Pueblo library district chooses Gypsy Javas as new café vendor
Pueblo City-County Library District has chosen Gypsy Javas to operate the café inside of the Robert Hoag Rawlings Public Library.
Starting November 1, the Pueblo Library Café by Gypsy Javas will sell hot and cold beverages as well as food at the Rawlings Public Library, 100 E. Abriendo Ave. The café is located on the first floor and will be open Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Gypsy Javas is located down the street from the library district’s main branch at 119 Broadway Ave. Owner Mindy Collins has operated the local coffee shop since 2019 and has 20 years of experience in the food industry. She has owned and operated an upscale, fast casual restaurant in Boulder; worked as an independent restaurant consultant in Denver before moving to Pueblo in 2018.
“I am very excited and proud to enter into a joint venture between the Pueblo City-County Library District and my small business Gypsy Javas. It is our goal to provide on-site numerous blends of coffee, espresso and lattes. We hope this endeavor will be mutually beneficial for the many patrons of the library and Gypsy Javas,” Mindy Collins, Gypsy Javas owner said.
“We are thrilled about reopening the Pueblo Library Cafe at the Robert Hoag Rawlings Public Library. This is an amenity and service that we are committed to providing to our patrons and the community--everyone has missed it in the last few months,” Sherri Baca PCCLD’s executive director said.
The Pueblo Library Café by Gypsy Javas will also offer a catering menu and will be available to cater meetings throughout the library district. Items include coffee, tea and juice in addition to pastries, bagels and lunch sandwiches.
“We will be serving several deli sandwiches and fresh baked pastries, all of which will be prepared on site,” Collins said.
“It is wonderful that Gypsy Javas will be providing their signature offerings at the library including grab and go items and limited catering for meetings and small events,” Baca said.
The café will employ two-part time and two full-time positions; hiring will be done by Gypsy Javas.
“We welcome everyone for morning coffee, an excellent food menu, and a wonderful space to gather by our beautiful water feature at the Rawlings Library's first floor,” Baca said.
PCCLD is dedicated to serving as a foundation for the Pueblo community by offering welcoming, well equipped and maintained facilities, outstanding collections, and well-trained employees who provide expert service encouraging the joy of reading, supporting lifelong learning and presenting access to information from around the world.
Barkman Branch Library renovations begin August 1
PUEBLO, Colo. — Renovations to the Barkman Branch Library are set to begin Tuesday, Aug. 1. The $4.2 million project will involve major improvements including an expanded community meeting room; a bridge connecting the library to an outdoor green space; dedicated spaces for children, teens and adults; and updated security systems.
Located at 1300 Jerry Murphy Rd., the Belmont-area branch is next in line for renovation, according to the Pueblo City-County Library District’s master facilities plan. The 7,063 square-foot branch has seen more than 1.6 million visitors come through its doors and more than 2.7 million materials have been checked out during the past 11 alone.
“I am pleased that the library district is able to continue investing in its facilities. The renovation of the Barkman Library is important for serving the neighborhood well,” Sherri Baca, PCCLD executive director said.
New and expanded public areas include:
- An outdoor bridge will span across the existing drainage storm drain spillway, leading to the green space of the park.
- Dedicated spaces inside the library for children, teens, adults.
- A Maker Space for STEM programming.
- An expanded meeting room. An additional 2,750 square-feet of space will allow meetings for up to 70 persons. The current meeting room capacity is eight persons.
- Two new study rooms.
Additional safety measures include:
- Updated indoor CCTV will provide greater coverage of interior spaces.
- New outdoor parking lot security cameras that will provide 24/7 monitoring.
- Environmental sensors in both public restrooms.
- Additional on-site PCCLD security staff.
- More public parking and enhanced outdoor lighting.
- Lower bookshelves that will provide better line of sight for library staff.
Funding for the project is provided through library funds and private funds raised.
Leading the renovation are HBM Architects and Interior Designers of Cleveland, Ohio. Pueblo’s own H. W. Houston Construction is charged with managing construction. HBM Architects, along with Denver-based Anderson Mason Dale (AMD), headed the recent renovations to the Robert Hoag Rawlings Public Library.
Barkman Library will remain closed during the renovations; construction is expected to be completed in late spring, early summer of 2024. The public is encouraged to visit PCCLD’s other locations, including:
- Tom L. and Anna Marie Giodone Branch Library, 24655 U.S. Hwy 50 E.
- Greenhorn Valley Branch Library, 4801 Cibola Drive, Colorado City
- Lamb Branch Library, 2525 S. Pueblo Blvd.
- Library at the Y, 3200 E. Spaulding Ave.
- Patrick A. Lucero Branch Library, 1315 E. 7th St.
- Pueblo West Branch Library, 298 S. Joe Martinez Blvd., Pueblo West
- Robert Hoag Rawlings Public Library, 100 E. Abriendo Ave.
Named after Frank and Marie Barkman, Pueblo’s first-north side library was constructed in 1990. The Pueblo couple helped fund library projects through a foundation set up to honor Marie Barkman’s first husband Frank I. Lamb. The south-side branch, Lamb Branch Library, is named in his honor.
PCCLD is dedicated to serving as a foundation for the Pueblo community by offering welcoming, well equipped and maintained facilities, outstanding collections, and well-trained employees who provide expert service encouraging the joy of reading, supporting lifelong learning and presenting access to information from around the world.
Certificate of Achievement awarded to library district
PUEBLO, Colo. — Pueblo City-County Library District (PCCLD) earned honors from the Government Finance Officers Association for excellence in financial reporting for the sixth year in a row.
PCCLD’s finance department received the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for its 2021 annual comprehensive financial report. The award is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.
Judged by an impartial panel, the report meets the high standards of the program, which includes demonstrating a constructive “spirit of full disclosure” to communicate the district’s financial story.
Government Finance Officers Association advances excellence in government finance by providing best practices, professional development, resources and practical research for more than 21,000 members and the communities they serve.
PCCLD Takes Part in Multilingual Survey
conducting a research study about reading and leisure practices of multilingual library patrons. The
study is conducted by Dr. Keren Dali (keren.dali@du.edu).
If you’d like to share your views and experience, we welcome your participation in this anonymous
survey.