Friday Grab Bag is a weekly Spotlight on Sharing series that highlights fun, unique, and interesting happenings in Colorado libraries. News from the Colorado State Library is at the bottom. Let’s open the Grab Bag!
Make & Create
As part of their “Be Ready, Make a Plan” series, Ignacio Community Library will offer Day Packs and Bug-Out Bags on July 20 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Learn the difference between the two types of bags, plus make your own “Mad Max”-style paracord bracelet. Contact the library to register.
Clearview Library District’s DIY Faire and Swap Meet is a great opportunity to learn a new skill, like car maintenance, coffee roasting, jewelry making, or plumbing. While you’re there, bring an item to trade at the Swap Meet (registration required). The event is at the Windsor-Severance Library on Saturday, June 17 from 12:00 to 3:00 pm.
Kids age 6-9 can learn about Bubble Science at the Council Tree Library in Poudre River Public Library District on Monday, June 19 from 2:00 to 3:30 pm. Registration required.
Park County Libraries, in collaboration with Mt. Bailey Productions, recently published a video about science programming at their libraries. Watch to learn about their journey and their available STEAM activities.
Adorable Animals Ahead!
Goats from Caramel Apple Farms will be visiting several Anythink locations over the next few weeks. Stop by to say hello and learn more about these fun, four-legged friends. See the schedule of dates and locations.
Bud Werner Memorial Library will host U.S. Forest Service Wildlife Biologist Missy Dressen on June 22 at 7:00 pm as she discusses Pika and Habitat Fluctuations Across the West. In particular, she will explore findings from a local study about the impact of climate in the Routt National Forest on the pika, a small mountain mammal.
School’s Out for the Summer
Arapahoe Libraries is celebrating summer with an outdoor concert and movie night for the whole family on Saturday, June 24 from 6:00 to 10:00 pm at Centennial Center Park. Start the evening with 80s music from 6 Million Dollar Band, then enjoy a screening of The Librarian: Quest for the Spear. Food trucks will be onsite, and the library will have tech demos available.
Drum Safari is returning to perform at Gunnison Library on Thursday, June 22 at 10:00 am. This Kansas-based percussion group combines music and learning for children of all ages.
Basalt Regional Library is partnering with Food Bank of the Rockies to offer free lunches to anyone under the age of 18. Eligible children and teens can pick up a sack lunch on Tuesdays and Thursday from 11:00 am and 1:00 pm from June 13 to August 31.
Boulder Public Library offers a variety of summer camps for teens, including Maker Camp, Teeny Tiny Terrariums, Escape Room, Book Art, and more. Their Summer Reader Program webpage has all the details.
Jefferson County Public Libraries has a Summer Reading Buddies program that pairs older and younger readers together for read-alouds and crafts. See the schedule of events.
Join the John C. Fremont Library at the Smokey Jack Observatory in Westcliffe on Thursday, June 15 at 9:30 pm to view the astronomical event “Saturn in Opposition,” the night is when Saturn will be at its brightest and closest to Earth.
Libraries in the News
Lauren Seegmiller, Public Services Apprentice at CU Boulder’s Norlin Library, was awarded a scholarship to offset the cost of attending the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago, June 22-26. Seven scholarships were awarded through a partnerships between ALA and EBSCO. Read the announcement.
What’s New at the Colorado State Library
CSL has partnered with Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) to promote their new effort, Generation Wild, a campaign to get kids outside and become the next generation of outdoor enthusiasts. As part of the campaign, all public libraries will receive copies for distribution of 100 Things To Do Before You’re 12.
Sharon Morris, CSL’s Director of Library Development, will be a panelist at Reach Out and Read Colorado’s Innovate | Collaborate event on July 13, 2017. The event will explore innovation and partnership opportunities within Denver’s public sector.
Join Growing Readers Together, an early literacy pilot program from CSL, for an upcoming workshop for parents and caregivers of young children in SE Colorado. The workshop will be offered twice, both in Colorado Springs. Call Barbara Huff from Pikes Peak Library District to reserve your spot, 719-531-6333 x2401.
- Saturday, June 24 from 11:30 to 1:00 at Meadows Park Community Center
- Saturday, July 15 from 1:30 to 3:00 at Deerfield Hills Community Center
CSL in Session is an online learning series from the Colorado State Library. Anyone can join for free, no registration required. Upcoming sessions include:
- Look at Me When I’m Talking to You, with Jean Marie Heilig. June 22, 2017 from 12:00 to 1:00 pm MDT.
- Check Out an Experience, with Beth Crist, Jill Wilson, Judith Anderson, and Teresa Myers. July 18, 2017 from 12:00 to 1:00 pm MDT.
In her latest post on Colorado Virtual Library, Arian presents summertime projects to make with recycled books. Check out these fun and low-cost crafts.
Read the latest posts from the Colorado State Publications Library Blog:
- The Buzz on Bees in Colorado – Resources on beekeeping in Colorado, both current and historical.
- Time Machine Tuesday: The Moffat Tunnel – David Moffat’s vision of a railroad tunnel through the Continental Divide became reality when the tunnel opened in 1928.
- Colorado Kids Food Finder – The Colorado Department of Education launched a new website to help families find organizations that provide free meals to qualifying kids.
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 Amy Hitcher, ahitchner@coloradovirtuallibrary.org. Also, be sure to follow Colorado State Library on Twitter and Facebook.
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