Frequently Asked Questions at your Lyons Community Library!

What books do you have available for book clubs?
How do I download an e-book from the Lyons Regional Library?
How do I Volunteer for the Lyons Regional Library?
Does the library have free WIFI and a computer I can use?
What if the library does not have the item I need?
How can I donate books and other items to the Library?
Where can I return library items after hours?
Can I return books from other public libraries?
How is the Lyons Regional Library District funded?
What about the Mill Levy?
How do I look at old versions of this website?


What books do you have available for book clubs?
To see a complete list of books that we carry in abundance for book clubs, click HERE.

How do I Volunteer for the Lyons Regional Library?
Volunteer opportunities can vary widely throughout the year. At this time we only have the occasional need for special event support, if that is of interest please complete this form and we will gladly add you to our list!

How do I download an E-book from the Lyons Regional Library?

Click on this link HERE for more information. Or come on into the library with your device and we’ll help you get started!

Does the library have free Wi-Fi and a computer I can use?

Absolutely! Use your own tech device to access our Wi-Fi, or we have several Windows PCs and Macintosh public computers for your use. No library card required. We also have a printer. Black and white copies are ten cents each and color copies are 50 cents each. Please pay at the circulation desk in the front. Library staff is also happy to show you how to scan items. We also have a fax service available, please see Library staff for assistance with all faxes.

What if the library does not have the item I need?

The Lyons Regional Library has access to over a million books and materials through AspenCat. The catalog of available materials can be found on the Books and More page. To place a hold, enter your User ID (the last 5 digits of your library card number). Your password is your last name, lower case.  The library will notify you, usually by email, when the materials arrive at the library if they are being borrowed from another participating library. Questions? Stop by the library, and let us walk you through this step-by-step, or use one of our public computers to search and place a hold. If you still cannot find the item you are looking for, come in and request it. We are capable of getting items from libraries all around the state of Colorado, although the process will take a little bit of extra time to get to you.

How can I donate books and other items to the Lyons Regional Library?

Due to our limited space, we are currently only accepting:

  • One box or bag of books/DVDs per household, per week, in gently used condition.
  • Please do not donate magazines, text books, outdated guidebooks, manuals, cassettes or VHS tapes.

Another way to support the library with your donations is to take your books to the Bookworm in Boulder and ask the credit for the sales to be applied to the “Lyons Regional Library.”  Money from the sales of those materials will be used to purchase materials for your library.

Where can I return library items after hours?

Our book drop is located next to the main entry of the library on the south facing wall of the building.

Can I return books and materials from other public libraries?

Yes. We belong to a consortium of other libraries called AspenCat. If you borrow a book from within this system (and almost all of our books are from within this system) we can return it and track it through our courier system. It’s a type of InterLibrary Loan. The date it is returned to the Lyons Regional Library is the date that it is returned. It is not dated by when it arrives at its home library but by the date that it is returned to us at Lyons Regional Library.

If you check materials out from a non-AspenCat Library (such as Boulder or Longmont) we will return it for you through our courier. We’ve had great success with this but because the systems are different we can’t track them as expertly as we can within our own system. It’s rare that books and materials are lost but it happens and usually libraries are very understanding! Please don’t hesitate to return materials to us.

How is the Lyons Regional Library funded?

The Lyons Regional Library District is funded by property taxes paid by residents in the Lyons Regional Library District, as approved in a 2014 election. Property taxes are the sole responsibility of county Assessor’s office. The Lyons Regional Library District Foundation accepts grants and donations.  The Lyons Regional Library District Foundation has been established and approved by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) organization to accept tax-deductible contributions to the new library.  Contributions may be sent to:  Lyons Regional Library District Foundation, PO Box 2505, Lyons, CO 80540.

What about the Mill Levy?

A Mill Levy is the “tax rate” that is applied to the assessed value of a property. One mill is one dollar per $1,000 dollars of assessed value.

Library operations, including required reserves, are funded by the mill levy. Our District mill levy rate of 5.85 mills is based on property values set by Boulder and Larimer County Assessor’s Offices. Property taxes are the sole responsibility of county Assessor’s office. The Library District does not set these values. The District is not asking for a mill levy rate increase to fund the new community library building.

Other Districts, such as school and fire, also use mill levy. If you are curious to find out how much you paid towards the Library District you can call the Boulder or Larimer County Assessor’s office and ask. You can also visit the Assessor’s Office websites. Look for the Mill Levy Breakouts for your address. The Lyons Regional Library will be its own line item.

Here are some 2016 examples:

from Town of Lyons.
$251,000 assessed value paid $116.93

from Unincorporated Boulder County
$382,700 assessed value paid $178.21

from Unincorporated Larimer County
$888,200 assessed value paid $414.17

How do I look at old versions of this website?
The Lyons Regional Library District assumed operations from the Town of Lyons municipal library on July 1, 2015. For older iterations of the District’s website click on the “Wayback Machine – Archive of Lyons.colibraries.org or visit the Wayback Machine at https://web.archive.org.”