If your idea of a public library is dusty bookshelves, empty aisles, and imperious shushes, you obviously haven’t been to Adams County, north and east of Denver. Once home to the lowest-funded library system in the state, Adams established an independent taxing authority in 2004, rebranded its libraries to Anythink, and has since debuted seven innovative branches that eschew traditional library elements (including late fees) and incorporate features intended to make spaces feel more like bookstores (such as cozy fireplaces).
On August 8, Anythink will open its most ambitious location yet: the 33,000-square-foot Nature Library in Thornton, situated on the 140-acre Aylor Open Space. “It’s going to be an absolutely beautiful space, but it’s not precious. It’s really meant to provide amazing opportunities for people to feel safe, take a risk, or learn something new,” Anythink’s executive director Mark Fink says.
Here, five ways to do just that at the new Nature Library…