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!
Once Upon a Time…
Join Jefferson County Public Library on July 31 at 11:00 am and explore the stories kids love in a brand new way with a virtual presentation of Fairy Tale Science – The Little Mermaid. If kids want to follow along at home, they’ll need the following:
- Blank paper to draw on
- Crayons, markers, or colored pencils
- Two glasses of water
- Salt
Pikes Peak Library District invites kids, teens, and families to enjoy a family-friendly version of Shakespeare’s magical tale The Tempest – A Fantasy in Motion on August 8 at 2:00 pm. This whimsical show includes Shakespeare’s wonderful words with award-winning movement artist Peter Davison as narrator and a troupe of household objects as the characters.
Pick ‘n’ Mix
Teens (12-18) are invited to join Arapahoe Libraries for Palm Reading 101 on July 28 from 3:00-4:00 pm. Palmistry is the art of analyzing the lines and shapes of your hand that correlate to personality and predict your future. Learn how to recognize the patterns in your palm and what they could mean.
Summit County Library hosts Historic Building Renovations Virtual Tour on July 29 at 12:00 pm. Mother and daughter team, Nan Anderson and Elsa Tharp, will walk you through their once in a lifetime rehabilitation of the 1884 train freight depot in Leadville. Now a vibrant and lively events venue, FREIGHT has gone beyond historical preservation to become a piece of Leadville’s living history. Learn more about the incredible rehabilitation and restoration efforts that revived this historic railway depot.
Do you ever wonder which diet would be perfect for YOUR body and YOUR lifestyle? Are you ready to find the eating plan that’s simple and easy-to-follow…and, helps you to look better in your jeans? If your answer to any of these is yes, you won’t want to miss Pine River Library’s presentation of Fad Diets, Demystified on August 13th from 6:00-7:00 pm.
The Denver Public Library and PEN America host PEN America: Denver Journalists Discuss the Ethics of Journalism on July 28 at 4:00 pm, a live and interactive conversation with local Denver journalists to discuss reporting during a public health crisis, a period of social unrest, and an election season affecting every beat.
Veteran’s Affairs
Veterans Remember is an ongoing project of Mesa County Libraries’ that seeks to collect and document the memories, thoughts, and experiences of U.S. military veterans who live in Mesa County. The project begins with World War II veterans, and over time, as more interviews are collected, they will be added to this video collection. New to the collection is a video featuring Dave Bristol, a former Army Ranger who served in Vietnam.
Colorado Humanities offers free online writing workshops to veterans, their family members, and caregivers through collaboration with local partners and veterans who are professional writers. The Veteran’s Writing Workshop offers a creative outlet that can help with recovery from trauma and stress release. The next session, Writing Themes and Symbols, convenes on July 29 from 12:00-1:00 pm.
Museums and Libraries in the News
Adams State Nielsen Library receives historical map of San Luis Valley | Valley Courier
San Luis Valley resident Donald Knapp’s children donated a historical map of the valley to Nielsen Library on July 7.
Grand County museums receive $10.5K grant | Sky-Hi News
Grand County Historical Association received $10,500 from Colorado Humanities in an effort to help make up for revenue lost from closing the museums and canceling fundraisers due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Party time! History Colorado rolls out birthday festivities statewide | The Denver Channel
Starting Monday, July 27, History Colorado lets the good times roll all the way to Colorado Day on Saturday, August 1.
Gear lending library up and running in Cortez | The Journal
School Community Youth Collaborative a nonprofit supporting youths and youth empowerment, is operating a free gear lending library for the second year in a row.
Salida Library opens new addition, shares hope of becoming “the center of the community” | Ark Valley Voice
The renovation of the Salida Library is finished and the library leadership is now allowing the public in to see its improvements and hopes the expanded library will be the center of the community.
Learning for All
Whose Turn Is It, Anyway? Online Board Gaming and Libraries | July 28 @ 1:00 pm MT
Closed buildings and social distancing doesn’t need to mean the end of engaging and fun board game groups hosted by libraries. Many libraries have worked hard to organize board game groups, while others are still considering how to get started. Using popular and free online board gaming platforms, communities of gamers can continue meeting safely online. This webinar will explore how to make the transition to online board gaming, moderate meetups, and facilitate discussions among participants.
Social Media: How many accounts do I really need? | July 29 @ 8:00 am MT
Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Tumblr … how many social media accounts does one library need, anyway? And how can you make the most of them with limited time and money? We’ll give you basic social media best practices for libraries, then delve into the specifics of Facebook so you can learn how to make the right posts at the right time to reach further than ever.
What’s New at the Colorado State Library
Colorado Virtual Library
Podcasts for Kids
Solve It For Kids is a science podcast for curious and creative kids & their families. Kids that listen and take on weekly problem solving challenges are also eligible to win a free book!
State Publications Blog
Are you thinking of making a change this year in your job? Check out Library Jobline for hot new library employment opportunities.
- Interim Library Director – Library Manager – Library Clerk – Substitute Library Clerks: Southwest La Plata Library District / Marvel, CO
- Material Handling Technician: Douglas County Libraries / Littleton, CO
- Research and Instruction Librarian (part-time): Regis University / Denver, CO
- Stacks Supervisor: University of Denver Libraries / Denver, CO
- Patron Services Supervisor: High Plains Library District / Longmont, CO
- Patron Services Associate: Broomfield Library / Broomfield, CO
- Librarian II Programming Supervisor: Mamie Doud Eisenhower Public Library / Broomfield, CO
- Library Manager: Delta County Public Library District / Hotchkiss, CO
- Youth Services Assistant: Delta County Public Library District / Hotchkiss, CO
- Library Assistant–Part Time: Buena Vista Public Library / Buena Vista, CO
- Projects and Data Manager: Jefferson County Public Library / Lakewood, CO
- Strategic Services Librarian – Business: Pikes Peak Library District / Colorado Springs, CO
- Collection Resources Manager: High Plains Library District / Greeley, CO
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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