Two months ago, the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped our world almost overnight, limiting libraries’ ability to offer in-person storytime, activities and other popular programs. Many libraries and library systems were able to shift programs to a virtual format for the public to enjoy from the safety of home, but not all libraries had the staff or resources needed to provide virtual options to their communities. Now, Colorado libraries have teamed up to to make virtual programs and activities for adults, teens, and kids easy to find on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram with the hashtag #LibrariesCOnnect. Participation is easy! All you have to do is:
- Include the hashtag #LibrariesCOnnect with program and event posts created on your social media channels (provided you can welcome attendees from outside of your service area).
- Follow the hashtag on social media platforms and re-share programs and presentations that your patrons might be interested in, or that fill a gap in your calendar.
- Encourage your patrons to follow the hashtag to find programs and presentations that libraries are making available for all Coloradans by using and/or customizing the resources we’ve provided in the #LibrariesCOnnect Social Media Toolkit. All materials may be tailored to meet your local needs.
Now let’s open the Friday Grab Bag!
Play & Participate to Win
Do you want to play a role playing game without rolling a ton of dice and reading a bunch of books? Teens are invited t join Denver Public Library for Lasers and Feelings (and other one page role playing games) on June 12 (and subsequent Fridays) from 4:30-6:00 pm. Lasers and Feelings is easy to play and just as creative and fun as Dungeon and Dragons!
Make your mark on the preservation of Colorado’s rich history, and win prizes! The Clear Creek County Library District and the Historical Society of Idaho Springs invite you to roll up your sleeves and try your hand at becoming a Journeyman Editor by correcting the text of digitized historic newspapers. The [link broken: https://cccld.org/journeyman/] kicks off June 1st and will run through the 30th. The top three editors who correct the most lines will win a prize package — in addition to the appreciation of users far and wide! Find full instructions on how to participate in the contest here.
Dragons, royalty, elves, trolls, and fractured fairy tales galore! Poudre River Public Library District invites tweens and teens to try their hand at writing a fantasy or fractured fairy tale for our Fantastical Flash Fiction Contest. For tweens and teens ages 10-18. Submissions are open from June 7-28, 2020. For contest guidelines and submission instructions, click HERE.
Looking for an easy program to share with your teens that they can do at home this summer? The Teen Video Challenge is back for 2020! The Teen Video Challenge, sponsored by the Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP), is an annual national video contest open to all teens (librarian and teacher support is encouraged). Videos are to be no longer than 60 seconds and promote libraries and reading. Videos will be accepted June 1 through August 7. For complete guidelines and submission instructions, click HERE.
Graduation Season
CC Celebrates 524 Undergraduates with Videos, ‘Graduation Boxes’ | Colorado College News
Colorado College is sending members of the graduating class celebratory gift boxes and a series of web, email, and video communications, including a video reel featuring congratulatory messages from faculty, staff, and elected officials.
High school sends off 2020 grads with zip line celebration in Colorado Springs | KRDO
The University School in Colorado Springs decided they wouldn’t let a global pandemic stop them from celebrating their graduates. In fact, they added a little adventure by having seniors zip-line across the stage to grab their diplomas.
Pomp & Circumstances That are Out of Our Control: Commencement 2020
The Colorado State Library would like to hold the memory of Commencement 2020 for the graduates, their friends and family, faculty, and the historical record by creating a collection of Commencement 2020 artifacts and making them available online in a single location via Stories of Colorado.
Museums and Libraries in the News
Dinosaur cannibals in Colorado | CMU Now
Yeah, you read that right! Researchers at Colorado Mesa University and Museums of Western Colorado have found a high frequency of carnivorous dinosaur bite marks on carnivorous dinosaur fossils, which provides evidence of feeding, scavenging and possible cannibalism.
6 Reasons To Visit Leadville, Colorado | Travel Awaits
Did you know that Leadville has more museums per capita than any other spot in the state? I did not!
Learning For All
Library 2.020: Small, Rural, and Independent Libraries | June 17 @ 1:00-4:00 pm MT
This mini-conference will focus on innovation and innovative thinking in rural, independent, tribal, and other small libraries–as well as the many unique challenges that they face. A diverse array of keynote panelists and curated presenters will cover topics ranging from providing internet access to rural patrons, novel ways to fund special programs, safety, security, and more. This is a free event, being held live online and also recorded. REGISTER HERE to attend live and/or to receive the recording links afterward.
Preparing for Project Failure | June 18 @ 12:00-1:00 pm MT
Too many plans don’t follow the basic rules of project management (setting priorities, documentation, transparency, oversight, authority to decide and delegate). Learn the importance of identifying small errors (small surprises–before they turn into big surprises) via benchmarks and checkpoints and how to communicate problems to stakeholders.
Why Your Library Needs a New, Short-Term Strategic Plan | June 24 @ 12:00-1:00 pm MT
Libraries and allied institutions can weather economic and natural disasters. Sometimes the damage is permanent, but people adapt and rebuild.How can libraries survive and continue to support their communities and institutions? You might choose to create and implement a new strategic plan, one that engages the world with fresh assumptions, focuses on immediate goals and priorities, dramatically reduce services, and innovates in different directions, even if the latest plan is three months old.
Grants & Funding
BBVA Foundation: Funds for Local Nonprofits in Bank Communities
The BBVA Foundation supports nonprofit organizations that are making a positive impact in the communities the bank serves in Colorado. Grants of up to $5,000 are provided through the Small Grants Program to organizations that address one of the following focus areas: community development, education, health and human services, arts and culture, environment and natural resources, and diversity and inclusion. Online applications are due July 31, 2020. Visit the BBVA website for more information about the Foundation’s Small Grants Program application process.
What’s New at the Colorado State Library
Learning Opportunities
CSL in Session: Sorry….You Just Don’t Fit into our Culture: unconscious bias in hiring decisions
- June 10 @ 12:00 pm MT
- Free! No Registration Required!
Free Online Learning Opportunities for June
Stay safer at home with these free online learning opportunities (lovingly curated by the Wyoming State Library).
Library Research Service
The right data for the job: Part 1 & Part 2
Imagine different types of data are interviewing for the same job (to answer a question). Which should you choose? What makes some more qualified than others? Get answers in the latest “Between a Graph and a Hard Place” entries.
Colorado Virtual Library
Learning Edge: May 2020 #2
The Learning Edge May 2020 #2 rounds up resources and news from the education field, and reminds us that we are in new territory and it is okay to keep it simple.
A Window to Colorado History: CHNC’s Extraordinary Brightside Newspaper
Thanks to Denver Public Library’s Western History Collection, CHNC now has four issues of the fascinating Brightside, the “Official Organ of the American Boys’ League.”
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.
- Education and Events Coordinator: Garfield County Libraries / Rifle, CO
- Library Collections Manager: Garfield County Libraries / Rifle, CO
- Youth Services Coordinator: Buena Vista Public Library / Buena Vista, CO
- Staff Trainer: Garfield County Libraries / Rifle, CO
- Patron Services Supervisor: High Plains Library District / Longmont, CO
- Library Manager: High Plains Library District (Centennial Park Library) / Greeley, CO
- Youth Services Librarian: Bud Werner Memorial Library / Steamboat Springs, CO
- Director of Public Service: Grand County Library District / Granby, CO
- Catalog Associate: Grand County Library District / Granby, CO
- Full-time Technology Specialist: Mesa County Public Library District / Grand Junction, 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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