The Pikes Peak Library District Board of Trustees and the Colorado Springs City Council met Monday to talk through the controversial decision to close the Rockrimmon Library branch.

Six of the seven library board members attended the city work session Monday morning. Aaron Salt spoke on the board’s behalf for over an hour, answering some of the city’s questions about how and why the decision was made to close the library branch by the end of November.

Several councilmembers asked the board how the decision to not renew the library’s lease was made and voiced discomfort with aspects of the process. There was no indication, however, that the council would continue to press the issue beyond the work session.

About 30 Rockrimmon library supporters sat in the audience during the meeting, some with signs asking for the library to remain open. The Save Rockrimmon Library campaign says they have raised around $60,000 in pledged donations to cover part of the cost of renewing the library’s release for one more year.

Rockrimmon Library still closing, despite marathon show of support at district meeting

David Leinweber was one of three council members who sent a letter of concern to the Board of Trustees last week about the speed of the Rockrimmon decision.

At Monday’s meeting, Leinweber said he had come to understand why the board made its decision, even if he disagreed. Leinweber said the fate of Rockrimmon was an example of why more collaboration was needed between the library, the city government and the school districts in Colorado Springs to preserve community assets like the library.

“There’s going to need to be partnerships that have to be made,” Leinweber said. “I don’t expect you guys to change your mind because you’ve looked at that facility and it doesn’t meet your standards.”

The most pointed questions for the library board came from council member Dave Donelson, who represents the Rockrimmon area in District 1. Donelson said that closing a library branch should be a last resort option. He asked why the board wasn’t looking to cut some of its programs or combine some of the 11 department directors among the library staff.

“Are they more important than keeping library branches open? Are they more important than keeping Rockrimmon open?” Donelson asked.

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“We are currently understaffed by 35 to 40 employees, and you are suggesting that we exacerbate that issue and cut jobs out of our organization,” Salt replied.

The preliminary 2025 budget for the Pikes Peak Library District shows the district is facing a $1.6 million revenue shortfall. The district has estimated that the cost to lease and operate the Rockrimmon branch was around $500,000.

Donelson pressed Salt for details about how the board measured the financial success of library branches. Measures like the cost per item checked out, where Rockrimmon performed well, were not included as factors in the facilities master plan created by the library district over the last year. Salt said that a lot of cost and staffing factors were considered but may not have swayed the board’s decision.

Nancy Henjum asked about the long-term vision for the library district and whether the board’s goal was to expand locations or keep reducing them. Salt did not answer the question directly, but said that he personally wanted the district to show more financial stability before pursuing any levy increases or ballot measures.

“Asking the taxpayers to make up the delta for bad decisions previously is not something I’m keen to do,” Salt said.

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Yolanda Avila was the most supportive council member for the library board. Avila said it was a double standard for the city to advocate for its home rule right on certain issues while also trying to change the decision made by the Board of Trustees.

The library district has been exploring options to replace the Rockrimmon branch on the west side. Salt said he and other board members have visited a few properties that could be bought or leased but haven’t found a desirable space that met the rough budget goal of $18 per square foot.

“We’re not going to jump into a lease just because we’re trying to provide this. We want to make sure it actually meets the needs we have,” Salt said.

The Rockrimmon branch is scheduled to close its doors to the public on Saturday. Books and materials will be moved to the Library 21C and Manitou Springs branches by the end of the year.