CSL News | Resource Sharing

Friday Grab Bag, December 7, 2018

This week, we have another mix of information, activities and fun.

By Regan Harper: Published on
CSL News, Resource Sharing

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!

Holiday Fun

Boulder Public Library brings us Joyful Noises & Musical Adventures: From Young Voices to Holiday Handbells

Dolores Public Library:

  • Friends Holiday Gift Sale.  Find affordable gently used books for all ages, stuffed toys, frameable prints, unique holiday cards.  proceeds go toward updating and expanding the library’s collection of local history DVDs.
  1. Dec 7 | 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm
  2. Dec 8 | 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
  3. Dec 9 | 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
  • Story Time with Santa, featuring  cookies and Santa!  Dec. 12 | 6 – 8 pm
  • Air dry Ornaments:  Make an ornament that you and your child can enjoy for years to come. Dec. 5
  • The Icy Letter “l”:  Brr… Join for a sign language lesson and a fun icicle craft.  Dec. 12
  • Holiday Musical Merriment:  Play, sing, and dance along with seasonal songs, then color a masterpiece.  Dec. 19
  • Cozy Closeout to 2018:  Snuggle in for an end of the year with classic winter stories and a craft.  Dec. 26

Summit County:

  • Holiday Cookie Exchange: Make and Take.  You are invited to a Holiday Cookie Exchange at the North Branch Library.   Don your favorite holiday attire, bring 2 dozen cookies to exchange, and a copy of your recipe. Also, be prepared to share a little “history” behind your treat. It could be a family tradition passed down through the generations or a funny holiday story that made your treat a longtime favorite. Register by calling 970-668-4280 or email katie.koop@summitcountyco.gov. Happy Baking!  Dec. 21, 2018 3 – 5 pm.
  • Teen Fandom Carol Writing Workshops. The Puzzler Room at the South Branch Library will be booked from 4 – 7 pm every Wednesday leading up to Fandom Caroling for teens (6th-12th grade) hoping to help write the carols to be performed on December 18th.
  • Family Christmas Movie Marathon:  Looking for something fun to do as a family over the weekend? All ages are invited to stop by in the Hopefull/Discovery Rooms at the South Branch and watch Christmas movies all day! One room will be for movie watching and the other will be for Christmas crafts and any gift wrapping you need to get done – bring your friends!  Dec. 22,  9 am – 5 pm.
  • Late-Night Pajama Storytime.  Families are invited to enjoy a special late-night pajama Storytime at South Branch! They will read holiday stories and finish off the night with cookies and milk. Be sure to wear your pajamas and bring your favorite stuffed animal or blanket. Registration is REQUIRED for this event. Dec. 20,  6 – 7 pm.

Vail Public Library:  

  • Evenings of Engagement Concert featuring the Dickens Carolers.  Vail Public Library proudly welcomes the Dickens Carolers for a night of traditional Christmas caroling in our Fireside Lounge. These talented carolers will even be wearing Victorian era costumes, many of which are made by the singers themselves. This event is sure to help spread “Holiday Cheer.” This event is free and open to the public.  Wed., Dec. 19, 6 – 7:30 pm.
  • Evenings of Engagement Concert featuring Mountain Harmony Acapella. Singing a variety of holiday music, this local acapella group is sure to bring the joy of the holidays to Vail. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact the library at libinfo@vailgov.com or 970-479-2187.  Thu., Dec. 20, 6 – 7:30 pm.

Grant/ Assistance Funding Opportunities:

Funds for Youth Programs in Oklahoma and Surrounding States:  The Kerr Foundation primarily provides support to nonprofit organizations in Oklahoma; however, the Foundation also considers requests from organizations in the surrounding states of Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, and Texas, as well as organizations located in Washington, DC. The Foundation offers grants to organizations that provide new or enhanced opportunities, particularly for youth, which address the following areas of interest: education, health, arts and culture, and human services. Grants generally range from $1,000 to $50,000. The upcoming deadline for letters of inquiry is December 27, 2018; full applications must be submitted by January 18, 2019. Visit the Foundation’s website to review the grant guidelines and application process.

Community Support

Boulder Public Library:  New Technology for People with Visual Impairments Now available at their Main Library.   A PC in the adult area has been dedicated to assisting people with visual impairments. The computer is equipped with Fusion Professional software which offers screen magnification as well as screen reader capabilities. Additionally, library staff can a provide Focus 14 pocket size 8 dot Braille keyboard to library patrons in the building. This keyboard can be connected to a smartphone via USB or Bluetooth and allow users to navigate their smartphone screen, read and respond to text messages. Please help us spread the word to those you know who can benefit from this technology.

Learning for Everyone

Libraries Making News

Pick ‘n’ Mix

Boulder Public Library:  Art Exhibits at the Main Library

  • Healing Expressions: Bridge House Art Therapy Nov. 30 – Feb. 4, Main Library, Arapahoe.  This diverse exhibit showcases artwork created by participants in Bridge House’s art therapy programs, one of which meets at the Library. Through art therapy, these artists have found beautiful and meaningful ways to express themselves and their life journeys.
  • Art of Data Dec. 7 – Feb. 3, Main Library, Canyon Gallery  The City of Boulder has a renewed focus on innovation that is being driven by a citywide effort to enhance data-driven decision-making and innovation. This show will celebrate art created by the community, inspired by the City of Boulder’s Open Data Catalog and other public city data.

Vail Public Library:  One Book One Valley Kickoff Event at The Bookworm of Edwards. What if everyone in Eagle County read the same book at the same time? During the next few months, Vail Public Library, The Bookworm of Edwards, the staff of Colorado Mountain College and the local high schools are encouraging the community to do just that by participating in the Annual One Book One Valley community-wide reading initiative. The book selected for 2019 will be officially announced during the kick-off party at The Bookworm of Edwards. All are welcome to attend!  Dec. 3, 6 – 7 pm

CAL IFC:  Join the CAL IFC this coming Wednesday, Dec. 12 from 3-4 pm for their monthly meeting.  It has been a year of defending against censorship, so they look to recap what has been  accomplished and begin planning for the year ahead.  The tentative agenda is online here.

What’s New at the Colorado State Library

Hot Off the Presses

Fourteen State Library Agencies Selected as NASA@ My Library Partners.

Fourteen state library agencies were selected to receive resources, training and support through NASA@ My Library, a STEM education initiative that will increase and enhance STEM learning opportunities for library patrons throughout the nation. As one of the States chosen to participate, Colorado will be active throughout 2019 and provide support for the summer learning event called “Universe of Stories.”

Public Library Annual Report Workshops Coming this Winter/Spring.

This winter and spring, the Colorado State Library and CLiC will offer free, interactive PLAR workshops in Pueblo, Brush, Grand Junction, and Denver. Any staff who work on the PLAR are encouraged to attend. The Pueblo, Brush, and Grand Junction workshops will focus on strategies for addressing the challenges that small and rural libraries face when collecting and reporting PLAR data, whereas the Denver workshop will have more of an urban/suburban library focus. However, staff are welcome to attend whichever workshop is most convenient for them.  Learn more.

Temporary Price Reduction for Newspaper Digitization for CHNC.

For the months of December, January and February, anyone initiating a digitization project to add historic newspaper pages to the CHNC online database through the Coorado State Library will receive a $0.05/page reduction in the overall cost of the process.  Thanks to a temporary promotional reduction in cost from our vendor partner, we are able to pass this savings on to the cultural heritage organizations and individuals that we work with.  There is no lower or upper limit to participation in this short term “sale”, but the window is short so interested parties need to act fast.  Contact Leigh Jeremias (ljeremias@coloradovirtuallibrary.org) for more information on this opportunity.

Employment Opportunities:

Statewide Collaborative Programming Coordinator:  The Statewide Collaborative Programming Coordinator is a full time position within the Colorado State Library.  The position is open to experienced information professionals with strong project management, technical and facilitation skills. If interested – read more:

Learning Opportunities:

Colorado Virtual Library Blog:

Library Research Service Blog:

Colorado State Publications Blog:

The Colorado State Publications Blog is now at coloradovirtuallibrary.org! Check out these recent posts:

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 Regan Harper, harper_r@cde.state.co.us.  Also, be sure to follow Colorado State Library on Twitter and Facebook.

Regan Harper
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