On Sept. 10, Jefferson County Public Library (JCPL) was honored to receive five different awards from the Colorado Association of Libraries (CAL). CAL presents several awards at their annual conference to highlight, celebrate and inspire people inside and outside of the library world.
JCPL received the following:
Distinction in Library Services Award – Presented to Donna Walker
After 32 years of service in public libraries, including the past 14 years at JCPL, Donna Walker retired from her role as Executive Director on September 5. Donna's career is marked by an unwavering dedication to equity, access, innovation and service excellence. She helped shape public library service across Colorado, consistently placing community needs at the center of library design, service delivery and organizational strategy. This award recognizes Donna's improvements and contributions towards library services and her proven leadership beyond a job title.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Award – Presented to Kids and Families, Teen Services and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Teams
As a part of our 2025 Summer Challenge, JCPL offered 42 summer camps across nine locations and served 1,582 kids, tweens and teens free of charge. Several camps were offered bilingually in both English and Spanish and were centered around culturally diverse and inclusive themes. This award recognizes the teams behind the 2025 Summer Camps for creating opportunities for everyone to participate in a welcoming atmosphere and fostering opportunities that bridge gaps to library access.
Innovated Spaces Award – Presented to Conifer Library
Conifer Library, previously located in Conifer High School, was relocated into a newly renovated space and opened in September 2025. This new location converted five adjoining retail spaces into a full-service library, showcasing both creative reuse of an existing space and addressing limitations created by the Library's previous space. This award recognizes the innovation of the space, sound fiscal management including sustainability factors and a clear demonstration that library access was improved by opening the new Conifer Library location.
Jean Maio Award for Excellence in Adult Literacy – Presented to Adult Services Team
JCPL's Adult Services team offers a variety of free computer and digital literacy classes to patrons, including a program called Everyday Artificial Intelligence. This program teaches participants about emerging AI technology, its limitations and practical uses with hands-on experience. In 2025, the class was offered 162 times across multiple locations, saw 661 attendees and continues to be popular this year. This award recognizes the program’s excellence in adult literacy programming.
Outstanding Library Trustee Award – Presented to Kim Johnson
Kim Johnson concluded her decade-long tenure on JCPL's Board of Trustees on June 20, including five years as the Board Chair. Throughout this time, she exemplified exceptional leadership, governance, fiscal stewardship and an unwavering commitment to expanding equitable access to library services for all. This award recognizes Kim's exemplary service to JCPL and her community with distinction as a member of a library board.
We are incredibly proud of the work that JCPL does for our communities and are grateful to CAL for their recognition!