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!
Libraries in the News
Colorado Public Radio recently featured a story about Denver Public Library and its services to Denver’s homeless population. DPL was the third library in the country to hire a social worker, but the practice has become more common in recent years. Read the full story.
Poudre River Friends of the Library volunteer group was recently honored by the United Way of Larimer County with a Volunteer Hero Award in the Education category for their important contributions to youth literacy and education. The efforts of this group has resulted in over $700,000 in donations since 2009.
Connecting with Communities
Pine River Library is celebrating the groundbreaking of the new Pine River Library Park with a one-day “pop-up playground” on May 20. Pop-up playgrounds encourage creativity and problem solving, as participants can design their own experience using modular components and some basic training. The permanent park will be built this summer.
Meet the mobile librarians of Clearview Library District during their Bookmobile Pop-Up and Cook-Off this Saturday, May 20 from 12:00 to 2:00 in Boardwalk Park. The festivities will include lunch (provided by the Windsor Lions Club), a magician, door prizes, activities, crafts, and (of course) a chili-cook-off.
Oral history videos from Gunnison County residents are now online. Watch them on the Gunnison County Libraries site.
For the Love of Reading
Libraries are gearing up for summer reading, and several have already started registration. This year’s theme is “Build a Better World”. The CSL website has more information and resources for librarians. Check with your local library for registration dates and program info.
Pikes Peak Library District’s Grow-a-Reader kits are designed by their Children’s Staff to promote early literacy. Each kit is based on a theme and includes activities, songs, stories, and more.
What’s New at the Colorado State Library
The Colorado State Publications Library Blog highlights resources of interest to all Coloradans. New this week:
- Did you know that Colorado has a law against impeding the flow of traffic in the left lane? Learn more and read the full text of the law.
- Colorado and Kansas signed the Arkansas River Compact in 1948, an agreement to clarify water rights between the two states. You can find a digital copy of the original agreement linked to the blog post.
- Senior fraud is an unfortunate reality. However, there are resources to help seniors and caregivers spot and report fraud, including a new hotline from Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies’ Division of Securities. Read more in New Senior Financial Fraud Hotline.
Unicorns are everywhere in pop culture these days, from fashion to Frappuccinos. If your library is looking for ways to get in on the trend, one option is a unicorn-themed book club. The CSL Book Club Resource has copies to lend of The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle. Learn how your library can check out this kit.
Lakeside Amusement Park has long been a staple of summertime fun in the Denver area. Read a brief history of the park, which opened in 1908, and find relevant links to newspaper articles in the Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection.
This post is part of the Spotlight on Sharing initiative, which aims to increase the visibility of resource sharing in Colorado libraries. How is your library sharing? We’d love to hear about it! Email Amy Hitcher, ahitchner@coloradovirtuallibrary.org. On Twitter follow @hitchlib and use the hashtag #spotlightonsharing.
- Friday Grab Bag, November 16, 2018 - November 15, 2018
- Friday Grab Bag, November 9, 2018 - November 9, 2018
- Friday Grab Bag, November 2, 2018 - November 2, 2018