Friday Grab Bag, August 11, 2017

Solar Eclipse 2017

The Great American Eclipse happens on August 21. For a sample of eclipse programs at Colorado libraries, see Solar Eclipse 2017.

Song and Dance

Arapahoe Libraries presents The Tripping Griswolds, a live, indoor concert at Tagawa Gardens on August 18 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. This free, family-friendly event features classic rock spanning seven decades. Arrive early to grab a bite from the food trucks.

Bring your own percussion instrument to Bud Werner Memorial Library on August 20 at 3:00 pm to participate in a community drumming and dance circle. Storyteller Lauren Hooker will start the afternoon with a program titled The Fire Children, a West African creation story, that will lead into an audience participation segment.

Babies and Books

Grand County Library District’s Babies, Books, and Bags program launches on August 30, 2017. This program, supported by a grant from the Bessie Minor Swift Foundation and the Friends of Grand County Libraries, will support new moms by providing information on reading to babies and an invitation to sign up for a library card. When the invitation is exchanged for the real thing, parents will receive a board book, a reading blanket, and a welcome to the local library branch and programs.

Pick ‘n’ Mix

Boulder Public Library has put out a call for 2018 art exhibitions for their “Assembly Room” series in the Canyon Gallery. The call for proposals is open through Aug. 31, 2017.

The 3rd annual Fort Collins Comic Con happens August 26-27 at the Northside Aztlan Community Center. In addition to the typical Con fare, this year’s event will feature animators, writers, and comic book artists of popular properties like Darkwing Duck, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Star Wars Rebels, and Spider-Man. Local makers will construct a life-size T.A.R.D.I.S, and programs will be available for even the youngest comic books fans. Learn more at https://fococomiccon.com/

Arthur Lakes Library at the Colorado School of Mines is starting Mindfulness Mondays beginning September 11. This weekly drop-in meditation group is open to everyone and will be facilitated by Mines students and staff.

Kids age 8-12 are invited to the Kids Code Cafe at Louisville Public Library, August 28 from 4:00 to 5:00 pm. Basic coding instruction will be provided, but kids can also work on their own coding projects.

Summit County Library’s classic film series continues with The Breakfast Club. Watch the screening while enjoying some breakfast at the South Branch Library on Saturday, August 12 at 10:30 am. A brief discussion will follow the movie.

Learn to pickle and preserve your own vegetables at high altitude from Ann Zander, CSU’s Boulder County Extension Agent. High Plains Library District is offering two sessions of this class: August 16 at Carbon Valley Regional Library and August 17 at Erie Community Library.

Scholarships & Grants

State Grants to Libraries funding is available for 2017-18! Eligible public, school, and academic libraries are encouraged to submit a short eligibility form by September 15. Funds can be used books, e-books, database subscriptions, and other educational resources.

Blogs

New this week on the Colorado State Publications Library Blog: August is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month | Amache Relocation Center and Colorado’s Japanese Americans | Burrowing Owls

Just in time for Back to School, the latest post on Colorado Virtual Library highlights Digital Tools for Formative Assessments.

Professional Development Opportunities

The CLEL (Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy) Conference is September 8, 2017 in Longmont. Conference registration is open now through August 25.

Coming up next on CSL in Session, a free online learning series from the Colorado State Library: Workplace Bullying: Word Can Hurt More Than You Think, August 24, 12:00 to 1:00 pm MDT.

CSL is partnering with the state libraries of Georgia, Iowa, and Maryland to sponsor Libraries as Community Catalysts, a free, virtual conference on August 16, 2017 from 9:00 to 3:00 MDT. All Colorado library staff are encouraged to join. Register online by August 15.

Fun & Informative

Just over two weeks are left in the #LoveMyCOLibrary campaign, and the amazing pics of library awesomeness keep coming in! Have you submitted a pic yet? It’s easy to participate: simply tag your pic with #LoveMyCOLibrary and share it with the Colorado State Library on Facebook and Twitter.

Outside the Lines, a global initiative to demonstrate library innovation, is September 10-16, 2017. There’s still time to register on the OTL website. Please consider sharing your OTL activities with the State Library—we’d love to hear what your library has planned. On social media use the hashtag #getOTL.