{"id":132839,"date":"2026-06-11T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/mancos-library-director-steps-down\/"},"modified":"2026-06-11T15:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T21:00:00","slug":"mancos-library-director-steps-down","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/mancos-library-director-steps-down\/","title":{"rendered":"Mancos library director steps down"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"After
After four and a half years, Jared Boudreaux is leaving Mancos Public Library for a remote job. Throughout his tenure, the library has seen increased attendance at its programs and more books checked out. (Ann Marie Vanderveen\/The Journal)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n

On its bulletin boards and newsletters, the Mancos Public Library reflects a flourishing institution, partnering with local organizations for fundraising and hosting youth programs, yoga and music events.<\/p>\n

For Executive Director Jared Boudreaux, the uptick in library visits is a delight as well as a sign the library will survive his departure later this month. He sat down with The Journal<\/em> Tuesday to reflect on his time as director.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re very much on a good path forward,\u201d Boudreaux said.<\/p>\n

Hailing from small town Louisiana and commencing his role in 2022, Boudreaux is proud of how kids programs developed during his tenure. During the school year, weekly Friday events invite children to engage in arts and science activities as well as playtime accompanied by a free lunch.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe cap out at 20 kids per week to be able to attend and we fill up in minutes,\u201d Boudreaux said. \u201cThat\u2019s fantastic just knowing how many parents and teachers really love our Friday program and how many kids it helps get used to coming to the library.\u201d<\/p>\n

Anne Benson, president of the fundraising organization supporting the library, Mancos Friends of the Library, applauded his work connecting with schools, securing funds and investing in community programs.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s been really community minded,\u201d Benson said. \u201cHe\u2019s made improvements and it\u2019s working. It\u2019s a good library.\u201d<\/p>\n

Boudreaux brought his own flavor to the director role. As a graduate in film studies, he formed the Cult Movie Federation of Mancos which screens cult classics like Eraserhead and The Big Lebowski once a month at the Mancos Opera House.<\/p>\n

\u201cLibraries are one of the only careers that you can bring your own personal interests and passions into and make it a part of work \u2026 just bringing in the things that you like and making it available to everybody else in the community,\u201d Boudreaux said.<\/p>\n

Library staff \u2013 beyond being literature or film fanatics \u2013 are also essential service providers, Boudreaux said. From offering free internet and computer access, to an air-conditioned or heated place to rest, to sparking important conversations, Boudreaux believes in the necessity of the small-town library.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re one of the very few \u2013 if not the only \u2013 locations where you can just come here and exist,\u201d Boudreaux said. \u201cYou can socialize, you could take a nap, you could read a book, you could look something up \u2013 whatever you need. We\u2019re here to help make that easier for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of these services is a free legal clinic hosted by the Mancos Public Library monthly, offering pro bono advice from lawyers via video chat.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf a library were to disappear from a community, I feel like it would be noticed very quickly,\u201d Boudreaux said. \u201cA lot of these societal issues all sort of congregate at the library.\u201d<\/p>\n

Boudreaux said it saddens him to see libraries in his home state at risk as communities vote against renewing the property taxes that fund them \u2013 something he\u2019s grateful Mancos residents have not done. Their continued support of the library contributes to an uplifting symbiotic relationship between the community and the library.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe get little \u2013 if any \u2013 people who are like, \u2018I\u2019m so upset with how much money the library is taking in,\u2019\u201d Boudreaux said.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not all been smooth sailing, however. Boudreaux said through his tenure he learned the importance of difficult conversations and the ability of a library to spur them on. In 2024, the library approved the monthlong display of a crocheted mural, traveling across the state, depicting the words \u201cFreedom to Choose\u201d in protest of abortion restrictions.<\/p>\n

In a board meeting Boudreaux said was unusually packed, residents voiced opposition and support for the artwork. The mural was not removed prematurely, and Boudreaux was glad it initiated a community discussion.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt its core, all libraries are here for is we\u2019re here to help facilitate conversations, learning, understanding,\u201d Boudreaux said.<\/p>\n

Now the board is searching for a new director as Boudreaux prepares to take his exit on June 26. He said there\u2019s been one applicant so far but expects more in the coming months.<\/p>\n

Boudreaux is excited for his new job working remotely in digital asset management, which will allow him to travel more. However, it\u2019s still bittersweet.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s such a nice library,\u201d Boudreaux said. \u201cI hate to leave it.\u201d<\/p>\n

avanderveen@the-journal.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After working with staff post-COVID to revitalize the community space, executive director is moving on<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":132840,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5736,5735],"tags":[28,29,6419],"naviga_topic":[],"class_list":["post-132839","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-news","category-news","tag-headlines","tag-newsletter","tag-tj-trueanthem"],"acf":[],"author_name":"dh_admin","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132839","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=132839"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132839\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/132840"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=132839"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=132839"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=132839"},{"taxonomy":"naviga_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/naviga_topic?post=132839"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}