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!
Summer Reading: Build a Better World
Many libraries around Colorado are opening registration for their summer reading programs this week, and several are holding events to officially kickoff the season. Check with your library about summer learning opportunities.
Cañon City Public Library is launching summer reading with Water Wars on June 1 at 3:00 pm. Kids can bring a water squirting device to join the fun.
To celebrate the summer reading season, local radio station KGCR will broadcast live from Wray Public Library on June 1 from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm.
Poudre River Public Library District invites kids and parents to experience trucks and emergency vehicles at Community Vehicles Day on Monday, June 5 from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. Browse, tour, and talk to the owners and operators of the wonderful machines that make our lives easier and safer.
On May 31, children at Boulder Public Library will explore this year’s summer reading theme, Build a Better World. Using craft material, kids will design their own box cities. See the event website for details.
At Bemis Public Library’s kickoff event, Growing a Better World, kids will help plant an edible garden in large containers that will be displayed outside the library. Families can stop by the library on May 30 at 10:00 to help plant tomatoes, lettuce, basil, chives, and other healthy treats.
Mesa County Libraries will host a Summer Entertainment Series featuring magicians Ann Lincoln and Cody Landstrom. Both magicians will perform throughout the week of May 25 – June 2; check the library’s Summer Reading page for times and locations.
Get Creative
Ignacio Community Library is looking for applicants for their Summer Art Exhibit. The art will be displayed at ICL from July 3 – September 30. The deadline to apply is June 16. Application paperwork is online.
Ignite! Gunnison Valley is an event where brave speakers will have 5 minutes and 20 slides to present an idea. It’s a fast-paced and fun idea exchange. Speaker submissions are due June 1; the event is on June 9 at 6:00 pm.
Strengthening Communities
Baca County Library holds a free legal clinic the first Wednesday of every month, where patrons can get online help from a volunteer attorney. The next clinic is on June 7 at 4:00 pm.
Civic Engagement is the last in the three-part series civics series from Poudre River Public Library District. The League of Women Voters leads these nonpartisan discussions, which will culminate on June 3 at 3:30 with a presentation on civic activism, followed by a postcard party where attendees can write to their local and state officials about issues important to them.
What’s New at the Colorado State Library
Colorado Historic Newspaper Collection has a new partner, Clear Creek County Library District, and two new historic papers, The Silver Plume Coloradoan (1881-1884) and the Silver Standard (1885-1907). Read the announcement. CHNC, a service of the Colorado State Library, is free for anyone to access and is a fantastic primary source tool for students and researchers.
On May 25, the Aspen Institute, in partnership with Colorado State Library, convened the Colorado Dialogue on Public Libraries. State leaders from the private, public, and nonprofit sectors gathered to discuss the role of libraries in building resilient communities. Governor John Hickenlooper delivered remarks. You can follow the conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #ResilientCO.
Growing Readers Together is a pilot program from the State Library that provides early literacy education to parents and caregivers in SE Colorado. The program’s blog posts on coloradovirtuallibrary.org feature tips and ideas for encouraging the love of reading at a young age.
RIPL (Research Institute for Public Libraries) is launching their Online Community of Practice, available to anyone interested library data and evaluation. The Community of Practice includes discussion forums, opportunities for file-sharing (such as infographics, surveys, etc.), and a quarterly webinar series.
The Colorado State Publications Library Blog highlights resources of interest to all Coloradans. Check out their latest posts:
- Job Hunting for People with Disabilities
- Time Machine Tuesday: The Colorado Conservation Commission
- Development/Remedial Education
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