Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales Branch Library
🏢 Denver Public Library — Denver, Colorado
Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales Branch Library
Opened in 2015, this LEED Silver branch in culturally rich West Denver was designed around the idea of a library as an incubator for growth and named for Chicano civil-rights leader Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9 AM – 6 PM |
| Tuesday | 9 AM – 6 PM |
| Wednesday | 9 AM – 6 PM |
| Thursday | 9 AM – 8 PM |
| Friday | 10 AM – 5 PM |
| Saturday | 10 AM – 5 PM |
| Sunday | 10 AM – 5 PM |
Hours may vary on holidays.
📍 Location & Contact
Address: 1498 N Irving Street, Denver, CO 80204
Phone: (720) 865-2370
Website: denverlibrary.org
📖 About Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales Branch Library
The Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales Branch Library opened in 2015 as a modern, environmentally conscious branch serving diverse West Denver. Designed by the Denver firm Studiotrope Design Collective, with Joseph Montalbano as principal architect, the building was conceived around the idea of the library as an incubator for growth and earned LEED Silver certification. Its sustainable features include daylighting, reflective roofing, sub-floor air distribution, energy-efficient cooling, water-conscious fixtures, and automated lighting and temperature controls, built with local and recycled-content materials. The branch was funded through Denver's voter-approved Better Denver Bond Program and sits within the Mile High Vista mixed-use development. It is named for Denver native Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales, the Chicano civil-rights leader who wrote the epic poem "I Am Joaquin," founded the Crusade for Justice in 1966, and established the Escuela Tlatelolco. Today the branch offers an ideaLAB makerspace and a Digital Arts and Media Studio alongside its collections.
⭐ What makes this branch special
- Opened 2015 as a LEED Silver–certified, sustainably designed branch
- Designed by Studiotrope Design Collective around a 'library as incubator for growth' concept
- Named for Chicano civil-rights leader and poet Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales
- ideaLAB makerspace and Digital Arts and Media Studio on site
📱 Free with a Denver Public Library Card
Any Colorado resident can get a DPL card free and unlock:
📍 More Denver Public Library branches
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales?
He was a Denver native and Chicano civil-rights leader who advocated for the education and political equality of the Latino community. He wrote the epic poem "I Am Joaquin," founded the Crusade for Justice in 1966, organized the early Chicano Youth Liberation Conferences, and established the Escuela Tlatelolco.
What makes this branch environmentally sustainable?
Opened in 2015, the branch earned LEED Silver certification. It uses daylighting, a reflective roof, sub-floor air distribution, energy-efficient cooling, water-conscious fixtures, automated lighting and temperature controls, and local and recycled-content building materials.
What creative and technology spaces does the Gonzales branch offer?
The branch features an ideaLAB makerspace and a Digital Arts and Media Studio, along with public computers, technology access, and meeting spaces, reflecting its founding concept of a library as an incubator for community growth.