Last month, a reader had a question about a new, solar charging station at one of the Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD) locations she visited. We hadn’t heard about the new addition to their services, so we looked into it. Also, we had to wonder: why are outdoor solar charging stations a necessary library expense? When you think about charging your phone, do you think to yourself, “I really need to head to the library and sit outside to charge my phone”?
It seems silly, right?
We filed a Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) request and asked how much the outdoor solar charging stations cost us, the taxpayers, and what part of the PPLD budget they had pulled the money from.
The CORA response showed PPLD spent $30,000 total on 6 outdoor solar charging lockers from a company called GoCharge. The date of the invoice is 10/31/22. The expenditure was from the PPLD Capital Projects Fund Budget and they classified the phone lockers as a “security and safety” expense. Additionally, they spent $11,300 on interior device charging stations and classified that expenditure as “security and safety”, as well.
We emailed Teona Shainidze Krebs, the interim Chief Librarian and CEO of PPLD.
From: REBECCA MARSHALL
Sent: Monday, January 23, 2023 2:20 PM
To: Shainidze Krebs, Teona
Subject: RE: CORA- solar powered phone stations
Hi Ms. Krebs,
May I ask why they are considered part of security spending? I see 6 lockers were bought. Which library locations had solar charging lockers installed? Is there a reason people can’t just go inside and charge their phones? Why was it necessary to install these outside?
Thanks for your time.
Rebecca Marshall
Ms. Shainidze Krebs responded:
From: Shainidze Krebs, Teona
Sent: Wednesday, January 25, 2023 4:32 PM
To: REBECCA MARSHALL
Subject: Re: CORA- solar powered phone stations
Rebecca,
Please see the answers to your questions below.
May I ask why they are considered part of security spending?
Support Service departments routinely identify issues/problems or concerns based on staff feedback, public feedback and statistical analysis. In this case our Security Department identified issues based around phone charging and identified a solution to those issues. As they spearheaded the project the funds were identified as a capital request and when approved were placed within IT capital accounts and were dispersed with IT and Security in collaboration of the service rollout.
I see 6 lockers were bought. Which library locations had solar charging lockers installed?
Stations were installed at:
Library 21C
East Library
Penrose Library
Ruth Holley Library
Old Colorado City Library
Fountain Library
Is there a reason people can’t just go inside and charge their phones?
Absolutely not, PPLD has always allowed and will continue to allow patrons to charge phone inside of our facilities as long as they abide by the code of conduct and other library policies. These stations were installed to address safety and security concerns associated with this activity and ensure that the service was available to all patrons.
Why was it necessary to install these outside?
These stations were installed to provide a resource to all library patrons. Recent reductions in library hours and days, coupled with staff shortages and scheduled closing at some facilities brought the need to the forefront to provide an additional resource in conjunction with other identified concerns. Additionally, charging units placed outside allow limited floor space inside facilities to be reserved for other patron or resource space, improve safety in the facility, and provide a centralized convenience for all patrons entering and exiting facility regardless of what resource they will be utilizing. Installing stations outside provides flexibility and access to the resource at all times including when the branch is unable to be open to provide resources.
Sincerely,
Teona Shainidze Krebs
Interim Chief Librarian and CEO
We followed up with some additional clarifying questions on 1/25/23 and received no response from Ms. Shainidze Krebs as of 1/30/23.
From: REBECCA MARSHALL
Sent: Wednesday, January 25, 2023 11:08 PM
To: Shainidze Krebs, Teona
Subject: RE: CORA- solar powered phone stations
May I ask why phone charging stations are a library resource? If the library is closed, one would not seek out the library to charge a phone. I don’t think most people think of the library as the place where they need to go to in order to charge their phones. It makes little sense to me. Were they put in for homeless people? I’m now seeing that you bought indoor charging stations, too. Why is phone charging the responsibility of the library?
Thank you for your time.
Best,
Rebecca
We persisted. They determined the questions were media related and at that point, my questions were passed along to Denise Abbott, Director of Public Relations and Marketing for PPLD.
On Jan 31, 2023 6:51 PM, “Abbott, Denise” <dabbott@ppld.org> wrote:
Hi Rebecca
Thank you for your patience. Below are the answers to the last few questions you asked. If you need anything else, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Thank you.
May I ask why phone charging stations are a library resource?
Answered in last question below.
If the library is closed, one would not seek out the library to charge a phone. I don’t think most people think of the library as the place where they need to go to in order to charge their phones. It makes little sense to me. Were they put in for homeless people?
All library resources are incorporated into the system for use by all Library patrons. These charging stations were provided for all Library patrons and are being utilized by them. Patrons experiencing homelessness are using the stations, as are business professionals running small businesses, mothers taking their children to Storytime, community leaders coming to the Library to give presentations, students studying after class, college students using the facilities for research, and anyone else visiting our locations.
I’m now seeing that you bought indoor charging stations, too.
PPLD has not bought interior charging stations, I do not know what this refers to.
Why is phone charging the responsibility of the library?
The Library’s responsibility is to provide resources to the citizens of the county based on our strategic plan that was created between our staff, citizens of the community, elected officials, and community leaders. Point one of that plan encompasses Access.
1. Access- PPLD is an access point for everyone to engage with resources, services, and spaces as they choose.
– Protect the rights of individuals to create and consume content without censorship.
– Offer services and resources that meet the needs and wants of the community.
– Provide spaces and hours of operation that meet the needs and wants of the community
The community across all of our locations uses the Library to charge their phones and other devices hundreds, if not thousands of times a day. This is a service that a vast number of library patrons expect and utilize. As previously communicated, these stations were identified and installed to increase the safety/security of all patrons who want this service and improve the safety of our facilities for all patrons.
Ms. Abbott says, “the community across all of our locations uses the Library to charge their phones and other devices hundreds, if not thousands of times a day. This is a service that a vast number of library patrons expect and utilize”.
Do hundreds or thousands of people really use these charging stations? We decided to look into that claim. We sat outside the PPLD Library 21C location last week for almost 2 hours during the late afternoon. Here’s the youtube video. Not a single soul used the solar charging station. What should we expect next? Will the library use taxpayer funds to enlist an advertising agency to promote the chargers, so that they are used? That would be in line with government’s insanity.
The PPLD mission statement is: Cultivate spaces for belonging, personal growth, and strong communities.
The PPLD is an organization that you are a paying member of —whether you use their services or not, and whether or not you support their mission. Every taxpayer is forced to subscribe to their services. We’ve strayed very far from the original intent of libraries —to support education and literacy. Today, the PPLD uses taxpayer money for hobbies and social services. Books and education aren’t mentioned anywhere on their mission statement page.
Ben Franklin started the first subscription lending library in the United States. He stated:
“These Libraries have improved the general Conversation of Americans, made the common Tradesmen and Farmers as intelligent as most Gentlemen from other Countries, and perhaps have contributed in some Degree to the Stand so generally made throughout the Colonies in Defence of their Priviledges.”
We’ve come a long way from where we began. Ben, no doubt, is rolling in his grave.
Reach out to the PPLD Board and politely ask them why they spent your money on outdoor solar chargers. It’s an unneeded taxpayer expense.
7 thoughts on “Pikes Peak Library District Installs Pricey Outdoor Solar Phone Chargers”
In regard to your desire to install outdoor charging stations, it is not the job of the library to service the homeless population’s cell phone issues. All this does is enable a problem that needs to be addressed by other city agencies. It is a complete waste of your resources. I will keep in mind this utter disregard for fiscal responsibility next time I am asked to vote for a bond measure or have any input into directing funds to the city libraries.
This is another example why I’ve called for defunding the library over the next 5 years. (20% per year). If there is a legitimate demand for their services, the library should be able to secure operating and capital budgets from their cliental.
😡😡😡 I’d like to see a video of who is using these in the middle of the night. I bet there’s little encampments around them. Next they’ll pop up porta-potties outside the library.
I’ve seen the charging station outside of Ruth Holley. When I was employed with PPLD I saw many policies that weren’t related to books and obtaining information. Most of this was under the directorship of John Spears. Fines were eliminated, homeless camped outside and inside branches, having District 11 there for lunch distribution, adding “maker spaces” at 21-C and Sand Creek which have questionable usefulness, and cutting staff. Very sad and the atmosphere at the library is quiet and depressing.
My favorite part of this article is where the author describes sitting and watching one of the chargers for two hours on a single day and deciding based on that data alone that nobody uses them. That’s pretty funny. That’s not really how data collection on usage works. Good try, though, it did seem like it was meant to back your indignant tone!
Sitting and watching an outdoor charger in the winter? Of course you aren’t going to see a lot of use. The sensible people were charging their phones INSIDE.
Just found out about this page. Do you seriously need to complain about 30,000 that was spend on a legitimately cool, clean, and self sustainable feature for all members of a community? These solar charging stations are straight out of a utopian fiction novel. Even if they cost 100k, I still think they’d be a valuable asset to the community.
Wait until you find out how much the government wastes on our national defense budget! You seem like the type of folks who are perfectly fine with the purchase of a 47th aircraft carrier (cost roughly 13 billion dollars) but as soon as you see social programs and features that help out those less fortunate than yourself, you throw a big tantrum. This article is absolutely insane. Can’t believe you wasted these poor people’s time with your dumbfounded questions and actually sat outside their facilities to back up your weak argument. Go find something better to do and stop complaining about cool features of our community.