starts long before the library opens. At some of our libraries, patrons can be found in our parking lots at 7:30 in the morning. Why? To "park" on our free public wifi. The doors open at 9 a.m. Always, there's a line. Some race to the Internet computers. Others head to the newspape...http://denver.yourhub.com/CastleRock/Stories/Opinion/Write-a-Column/Story~369142.aspx9/27/2007 11:06:52 PMJames LaRue I was at at a restaurant recently, where I was approached by a young father who had something he wanted to tell me. He had three children, ages 9, 7, and 4. One Saturday, he gave them a choice. They could do anything they wanted: go to a movie, go for a mountain hike, eat out, or -- but then ...http://denver.yourhub.com/CastleRock/Stories/Opinion/Write-a-Column/Story~374611.aspx10/9/2007 11:25:20 AMJames LaRue I was at at a restaurant recently, where I was approached by a young father who had something he wanted to tell me. He had three children, ages 9, 7, and 4. One Saturday, he gave them a choice. They could do anything they wanted: go to a movie, go for a mountain hike, eat out, or -- but then ...http://denver.yourhub.com/Parker/Stories/Opinion/Write-a-Column/Story~374612.aspx10/9/2007 11:25:54 AMJames LaRue