Friday Grab Bag, March 12, 2021

Sustainable Practices

Pine River Library will join libraries across the Four Corners Region in a regional celebration of World Water Day throughout the month of March. World Water Day, held on March 22 every year since 1993, focuses on the importance of freshwater. As March 22nd approaches, the library will roll out water-related activities for all ages, including a “Be a Water Detective” kit, which will include PH testing strips and instructions for running water experiments as well as art project inspiration using recycled materials as well as water-themed coloring and activity books for younger patrons.

The Town of Vail has partnered with the Climate Action Collaborative and Eagle County Government to host an LED bulb swap at Vail Public Library the entire month of March. All Eagle County residents are invited to save money and cut climate pollution by exchanging two inefficient old-tech lightbulbs for two high-efficiency LEDs. Each resident is encouraged to bring in two incandescent or compact-florescent bulbs and exchange them for two LED bulbs free of charge at the Vail Public Library anytime during regular hours of operation.

In partnership with Cornerstones of Science and the NIH All of Us Research Program, the Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) is offering an exciting new citizen science resource to public libraries. The Test the Waters Family Exploration Kit is a fun, accessible, loanable kit which includes four family friendly activities, and all the instructions and materials needed (audio file guides are available in Arabic, Chinese, English, Spanish and Vietnamese). The free kits are available to the first 500 requesting libraries! They come in a lockable plastic tote and can fit on a typical library shelf.

Basalt Regional Library and CORE present Plugging into Climate Action with Zach Pierce, a virtual town hall with Zach Pierce, Special Advisor on Energy and Climate to Colorado Governor Polis on March 16 from 6:00-7:00 pm. Pierce will start off this action-oriented program talking with CORE executive director Mona Newton about the roadmap to reducing greenhouse gases and how Colorado will achieve carbon free by 2050. The conversation will be followed with a lightning round with local climate heroes, who will have one minute each to share their innovative projects that will help reach those goals. Listeners will have an opportunity to ask the participants questions.

Talking Green: Local entities launch new sustainability speaker series | Steamboat Pilot
A new partnership formed between the Yampa Valley Sustainability Council, Colorado Mountain College Steamboat Springs and Bud Werner Memorial Library launches the Sustainability Speaker Series to advance an integrated approach to social, economic, educational and environmental dimensions of sustainability challenges that lead toward collective solutions.

Learning for All

Reinventing & Re-envisioning Storytime in A Pandemic World (Utah State Library) | March 16 @ 1:00 pm MT
Even when the pandemic ends, experts predict that virtual programming will still be in demand by busy parents and homebound kids. This calls for reinventing and re-envisioning storytime to meet patron needs in this new virtual world! In this highly interactive virtual workshop, explore: best practices for delivering effective virtual programming; copyright considerations; some useful apps and online tools, and; multiple options for delivering virtual craft programs.

RIPL Data Bootcamp: Evaluation + Culture = Change | March 16 @ 12:00 pm MT
Many public libraries struggle to grow a culture of evaluation across their organizations. No matter whether you are already aboard the data train yourself, or you and your library still have a way to go, a key hurdle to spreading evaluation and assessment best practices is that it represents change. This session will provide a framework for understanding resistance to change, change management fundamentals, and basic strategies you can use to foster culture change at your organization.

Museums & Libraries in the News

PPLD to release updated version of regional Black history volume | The Gazette
The Pikes Peak Library District is releasing the latest installment in its Regional History book series, an updated version of Invisible People of the Pikes Peak Region by John Stokes Holley, that chronicles key Black figures in the area’s history.

BV Library’s Julia Makowski honored by Chaffee’s Got Heart Community Spotlight | The Chaffee County Times
Julia Makowski, youth services coordinator for the Buena Vista Public Library was nominated for how she took on the challenge of reconnecting families to the library in a safe and meaningful way during the pandemic.

From the Community Editorial Board: Library district | Daily Camera
The Daily Camera’s Community Editorial Board argues that the creation of a library district is the best way to ensure stable funding for Boulder Public Library.

Denver Public Library won’t pull any Dr. Seuss books from collection | The Denver Channel
The Denver Public Library says it isn’t planning to pull any Dr. Seuss books from its collection, despite Seuss officials announcing they’ll stop publishing six books due to racist and insensitive imagery.

Visit Stonehenge Without Leaving Denver | Westword
Stonehenge is the subject of an upcoming exhibit at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.

Learning Opportunities

Apply Now for Successful Supervision 2021!
Applications are being accepted until March 24, 2021.

Free Online Learning Opportunities for March
Cruise into spring with some free online learning opportunities.

Virtual Learning for Library Trustees
Upcoming trustee learning opportunities through March, including:

Trustee Talk: Building Community Support for the Library

• March 23 @ 2:00 pm MT
• Registration required, click HERE to register

State Publications Blog

• At the Legislature: Housing
• Getting Ready for the Big Storm

Colorado Virtual Library

New to CSL’s Resource Kit Collection: Media Conversion Kits!
We have three new technology resource kits to help you manage old media formats!

Colorado Commission on Higher Education approves 27 grant projects
The Colorado Commission on Higher Education approved 27 proposals that provide more than $875,000 in funding for Open Educational Resources (OER) projects throughout the state.

Check Out Colorado State Parks 2021 Updates
Check Out State Parks is bigger and better in 2021! Thanks to the many library staff statewide who make this program a success. We look forward to many more years of it to come!