Figure 1: Weld County Logo
About
This project for the University of Alabama's course "CIS-650: Diversity Leadership in Information Organizations" is a review of public library outreach to the patrons living with disabilities of the United States, and ways in which the High Plains Library District (HPLD) of northern Colorado addresses this community's needs. I am Greg Mahaffey, an employee at two of HPLD's member libraries. This page focuses on overview of Weld County and the High Plains Library District.
Environment and Setting
The High Plains Library District covers the county of Weld and the city of Erie, Colorado. The U.S. Census states that 8.1% of Weld County residents under the age of 65 has a disability (U.S. Census Bureau, n.d.). The county website has basic information concerning the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as well as a page for filing complaints concerning compliance. The rural geography of Weld County could present a challenge to accessibility amongst people with mobility impairments, but this is mitigated by the large (and expanding) quantity of member libraries in the more isolated communities across the county.
Community Profile
The High Plains Library District covers both rural areas (most of Weld County) and suburban areas (Greeley and Erie). The U.S. Census states that 8.1% of Weld County residents under the age of 65 has a disability. 13.2% of residents are over the age of 65 (U.S. Census Bureau).
The population is 91.3% White, and 31.3% Latino. 9.1% of the population lives in poverty, and 17,505 citizens are veterans (U.S. Census Bureau). These numbers matter because disabilities are not uniformly distributed along income level, class, or sexual orientation, and there may be significant overlap between citizens with disabilities and other minoritized populations.
Agency Profile
The High Plains Library District, as an American Library Association (ALA) affiliated library, abides by a commitment to accessibility, which is one of ALA’s eleven core values. The district’s Accessibility Statement is viewable on its website, stating its commitment to this mission of accessibility (High Plains Library District, 2025). Requests for accommodation are available on that same page, and the page also lists goals for increasing accessibility in 2024 and 2025. HPLD’s current projects include improving the website and online catalog, revising guidelines for public video content, and incorporating quiet spaces into buildings. All buildings are ADA compliant.
HPLD serves 85,000 patrons (Institute of Museum and Library Services). Its board of directors on the branch level features members of varying ages and representation from the Hispanic and AAPI communities (High Plains Library District). Demographics of the board of directors of member libraries varies with each service area. Program attendance for the year 2022 has been recorded at about 100,000 patrons, with 55% of attendees being present for children’s programing. The district saw 128,392 instances of computer use and 434,309 web visits (Institute of Museum and Library Services), however demographic data is not publicly available for this, so it is uncertain how patrons with disabilities factor into use of any of these services.
The HPLD website provides its mission statement, stated succinctly as “Helping Build Community.” The districts vision is to give access to answers for every question. Already, we can see that accessibility to all, regardless of race, values, or impairment is a core tenet of their values. The mission and vision are followed by the acronym A.S.P.I.R.E., which stands for access, serve, partner, improve, responsible, and enrich (High Plains Library District, 2025). HPLD aspires to bring access to all in their community, based on the foundational principle of inclusion, stating “We welcome all people and are open and available to all.”
Figure 2: High Plains Library District Logo
Sources Cited
High Plains Library District. (n.d.). About Us. Retrieved February 3, 2025 from https://www.mylibrary.us/about/
High Plains Library District. (n.d.). Accessibility. Retrieved February 3, 2025 from https://www.mylibrary.us/access/
High Plains Library District. (n.d.). Board of Directors. Retrieved February 3, 2025 from https://www.mylibrary.us/board/
Institute of Museum and Library Services. (2025, February 3). Library Search and Compare. Retrieved February 3, 2025 from https://www.imls.gov/search-compare
U.S. Census Bureau. (n.d.). Race and Hispanic Origin in Weld County, CO. U.S. Department of Commerce. Retrieved February 3, 2025 from https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/weldcountycolorado
Weld County Government. (n.d.). Know Your Rights. Weld County, CO. https://www.weld.gov/Government/Departments/Human-Services/Know-Your-Rights