Grand County Library District’s Access Grand program was created in 2017 to support our mission of “linking people to boundless opportunities.”
Originally funded by Friends of Grand County Library, Inc. and started by former director of Library Resources Anna Szczepanski, the program has successfully evolved to include more opportunities for patrons.
In 2019, the program had 23 participating organizations, allowing more than 1,600 patrons to enjoy the likes of Winter Park Adventure Quest, Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre, Grand County Historical Association Museums, Denver Botanic Gardens, the Butterfly Pavilion, the Denver Zoo, and more.
This past fall, a few of GCLD staff members participated in the Healthy Grand County Initiative discussion presented by the Grand County Rural Health Network. Several local organizations met to collaborate in advocating for healthy programs for our local population. GCLD’s Access Grand already provided some activities focused on wellness such as Grand Park Rec, Silverthorne Rec, Devil’s Thumb Nordic Center, and Grand Lake Nordic Center, but there was a call to get more recreational groups to participate to get our patrons active.
Starting today, as you read this column, we are proud to include Mountain Moon Yoga, Grand Lake Center Fitness, MPH Wellness Center, and Snow Mountain Ranch-YMCA of the Rockies in Access Grand. Keep in mind that this program is not a personal membership but allows you to explore what these businesses have to offer simply by checking out a pass using your library card.
Or if you are in the mood for something cultural, Access Grand has plenty for you to experience. Denver Museum of Nature and Science donated two memberships, each allowing up to seven patrons, as does the Denver Firefighters Museum. Our Grand County museums are always an interesting place to visit, as is the History Colorado Center. And thanks to a grant from the Fraser Valley Lions Club, Grand Concerts donated ten memberships for their 2020 concert series.
You can reserve passes by visiting www.gcld.org and clicking on the box titled “Access Grand.” Here you can read more details as to how the program works and then see the list of available passes (please note that this list is subject to change).
We are very thankful that many businesses donate or reduce their prices for Access Grand. If you have or know of a business that would benefit from participating in Access Grand, contact Tallie Gray, director of Library Resources, at 970-887-9411 ext. 100 or tgray@gcld.org. And please thank the organizations associated with Access Grand passes for helping our community have healthy, fun, cultural, and educational opportunities. And, feel free to email photos of your Access Grand experience to GCLD so that we can share them in our marketing efforts.