1901 was one heck of a year. William McKinley was assassinated, Queen Victoria died — marking the end of the Victorian era, Australia officially became a nation and the first Nobel Prizes were awarded in Sweden and Norway.

It also marks the year the first Mesa County Public Library (MCPL) opened its doors.

The Grand Junction Public Library, the first Carnegie Library in Mesa County, opened to the public on July 25, 1901 following a grant from the Carnegie Corporation. Andrew Carnegie believed libraries were “the ladders upon which the aspiring may climb,” and 125 years later, that mission still resonates with MCPL.

Michelle Boisvenue-Fox, the executive director of the library, recognizes a continued commitment to serving the community. “In 1901, there was little to no access to the K-12 school structure,” says Boisvenue-Fox. “And so, Carnegie suggested libraries were a path to elevate the community.” As ever, there are haves and have-nots, and in a stratified society, the library fills a much-needed gap in learning and community.

At storytime, human connection guides the way as parents meet other caregivers — a vital touchstone in an increasingly isolated society. The library offers volunteer opportunities to serve that community, a discovery garden where “people make connections with their hands in the dirt” and staff whose mission is guided by relationship with community.

And that community is broadening. One of the values — and challenges — of a library, “is that a library is supposed to serve the entire community,” suggests Boisvenue-Fox. With ever-diversifying demographics, the scope of the library has broadened in response. “We are here, 125 years later, because we didn’t stay the same,” she says.

The Adult Learning Center is over 35 years old. The 970West Studio offers a unique opportunity to engage with technology in its collaborative studio. There are also rotating art exhibitions. Broader resources to serve broader communities.

*Photos courtesy of Mesa County Libraries*

It’s no wonder, then, that the MCPL was a finalist for the National Medal for Museum and Library Services in 2024, an award rooted in community service.

To celebrate 125 years, MCPL has partnered with Whitewater Hill Vineyards to offer “Library Wines,” a collaboration that celebrates connection through local wine. The blends — “Well Read” and “Grape Expectations” — are available at Whitewater Hill’s tasting room, with proceeds benefiting the Mesa County Library Foundation.

On July 24, 2026, the Grand Junction Chamber of Commerce will celebrate the library with a ribbon cutting ceremony to recognize the role the library has played in the community.

The most tangible way the patrons have shown that love is through a collection of some 70 community videos which were recorded throughout 2025. On display across the library’s social media, the videos offer a glimpse at what makes the library so vital to Mesa County.

The stories are diverse, reflecting the breadth of the experiences the library has to offer. There is one throughline, however: the MCPL, and all libraries, enrich the lives of the patrons — and so too, the entire community.

Originally published in the summer 2026 issue of Spoke+Blossom.

Still Climbing: The Heritage Of Mesa County Public Library At 125