Friday Grab Bag, February 19, 2021

Senior Services

Join Bemis Library on February 25 from 9:30-11:30 am for Senior Social Conference Call. Chat, connect, and stay engaged weekly on Thursdays! You can join the conference call from a computer, smartphone, regular cell phone, or landline. Computers & smartphones: click here to connect. Cell phones & Landlines: Call 1 (301) 715-8592, and enter Meeting ID 987 926 117 when prompted.

The Pine River Library is launching a new program to help older adults in La Plata County navigate the world of technology. In partnership with Senior Planet, a national nonprofit which harnesses technology to change the way older Americans age, the library will be offering a FREE five week Senior Planet Virtual Essentials program for those over 60 years old. The program will run twice a week (Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10-11: 15 am) starting February 23. All sessions will be run via Zoom.

Join Mesa County Libraries for their bi-monthly Senior Social Club via Zoom (Everyother Monday at 10:00 am)! There will be structured and unstructured activities in which participants can chat and socialize to share stories and life experiences.  February is Freestyle month and since the topic(s) are endless, sessions will not be focusing on any particular subject or structure. Consider sharing where you grew up, your hobbies, pets, or your favorite meal of the day. Share with the group anything about yourself.

Although extended life spans are a gift, aging can bring with it difficulties as well, such as anxiety, physical aches and pains, and changes in cognition. Modern medicine has tools to address these things, but medical interventions are often expensive and come with side effects. Fortunately, one effective method for coping with the physical and psychological difficulties of getting older (or of just living life) is actually quite ancient and simple and free — mindfulness. Denver Public Library offers a number of programs to support the Benefits of Mindfulness for Older Adults. Check them out!

Museums & Libraries in the News

Denver City council approves controversial new library development in RiNo | Colorado Politics
The Denver City Council approved a resolution for the development of a public library in the River North Art District, a project residents have said ignores Denver’s older and more disadvantaged communities.

Library News: T-shirt design contest underway now for artists of all ages | Pagosa Sun
Ruby M. Sisson Memorial Library needs  help in designing a T-shirt for this year’s Summer Reading Program. The theme will be “Tails and Tales,” which ought to stimulate a lot of creative, fun ideas in artistic heads. This is an all-ages contest. All designs must be original.

Library workers ask for vaccine protection, considered a critical service | KDVR Fox 31
The Colorado Association of Libraries (CAL) is asking for library workers to be included in the 1B.2 COVID-19 vaccine eligible group.

ARTIST IS IN: Library welcomes new artist in residence | The Daily Sentinel
Multimedia artist Rebecca Woods is the Mesa County Libraries’ 970West artist in residence and will be on Zoom once a week to show and talk about the projects she is creating.

Learning for All

Free Webinar: Engaging Patrons with Social Media | March 3 @ 12:00 pm MT
Social media can be an essential piece in your library’s communications toolkit, especially if your building is closed or has limited in-person services. It is not only a promotion tool, but also a way to entertain and engage with followers. Join this webinar to learn practical tips on how to crowd-source content from staff and followers, tools to make social posts easier to plan ahead, which platforms are less (or more) time consuming, and how to promote advisory and librarian expertise online.

2021 Southeast Collaborative Online Conference | March 16-18
The 2021 Southeast Collaborative Online Conference is a collective effort by the State Library of North Carolina, South Carolina State Library, Georgia Public Library Service, and Library of Virginia to offer innovative and useful online learning experiences for library staff at all levels through a convenient online conference. This conference is open to anyone to attend at no cost!

Spring 2021 Alumni Webinars: Presented By Alumni Of The UW-Madison ISchool

• March 30: Qualitative Data Analysis with Taguette
• April 13: Partnering through the Pandemic to Reach Patrons
• April 27: Digital Backpack Workshops

Save the Date for the 9th Annual Kraemer Copyright Conference | June 7-8
This year’s Kraemer Copyright Conference will discuss the copyright implications of open access. Under open access, published works are available to users with no financial, legal, or technical restrictions. Some benefits include immediacy, rapid disperse of innovative ideas inciting new studies, impact and citations, and author and institution visibility. Do not miss the opportunity to learn more about open access.

Pick ‘n’ Mix

Adults and teens are invited to join Araphoe Libraries for We Will Rock You: Musical History of Rock-And-Roll on February 23 at 1:00 pm. Rock-and-roll music emerged in the 1940s-1950s in the United States, a style evolved from rhythm & blues. Rock-and-roll songs typically include electric guitar, electric bass and drum set. Enjoy the performance of songs from rock-and-roll legends like Chuck Berry, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, and contemporary interpretations like The White Stripes.

Join Colorado Humanities on February 24 from 6:00-8:00 pm for Change in Rural Colorado, a community conversation that will explore the challenges and opportunities created by this public health crisis. Panelists will give short presentations about leveraging local and regional assets to maximize innovation and resiliency to generate inclusive growth in rural community economies followed by discussion and audience Q&A. Please register.

Longmont Museum presents NCAR Explorer Series – The Air We Breathe: On Front Range Air Quality on February 25 at 7:30 pm. Find out what’s in the air we breathe, how far it travels, and what we know about the origin of Front Range pollution. Join NCAR scientists Frank Flocke and Gabi Pfister for this virtual conversation. You’ll also get a glimpse of the technology used by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) to measure local air pollution. Presented in collaboration with NCAR’s Explorer Series and the City of Longmont’s Sustainability Program

Learning Opportunities

GRT Quick Bites: Brain Development, Early Experience and Library Programs- What’s the Connection?

• February 23 @ 12:00 pm
• Free, no registration required!
• Join Online

Upcoming CSL in Session: Drive-In Storytime

• February 24 @ 12:00 pm
• Free, no registration required!
• Join Online

How You Can Benefit from the 2021 Successful Supervision Workshop

• March 10 @ 11:00 am
• Registration required, click HERE to register

Free Online Learning Opportunities for February
Feel the love with these free training opportunities for February.

Virtual Learning for Library Trustees
Upcoming trustee learning opportunities through March.

Colorado Virtual Library

PRISM Planning Project Resources for Independent Study
The PRISM Planning Project makes research design and data collection resources available to researchers that wish to study the question of prison library impact.

Trustee Corner – February 2021
The February Trustee Corner features info on the Colorado Public Library Standards, COVID-19 Vaccines for Library workers, and more.

State Publications Blog

• Historic Streetcar Systems of Colorado

Library Research Service

Does the (Data Collection Method) Shoe Fit?
You wouldn’t go hiking in a pair of dress shoes, right? Like the variety of shoes in your closet, there are a variety of data collection methods. The trick is finding which one fits your evaluation!