Friday Grab Bag, January 3, 2020

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!

Acts of Creation

Join Buena Vista Public Library for an Artist Reception for local up and coming artist Devyn Grundy on January 10 from 4:00-6:00 pm. The 18-year-old who creates magical oil paintings with an otherworldly feel is exhibiting at the library through the month of January.

Devyn Grundy Art Work Swans
Image by Artist Devyn Grundy.

Did you know that January and February are some of the hardest months for wild birds? Help out our feathered friends and get ready for National Bird-Feeding Month with Basalt Regional Library by creating DIY Upcycled Bird Feeders on January 21 from 4:00-6:00 pm.! Use upcycled materials to build and decorate bird feeders safe for local species. Bring your own upcycled materials or use what is provided to create one feeder to take home and one to hang outside the library. Bird feed and tips on bird-safe feeder locations will be provided. This program is for grades 5+.

In celebration of the New Year, Bud Werner Public Library invites all ages to the Library Hall to revisit their individuality and creative spirit while sand painting on a spectacular under-the-sea design on the Community Sand Painting table on January 3 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.This is a FREE all-ages event, but children must be accompanied by an adult.

Master the art of thrift store upcycling with your ThriftU degree! Earn your degree in as little as two hours with the Longmont Library ThriftU program. At this first class of the spring semester on January 15 at 6:30 pm,  transform the humble clipboard into a standing organizational marvel. Clipboards and stands will be provided.

Friendly Competition

Teams of two or three are invited put their spelling skills to the test and battle for prizes at the Kids Spelling Bee  on January 28 from 3:30-5:00 pm at Idaho Springs Public Library or January 29 from 3:45-5:00 pm at the Georgetown Public Library. Big ‘kids’ can also get in on the fun at Sip & Spell on January 30 at 5:30 at the Westbound & Down Brewing Company.

Stephanie Lipira wins first place in Spelling Bee. [Image courtesy Broomfield Enterprise, Volume 4, Number 30, April 25, 1979. Accessed via the Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection.]
Poudre River Public Library hosts an after hour Nerf Battle at the library – just for teens on January 5 from 7:00-8:30 pm. Two teams will compete in challenges and skirmishes throughout the library. Teens are welcome to bring their own nerf dart guns, but do not need to in order to participate. Teens are asked to leave their own darts and any non dart nerf equipment at home. Click HERE to register.

Tweens are invited to join Pueblo City Library on January 17 from 6:00-8:00 pm for a Laser Tag Lock In. Battle it out in 12 v. 12 laser tag fun and enjoy the provided refreshments. Click HERE to register.

New Year’s Nosh

Middle and High Schoolers are invited to drop in to Durango Public Library on January 15 from 4:00-5:00 pm for Teen Time: Mug Cakes and Hot Cocoa Mix. Bring a friend or two and make a delicious mug cake and customize your own hot chocolate mix.

Join Anythink Huron Street for a cooking session all about eggs. At Cooking for Kids: Zesty Mini Quiche on January 6 at 6:00 pm, kiddos will use milk, salsa, cheddar cheese and eggs to create little breakfast bites. This program is intended for kids in K-5th grade. Space is limited, so click HERE to register in advance.

Every fourth Friday of the month, Garfield County Libraries is partnering with Grand River Health to take kids on a yummy food adventure with Fridays @ Your Library: Serving up my Plate at 1:00 pm! This 7 session course will help kids learn about healthy, delicious foods, as well as how to create yummy, healthy snacks and meals. There will be hands-on, taste-testing each class. The series cumulates with a Family Cook-off in May, where you will use the skills you have learned throughout the year to create a healthy meal using all food groups!

Do you have a discerning palate? Or do you just like to eat? Either way, teens can join Boulder Public Library at First Friday Food Lab on January 3 from 4;00-5:00 pm to try out Potato Chip Flavors. Good, gross, or in between – vote for your favorites!

Resolutions

Clutter can affect you physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. If decluttering, organizing and simplifying your life in 2020 is a goal for you, join Breckenridge resident Lisa J. Shultz, the author of the new book “Lighter Living” for an interactive talk on January 15 from 5:30-6:30 pm at Summit County Library. Learn about clutter, what to do about it. and the benefits of well-being and peace of mind that can result from dealing with your stuff.

Do you need help kicking sugar to the curb? Come to Breaking up with Sugar on January 8 at 6:00 pm at Pine River Library to learn how sugar affects the body, how to reduce your sugar cravings, and the three steps to breaking up with sugar so you can feel better, improve your energy, and create an environment for optimal health by reducing inflammation in your body.

Museums & Libraries in the News

Library hosts forum on marijuana, public health | Estes Park Trail Gazette
Community members gathered at the Estes Valley Library on December 3  for a marijuana symposium ahead of a special election on December 10.

Longmont Library’s Say Hello gives English language learners a voice in casual conversation | Colorado Hometown Weekly
Longmont Library’s “Say Hello!” English conversation group provides a place for people to practice conversing in real-life settings.

Library renovation helps facility & staff to better serve Team Pete | CSMNG.com
The library on Peterson Air Force Base, is closed for cosmetic renovations, but staff are also taking the opportunity to shift away from the Dewey Decimal System, and toward a Modern Bookstore Layout.

International Holocaust Remembrance Day and the Jewish American soldier experience | At the Library | Pikes Peak Courier
Michelle Harris will present “Jewish American Soldiers of World War II” at the Woodland Park Public Library on January 28 at 2:00 pm.

What’s New at the Colorado State Library

#GetToKnowCSL

Get to Know CSL: Samantha Hager on Colorado State Publications
The second installment of #GetToKnowCSL features Library Consultant Samantha Hager. Find out what makes her  tick and learn more about her work in the State Publications unit of the State Library.

State Publications Library

Learning Opportunities

Library Leadership Webinar: The Community Centered Library

  • January 8 @ 2:00 pm MT
  • Free – no registration required!
  • Join online

Upcoming Webinar Series: Patron Data Protection
The Colorado State Library is sponsoring a 4-part webinar series that will look at practical methods for protecting patron data.

Free Online Learning Opportunities for January
Ring in 2020 with some free, online professional development!

Learning Edge

Learning Edge December 2019 #2
Get caught up on professional learning events, digital learning resources, and news from the education field.

Colorado Virtual Library

Impeachment: The View from Colorado’s Historic Newspapers
The CHNC offers a distinctly Coloradan view of this aspect of America’s history.

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.

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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