Friday Grab Bag, October 1, 2021

Día De Los Muertos

Prepare for Mexico’s Day of the Dead celebration by joyfully honoring friends and family who have passed away and supporting their spiritual journey with Jefferson County Library on October 30 from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm. Learn about the significance of Sugar Skulls / Calaveras de Azúcar as you make your very own to take home. Bilingual presentation by Museo de las Americas. Pick up your materials starting October 4th at any Jefferson County Public Library branch (while supplies last).

Join Arapahoe Libraries on October 14 at 5:00 pm for Bilingual Stories: Day of the Dead. Listen to stories surrounding the celebration of the Day of The Dead. Hear stories from Mexico, including The Hungry Goddess, What the Dogs Saw and Calaveras. This interactive show will be presented in English and Spanish by storyteller, podcaster and author Carolina Quiroga. For children and families.

This year, Longmont Museum’s Día de los Muertos Family Celebration will open the season in downtown Longmont on October 9 from 2:00-6:30 pm. Enjoy a street festival with music and dance performances, arts and craft activities, cultural education, delicious food, downtown business altars, and the Gigantes Procession. Día de los Muertos exhibitions at both the Longmont Museum and Firehouse will also be open and free. Park downtown or at the Longmont Museum and take the free shuttle between locations so you can enjoy all the activities of the day.

Pick ‘n’ Mix

Grand County Community of Writers is a one-of-a-kind program through the Grand County Library District designed to encourage and develop the skills of local storytellers interested in producing works of both fiction and nonfiction. Working with local radio station KFFR, several writers have produced audio versions of original works to share their stories in the community.

Listen to live shows will continue on Sundays at 4:00 pm through October with a recorded show on Wednesdays at 7:00 am or available on-demand at kffr.org.

Enjoy a bit of the Bard with Denver Public Library and the Denver Center for the Performing Arts at Shakespeare in the Parking Lot on October 9 from 2:00-3:00 pm. A company of actors performs a 45-minute abridged version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in and around a pickup truck “set” right here in the library parking lot. Bring a camp chair or two for this fun-filled, outdoor, family-friendly performance.

Mesa County Libraries invites teens ages 13-17 to develop presentation skills, gain leadership experience, and work with other teens to become public speaking superstars! Learn to overcome nervousness, organize and present ideas, and write engaging speeches during this six-week Toastmasters Youth Leadership Workshop series. Presented by the Grand Junction Toastmaster Club and Talk of the Town Toastmasters Club, this workshop happens from 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm every Tuesday from October 5 to November 9.

Museums & Libraries in the News

Google doodle honors Denver native Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales, who founded the Crusade for Justice | Denver Post
Today’s Google slide show doodle honors Chicano educator, boxer, poet and activist Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales (namesake of Denver Public Library’s Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales branch).

New CU Boulder exhibit celebrates transgender, gender non-conforming people | Daily Camera
A new exhibit at the University of Colorado Boulder’s Norlin Library celebrates transgender and gender-nonconforming people in a rainbow of color, using prints from artist Rae Senarighi’s “Transcend” portrait series to bring their joy and power into focus.

Parker the Snow Dog gets library card in Clear Creek County | 9 News
At a special outdoor storytime that was part of Clear Creek County Library District’s National Library Card sign -up, Parker the snow dog (and mayor of Georgetown!) received his very own library card. What a good boy!

Pikes Peak Library District names new Poet Laureate | Fox 21 News
The Pikes Peak Library District has named Ashley Cornelius, a nationally-celebrated spoken-word poet, the region’s very first Pikes Peak Poet Laureate since 2017.

Anythink wins 2021 National Philanthropy Day Inspiration Award | The Know
Anythink Libraries and the Anythink Foundation are the winners of the 2021 National Philanthropy Day Inspiration Award, issued by the Association of Fundraising Professionals Colorado Chapter. Congrats, Anythink!

Centennial High School graduates unite to save museum – Colorado Springs, Colorado | Eminetra

The Centennial High School in Pueblo will be rebuilt, but as part of the rebuilding, some ex-students are worried that the school’s history museum, part of the courtyard, and veteran memorial walls will be lost in the process. According to school officials, the veterans’ wall will be preserved and rebuilt inside the entrance to the new school, but there are still concerns about the museum.

Learning at Your Leisure

Evaluating and Sharing Your Library’s Impact (WebJunction)
Want to know if your programming or services are effective? This three-part series walks you through the why and how of evaluating your library’s programs and resources using various assessment tools and data collection methods. This series has something to offer whether you’ve never used data before or you have some experience in this area.

Practical tips around privacy (EveryLibrary Institute)
Privacy is a core value for libraries and should be an integral part of library operations. This talk covers privacy aspects that libraries should be considering and provides practical guidance to integrate privacy into everything you do as a librarian.

Colorado Virtual Library

Election Resources for the Print Impaired from the Colorado Talking Book Library
The Colorado Talking Book Library (CTBL) has helpful information available to print impaired patrons during election season.

Library Research Service

How to observe: Ask first!
Observation can be a great data collection tool, but it is important that you ask first to 1) avoid being creepy, and 2) build trust. Learn more about why and how in the most recent edition of LRS’s Between a Graph and a Hard Place series.

Learning Opportunities

Upcoming CSL In Session: Making the Best of Bad Information

• October 14 @ 12:00 pm MDT
• FREE! No registration required
• Join Online

Save the Date: Virtual Fall Youth Services Workshops

• October 18, 11:00 am -1:00 pm MDT
• October  21, 12:30 – 2:30 pm MDT
• October 25, 11:00 am -1:00 pm MDT
• October  28, 12:30 – 2:30 pm MDT
• FREE! No registration required