Sit. Read. Think.

As you may have noticed, the Laramie County Library System has a brand new sort machine. All operations are running smoothly, and the new system has already started clocking some serious hours! We were curious about sort machines and the people who install them, so we asked Jonathan Michael of Lyngsoe Systems (the company who produced and installed our new sort system) all about it!
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For many, this time of year holds a major Christian holiday, Christmas. In the spirit of learning (which we libraries like to foster), let’s explore Christmas traditions around the world! I’ve chosen my highlighted countries mostly at random.
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Laramie County Library is a great place to meet. Coworkers can come together over coffee in the café, friends can gather on the first floor to discuss the latest book they’ve read, and families can explore the second floor together to see what new items it holds. Read More

A census taker interviews the First Family (the Trumans) in 1950.

What activity was mandated by the U.S. Constitution in 1787 to occur within 3 years and be repeated every 10 years after to determine each state’s share of taxes and representation in Congress? If you answered the U.S. Federal Census you would be correct. The U.S. Census has been taken every 10 years from 1790 to 2010 and will be done again in 2020. Even though the original intent of the census was to determine the total population in the U.S., it has always included more information than just a head count. The questions changed and became more complex over the years as the federal government became interested in other kinds of demographic information. Since the 2000 census, the U.S. government has also conducted the American Community Survey in the years between the censuses to fill in the blanks and keep the demographic information up to date. Read More

I’ve planted giant sunflowers for years, trying different varieties and various locations. I love sunflowers for their impressive height and their bright, cheerful blossoms, which remind me of miniature suns. This year I got a late start on planting. When I realized I hadn’t purchased any sunflower seeds, I thought, why don’t I get some from the LCLS Seed Library?Read More

Beginning on November 26th, the Laramie County Library will be installing a new sort machine. This process will bring the following interruptions and changes to services:
• The two Library Mate™ item returns outside the building at the southwest entrance will be out of service.
• The two Library Mate™ item returns on the first floor of the library will be out service.
• There will be labeled bins by Cards & Accounts where library items can be manually returned.
• The Drive-Up Book Drop will be fully-functioning.
• Book discharges will be done by hand and will be delayed.
• The library will not have the space to accept large donations of books and other materials.
The installation is expected to be complete by December 14th. We appreciate our patron’s patience while we install our new sort machine.
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I have decided to enter the competition for “Best Job in the Library.” I started working at the library in 1990, which means I have worked at the Laramie County Library for more than half of my life.

When I first began working for LCLS, I had to take a pay cut. But I decided the loss of income was worth it, because for me, working in a library was a dream job. I have been obsessed with books my whole life.Read More

Voting and public libraries go hand-in-hand. Think macaroni and cheese, peanut butter and jelly, or rock and roll: that’s how well libraries and elections go together.
I know, it’s a big claim to put elections and libraries up there with such iconic duos, but just think about it. Read More

What do National Hermit Day, Solitude, and Your Laramie County Library System have to do with One Another? A lot, It Turns Out.

October 29^th is National Hermit Day. That’s right, a day entirely devoted to hermits. When you hear the word “hermit,” what do you think of? Does it conjure up images of bearded recluses living alone in the middle of the woods? Or, perhaps, you imagine a quiet individual who hardly ever leaves the basement. You might even think of a secluded monastery where monks pray in silent solitude.Read More

Think of all the people you know who are avid readers. What percentage are men and what percentage are women?  Surveys consistently find that women read more books as a pastime than men.

As a mother of two little boys, this is concerning for me.  Strong readers experience success at school in a myriad of ways. In a study of 17,000 subjects published by The Guardian, Dr. Alice Sullivan found that reading for pleasure was linked to greater intellectual progress in vocabulary, spelling and mathematics. Read More