Friday Grab Bag, April 19, 2019

The Friday Grab Bag is a weekly series that highlights fun, unique, and interesting happenings in Colorado libraries, and includes news from the Colorado State Library.

Let’s open the Friday Grab Bag!

Fun and Games

Youths ages 6-14 are invited to Lyons Regional Library most Mondays from 2:45-3:30 pm for Fun Chess with Aaron Caplan. Drop on in for a fun and interactive atmosphere on May 6 with volunteer Aaron Caplan and play some chess! All levels of experience are welcomed; chess sets are provided, but you are free to bring your own as well.

Come and play games at the library! Every Sunday in the month of April, Englewood Public Library provides board games throughout the library for Retro Game Day. All ages welcome. No registration required. Sundays through April from 1:00-5:00 pm.

Monopoly

West Custer County Library hosts Scrabble Club every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month from 2:00-5:00 pm. Open to players of all levels.  They meet next on April 24 – go show off your Q without U tricks.

Teens are invited to Poudre River Public Library’s Puzzling Egg Hunt on April 19 from 7:00-9:00 pm. Come with your friends after hours and hunt for eggs in the library – with a puzzling twist! You and your team will try to be the first to complete a puzzle by participating in challenges and finding puzzle pieces inside color-coded eggs hidden throughout the library. This awesome event is for teens in grades 9-12. Don’t miss out on the fun – sign up today!

Do you love Harry Potter? Are you ready to prove your deep knowledge of all seven books? Do you solemnly swear you’re up to no good? Get your team of Potter heads together and join High Plains Library District for Teen Trivia: Harry Potter on April 22 from 4:00-6:00 pm. Costumes and wizarding apparel encouraged! Registration required. Mischief managed!

Money Matters

Are you thinking about buying a home? Join Arapahoe Libraries on May 16 from 6:30-7:30 pm for Buying a Home in Denver’s Market. Find out how to get the most out of Denver’s hot real estate market, and learn about the home-buying process and financing options. Come meet the team from Bring Home Denver and find out how easy buying a home can actually be! Click here to register today!

Parents and students are invited to join Aurora Public Library on April 29 from 6:00-7:00 pm for Understanding financial aid, college costs, and award packages for parents and students. This presentation covers college costs, types of financial aid, how to apply for financial aid (including the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA), financial aid award packages, and other important information.

Englewood Public Library hosts Show me the Money, a six-part series for adults and teens addressing personal finances. Basic Finance, Buying a Home, When to Borrow Money, Sell or Stay, Retirement Planning, Real Estate Investing. Mondays at 6:30 pm on April 22, 29, May 6, 13, & 20. No registration required.

Ready to buy your first home or maybe refinance your existing mortgage? Invest an hour with High Plains Library District for Buying a Home in a Hot Market on April 25 from 6:30-7:30 pm before investing in a mortgage. Discover the current local market, the cost of renting versus buying, how to choose a realtor, different loan types, down payment options, closing costs, fees, and more. Registration is required.

Pick ‘n’ Mix

Pines and Plains Libraries invites all ages to learn how to attract hummingbirds to your backyard and keep them healthy with safe feeding techniques from a local bird rehabber on April 29 from 6:00-8:00 pm.  Know when a bird needs help and what you can do to assist.

Join Jefferson County Public Library on April 20 from 2:00-3:00 pm for Game of Thrones: Swordplay Demonstration. Whether it’s Needle or Longclaw, swords are a must-have in Westeros (unless you have dragons). Enjoy a demonstration by the Rocky Mountain Swordplay Guild. These talented guests demonstrate real swordplay techniques and explain their historical contexts. Suitable for Adults and Teens – no registration required.

Aurora Public Library presents First Aid for Pets on April 27 from 2:30 – 4:00 pm with Veterinarian Judy McBeth of Fox Ridge Veterinary Clinic. Dr. McBeth will cover the basics on caring for pets through a range of topics, from understanding and checking your pet’s vital signs, to providing care in critical emergency situations.

Image courtesy of Aurora Public Library.

Heard the phrase “one man’s trash is another’s treasure?” Check out Eagle Valley Library District’s Trashion Show (prep day) on April 23 from 6:00-7:00 pm. Teens can create their own outrageous outfit or costume using only discarded and recycled materials. The possibilities are endless. Silliness is encouraged and outrageous outfits will be rewarded!

Museums and Libraries in the News

The Craig Daily Press puts forth an impassioned plea: Editorial: County, city should save our libraries.

Check out the latest installment of “Museums Matter,” a series of three articles in the Vail Daily compiled by Jennifer Mason, the executive director of the Colorado Snowsports Museum. Mason discusses how the value of museums can be judged on how visitors view their experience after they leave the museum, rather than on how many visitors museums receive.

New Health Exhibition Announced At Trinidad History Museum. Borderlands of Southern Colorado: Remedios, Medicine and Health opens May 3 at Trinidad History Museum, a museum of History Colorado.

Image courtesy of History Colorado.

Trains Magazine introduces Paul Hammond, formerly of the California State Railroad Museum. Hammond will replace the retiring Donald Tallman as executive director of the Colorado Railroad Museum. The Colorado Railroad Museum is recognized as one of the foremost, independently-supported railroad museums in the country

KKOA covers Pikes Peak Library District’s expansion: PPLD adding library in eastern El Paso County

What’s New at the Colorado State Library

Learning Opportunities

CSL in Session: Helping Patrons With Legal Questions, Part 3: Federal Laws and Secondary Sources

  • April 25, 2019, 12:00 to 1:00
  • Free! No registration required
  • Join online

Library Related Employment:

Are you thinking of making a change this year in your job?  Check out Library Jobline for hot new library employment opportunities.

Have a great weekend everyone!

This post is part of the Spotlight on Sharing initiative, which aims to increase the visibility of resource sharing in Colorado libraries. Do you have a story from your library to share? Email Marisa Wood, mwood@coloradovirtuallibrary.org. Also, be sure to follow Colorado State Library on Twitter and Facebook.

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