Name: History of the Fort Collins Library
Start: 2026-03-23T18:30:00-06:00
Location: Old Town Library

Discover the story of the Fort Collins library, from its 19th-century beginnings in small community reading rooms to the Carnegie Library and today’s Poudre River Public Library District. This talk will explore how books, buildings, and civic ambition shaped one of Fort Collins’ most enduring public institutions.
Lesley Struc, from the Archive at the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery, and Kristen Draper, manager of the Old Town Library, will be our speakers.
We will also be marking an important milestone at this event. It was 50 years ago that the Fort Collins Library moved out of the Carnegie Building (pictured above) and into what we know today as the Old Town Library. What an auspicious opportunity for the Historical Society to be reflecting on the history of this important local institution.
This presentation is free and open to the public. Bring a friend!